Happy Jerry

In this print, a Thames waterman is standing on a riverbank with a bridge and buildings in the background. His coat and badge indicate that he has won Doggett’s – a prestigious rowing race for watermen. Beside him is a woman in men’s attire on the left and a sailor on the right. He grasps both of their hands in his own and gazes fondly at the woman.

This print was published in 1793 by Robert Sayer. Originally, it was accompanied by the ballad Happy Jerry by Charles Dibdin, but the text has been cut off this impression. The ballad tells the story of a Thames waterman, Jerry, who goes away to sea. While he is away, his wife, Peggy, betrays him with his best friend Jack. Jerry is distraught when he finds out about their infidelity and returns to the sea. Peggy disguises herself as a man and she and Jack travel the world in search of Jerry. Eventually, they find him and are reconciled. He becomes ‘Happy Jerry’ once again.

As they were skilled oarsmen, Thames watermen were often targeted by naval pressgangs and forced to go to sea. The waterman who has to go to sea – often to his personal detriment – was a common trope. Another naval trope represented in this print is that of the woman who disguises herself as a man in order to go to sea. In this instance, the wife has disguised herself as a man to track down her husband. This was seen as a romantic and feminine motivation, justifying the divergence from gender norms.