In the vibrant history of Wells few stories are as intriguing and sensational as the tale of Dr Charles Hamilton.

A figure who would become both a celebrated and notorious individual in the city, Hamilton's story challenges the very fabric of 18th-century gender norms and societal expectations.

Arriving in Wells in May 1746, Charles Hamilton was a dapper and charming young man who opened a medical practice.

Known for selling unproven cure-alls, or quack remedies, he quickly settled into the city's social fabric. But his love affair and marriage to Mary Price, his landlady's niece, would lead to scandal and infamy.

The couple married on July 16, 1746, at St. Cuthbert's Church in Wells. They lived as husband and wife, travelling through Somerset, selling their quack remedies. But after three months of marriage, Mary denounced her husband to the authorities in the nearby town of Glastonbury, leading to his arrest.

The reason? It turned out that Dr Charles Hamilton was a woman who had been living as a man.

The person first known as Mary Hamilton was born in Somerset in about 1725, the daughter of William and Mary Hamilton.

When still a child, her family moved to Angus in Scotland until, at around the age of 14, Mary put on her brother's clothes and set out on the road back to England alone.

From this moment, Mary lived and identified as a man, going by the names of James, George, and Charles Hamilton in the following years.

In Northumberland, as Charles Hamilton, he entered the service of Dr. Edward Green, a mountebank, or seller of quack medicines. He then worked for Dr. Finly Green before setting up independently as an unqualified doctor.

In May 1746 Dr Charles Hamilton arrived in Wells and opened his own practice in the city. He settled in well, and married his landlady's niece, Mary Price.

A deposition from Mary Price says that she and Hamilton travelled selling medicines after marriage.

During their time together, Price believed she had married a "creature of the right and proper sex."

But after gossiping with her neighbours, Mary soon began to suspect her husband was harbouring a secret. She confronted her husband when they were in Glastonbury and Hamilton admitted the truth to his wife, who instantly reported him to the authorities.

After the arrest, the story rapidly attracted the attention of the local newspapers. Hamilton's trial caused a legal dilemma, as magistrates struggled to agree on what crime had been committed. Hamilton's gender and deceitful behaviour were seen as an affront to social norms, yet there was no clear legal precedent.

Ultimately, Hamilton was charged under the vagrancy act of 1744, labelled an "uncommon notorious cheat," and sentenced to imprisonment and public whippings in the towns of Taunton, Glastonbury, Wells, and Shepton Mallet.

The severity of the sentence reflected the perplexity and outrage the case had aroused in the community.

The story soon reached the hands of novelist Henry Fielding, who was born in nearby Sharpham. He published a mostly fictionalised and salacious account of Hamilton's life in "The Female Husband." The book was an instant success, contributing to the lingering fascination with Hamilton's story.

But Hamilton, it seemed, did not simply fade into obscurity.

Years later, in July 1752 a letter appeared in the Pennsylvania Gazette, sent from Chester, just outside of Philadelphia. It recounted the story of Charles Hamilton, an itinerant doctor who was discovered to a woman.

According to the letter, once the secret was discovered, the doctor told authorities he had been brought up in the business of a doctor and surgeon in the UK.

He said she had set sail for Philadelphia in Autumn 1751, cast away from North Carolina and made her way towards the city selling medicine and treating people along the way.

When discovered, Hamilton confessed he had used the 'disguise' for many years.

The tale of Dr Charles Hamilton is not merely a scandalous footnote in Wells' history; it offers a complex and compelling insight into 18th-century attitudes towards gender, identity, and society. It also reminds us of the multifaceted nature of history, where individuals defy categorisation and challenge the conventions of their time.

This remarkable episode in Wells' history shines a light on the societal norms and perceptions of gender in 18th-century Somerset. It also hints at the complexities of human nature and identity, themes that resonate even today.

Dr Charles Hamilton remains a fascinating figure in the annals of Wells' history, a character who challenged conventions and lived a life that was both audacious and defiant. His story is a vivid reminder of the rich and often perplexing tapestry that makes up the historical fabric of this beautiful city.