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felis_ultharusSo I'm coming down with something, and I'm sitting in my old-book class with always-strange-but-never-boring Professor O'Leary. And while he talks, I'm sifting through a bizarre work of history called The Orangeman: The Life & Times of Ogle Gowan by respected historian of Canadian Irish history, Donald Akenson.
If Akenson is being honest (and unfortunately he hasn't published his sources yet), then Ogle Gowan -- founder of Canada's incredibly powerful anti-Catholic Orange Lodge -- picked up a 15-year-old named Eliza McCormick one time and went back to her hotel room, where she apparently lived alone.
The second time he went to visit Ms. McCormick, she was dressed in men's clothes. Turns out she had a wide variety of men's outfits, for playing any role. Her favourite use of them, Akenson claims, was for seducing other women.
Akenson further says that Ms. McCormick ran for parliament and won, becoming the first to do so. He doesn't say whether she stood for office as a man or a woman. I haven't been able to find an Eliza McCormick in the electoral records, but a George McCormick -- the right age and from the right area -- did stand for office in 1901 :)
Akenson's said he'd write a book on her, but he seems to have lost interest. I'd love to get a look at his sources.
If Akenson is being honest (and unfortunately he hasn't published his sources yet), then Ogle Gowan -- founder of Canada's incredibly powerful anti-Catholic Orange Lodge -- picked up a 15-year-old named Eliza McCormick one time and went back to her hotel room, where she apparently lived alone.
The second time he went to visit Ms. McCormick, she was dressed in men's clothes. Turns out she had a wide variety of men's outfits, for playing any role. Her favourite use of them, Akenson claims, was for seducing other women.
Akenson further says that Ms. McCormick ran for parliament and won, becoming the first to do so. He doesn't say whether she stood for office as a man or a woman. I haven't been able to find an Eliza McCormick in the electoral records, but a George McCormick -- the right age and from the right area -- did stand for office in 1901 :)
Akenson's said he'd write a book on her, but he seems to have lost interest. I'd love to get a look at his sources.
