Nancy Perriam facts for kids

Nancy Perriam (born Ann Letton in April 1769) was an English woman who worked on Royal Navy ships during the Napoleonic Wars. She was from Exmouth, Devon. Nancy fought in important naval battles, including the Battle of the Nile in 1798. She helped by bringing gunpowder to the cannons and assisting injured sailors. When there wasn't a battle, she helped with daily tasks for the officers. Later in life, Nancy sold fish. In 1847, she was one of three women who were not given a special medal for their military service because they were women.

Nancy Perriam's Life

Joining the Navy

Ann Letton was born in April 1769 in Exmouth, Devon. She was often called Nancy. In 1788, Ann married Edward Hopping, who was a sailor in the Royal Navy. Edward served on a warship called HMS Crescent. This ship was commanded by Captain James Saumarez.

In 1795, during the French Revolutionary Wars, HMS Crescent returned to England for repairs. Ann was allowed to join her husband on board because she was a good person and his wife.

Later that same year, Captain Saumarez took command of a different, larger warship called HMS Orion. Edward Hopping moved to this new ship, and Ann went with him. Her brother also served on HMS Orion. Ann stayed with her husband, who was a gunner. During battles, she helped prepare ammunition for the cannons. This job was often done by a "powder monkey".

Battles and Help

Ann fought in several battles while working on the ship. These included the Battle of Groix in June 1795, the Battle of Cape St. Vincent in February 1797, and the Battle of the Nile in August 1798.

When there was no fighting, Ann helped Captain Saumarez and his officers with their daily needs. During the Battle of Cape St. Vincent, she was sewing one of the Captain's shirts. She also helped the ship's doctor take care of the wounded sailors. She remembered helping the doctor with an operation on a young officer:

"the boy bore the operation without a murmur, and when it was over turned to me and said: 'Have I not borne it like a man?' Having said this he immediately expired."

Later Years and a Medal

In 1802, Ann's husband, Edward Hopping, drowned. In 1805, she married John Perriam. After her second husband also passed away, Nancy (or Ann) Perriam worked as a street seller of fish in Exmouth. She continued this work until she was 80 years old and could no longer work. People in her town asked for her to receive a government pension for her service. She was given £10 a year in her retirement.

In 1847, a special medal called the Naval General Service Medal was created for people who had served in the Napoleonic Wars. It was announced that anyone, male or female, could apply for the medal. Nancy Perriam was one of three women who applied. The others were Mary Anne Ridley and Jane Townshend.

A high-ranking admiral, Sir Thomas Byam Martin, was in charge of deciding who would get the medal. At first, his group thought about giving the medal to Jane Townshend because her old captain spoke highly of her. However, this decision was changed. It is thought that Queen Victoria did not want women to receive military medals. Sir Thomas Byam Martin wrote that there were "too many people in the fleet equally useful" and giving medals to women would lead to too many applications.

A historian named Suzanne J. Stark said this reason didn't make sense. She pointed out that a baby named Daniel Tremendous McKenzie received the medal because he was born on a ship during a battle. When Nancy Perriam and Mary Anne Ridley applied, their requests were immediately turned down.

Nancy Perriam died on January 24, 1865, when she was 95 years old. She was buried in Littleham churchyard.