The Not-So-Curious Case of Thomas(ine) Hall

The tragedy of Thomasine Hall is primarily this — we know so, so little about them. In fact, the entirety of our knowledge of them comes from the proceedings of a single court case.

What we know is this — in 1629, a person going by the name of Thomas Hall arrived at the English settlement of Warrosquyoacke, near “James Cittie” (what would become Jamestown), in the colony of Virginia. They were working as an indentured servant at the time, but soon drew attention from the townsfolk, as they dressed alternatively in women’s and men’s clothing, and sometimes went by the name Thomasine, rather than Thomas. When confronted about this behavior, and asked whether they were a man or a woman, Hall replied simply that they were both.

In 1629 Colonial Virginia, this was not an acceptable answer.

Not only did Hall identify themself as both a man and a woman, but upon “examination” by members of the community, they were declared to be a man by one observer, then a woman by the next, then a man, until the case was sent to the Courts to determine. The initial charge brought against Hall was that of alleged fornication with a fellow servant, as well as rumors that Hall had sexual relations with both men and women.

The clerk of the local court collected the testimony of those who had examined Hall, as well as Hall’s description of their own body and history. According to Hall, they were born and labeled a girl at birth, and raised as Thomasine in England until the age of 22…