Something True 2.7: Christian & Christopher
Summary
This episode recounts the extraordinary life of Christian Kavanagh, an Irish woman who disguised herself as a man to join the English army to find her missing husband, Richard Welsh. After he vanished in the 1680s, she enlisted as "Christopher" and fought in the Nine Years' War and the War of the Spanish Succession. She eventually reunited with Richard, who had remarried, and continued serving until his death in battle. The story highlights her resilience, gender-bending exploits, and ultimate independence in 18th-century Europe.
Topics discussed
Christian's husband disappears and she receives a letter
Christian disguises herself as Christopher to join the army
Life in the army and a musket ball injury
Romance in Chorkum and a duel with a rival soldier
The siege of Namur and Christian's return to Dublin
Re-enlisting in the War of Spanish Succession
Reuniting with Richard and his new Dutch wife
Christian's gender is revealed after a head injury
Serving as a sutler and finding Richard's body
Returning home to loss and reinventing herself
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