James How
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Mary East (1730s - 8 June 1780) was an English tavern owner in the East End of London in the 1700’s and is best known for being born as female but openly presenting as male in the Georgian era.
In 1732, a 16-year-old Mary East began to present as a man taking on the name James How.[1] after entering a relationship with another 17-year-old female friend. (Unnamed).[2]
Life as a Pub Landlord
The two identified as a married couple going by the names of Mr and Mrs How and went on to purchase and run several pubs across East London[3] before settling in Poplar to run the White Horse pub in 1745.[4]
The Court Case
The couple lived peacefully but experienced incidents of blackmail from confidants and old acquaintances wanting to expose James How’s female identity. Around the year of 1750, a person who knew of Mary East in her youth, blackmailed the couple for cash in exchange for keeping their secret. James How complied with the payments of between £5 and £10 until 1765 when Mrs How passed away.[3]
In 1766, unable to comply with the demands any further and after a violent assault on James How from the blackmailer. James How brought the matter to the court. The extortionist appeared before Justices of the Peace in Whitechapel and after the strongest proof of their extortion and assault were denied bail and detained in Clerkenwell Bridewell prison to await trial. James How attended the hearing as Mary East, dressed in women's clothing, which caused a stir amongst the crowd and outed his original identity. Mary was able to prove the extortion of considerable sums of money as well as assault, and won the case. The blackmailer was convicted and sentenced to stand three times in the pillory and four years of imprisonment. Mary had to resign from the roles she had held as James How, and had to retire from the White Horse.[5]
After the hearing Mary East lived the rest of her life as a woman and died on 8 June 1780, leaving money to friends, relatives, and the poor of Poplar. Mary East was buried at St Matthias Old Church in Poplar.[3]
Mr and Mrs How in Fiction
The story of James Now and his wife was told in Bram Stoker’s novel Famous Impostors in 1910.[6]
References
- ^ Manion, Jen (26 March 2020). Female Husbands: A Trans History (illustrated ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781108483803. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- ^ "MARY EAST (AKA JAMES HOW) AND MRS HOW OF THE WHITE HORSE, POPLAR". East End Woman's Museum. East End Woman's Museum. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
- ^ a b c "MARY EAST (AKA JAMES HOW) AND MRS HOW OF THE WHITE HORSE, POPLAR". East End Woman's Museum. East End Woman's Museum. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
- ^ "White Horse, 11 High Street, Poplar". Pub Wiki. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
- ^ Brodell, Ria (30 Oct 2018). Butch Heroes (illustrated ed.). MIT Press. p. 16. ISBN 9780262038973. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
- ^ Stoker, Bram. "Famous Imposters" (PDF). Bramstoker.org. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
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