Phoebe Hessel (The Woman Who Went to War for Love)

Phoebe Hessel was born in Stepney in 1713 and baptized at the local church of St Dunstans. There are two stories of her early life, one that when her mother died young her father, who was a soldier had two options one to put her into care of the parish, or two take him with him, he chose the second option but as girls or women weren't allowed in the army he dressed her as a boy taught her the fife and drum and returned with Phoebe to his unit.

The second is a little more romantic, it is said that when Phoebe was fifteen years old she fell desperately in love with a soldier named Samuel Golding, when he was recalled to duty Phoebe couldn't bear the thought of their separation so she dressed herself as a man and went off to war beside the man she loved.

Which ever story is true one thing that can't be denied is that Phoebe did disguise herself as a man and join the army. She fought with the 5th Regiment of Foot this was one of the 'Six Old Corps', which entitled it to use a badge (St George killing the Dragon) on its Regimental Colours. She stayed in the army for seventeen year seeing action in the Caribbean and Europe.

It was while she was in under the command of the Duke of Cumberland fighting for the Austrian succession in Belgium that she was wounded in the arm by a French bayonet and was invalided out of the army, or at least that was one story claims, for just like her early life this part also has two claims, that being the first and the second being that it was Samuel Golding that was wounded and invalided out, and not wanting to be separated from him once again she disclosed her secret to the wife of their commanding officer who obtained her discharge.

Once back in civvy street the two married and settled in Plymouth where the couple had nine children, all but one died in infancy and their only surviving son died while serving at sea. When Samuel died she moved to Brighton and married a fisherman Thomas Hessel. Phoebe was eighty years old Thomas died so with the little money she had she bought a donkey and traveled Brighton and the surrounding villages selling fish and vegetables. Soon however this became too much for a woman of her years so she settled for selling oranges, gingerbread and pincushions at the corner of Marine Parade and Old Steine where her customers came as much for her stories of her long live as for her goods.

As her celebrity grew she came to the attention of the Prince Regent who spent much of his time in Brighton, so that when at the age of ninety five she was forced to go into the workhouse the Prince granted her half a guinea a week, with this Phoebe left the workhouse and began selling her wares once again. When in 1820 the Prince succeeded to the throne he remembered Phoebe and invited her to his coronation, which was an honour he didn't extend to his own wife Caroline of Brunswick who was forbidden to attend the ceremony, she was in fact turned away at the doors of Westminster Abbey while the ceremony took place inside.

Phoebe died the following year at the age of one hundred and eight and was buried in a prime plot in St. Nicholas' Churchyard, a local pawnbroker, Hyam Lewis, paid for the headstone which marks her grave, the inscription reads:

''In Memory of Phoebe Hessel who was born at Stepney in the Year 1713. She served for many years as a private soldier in the 5th Reg. of foot in different parts of Europe and in the year 1745 fought under the command of the Duke of Cumberland at the Battle of Fontenoy where she received a bayonet wound in her arm. Her long life which commenced in the time of Queen Anne extended to the reign of George IV by whose munificence she received comfort and support in her latter years. She died at Brighton where she had long resided: December 12th 1821 Aged 108 Years.'' Although Phoebe had moved away from her eastend roots the eastend didn't forget her, and if you should ever walk along Hessel Street perhaps you'll give a thought to the young woman who went of to warrather than be seperated from the man she loved.