Hannah Snell 1723-1792

Hannah Snell

Hannah Snell was born in Worcester, England in 1723.  She married for the first time in 1744, but her husband ran off and left her before the birth of their child, who sadly died at the age of seven months.  Hannah decided to go off in search of her missing husband.  She borrowed a suit from her brother-in-law, John Gray, and assumed his name to give her the freedom to travel.  Her efforts turned out to be in vain, as she later learnt that her husband had been executed for murder.

            It was whilst she was disguised as a man that Hannah was first enlisted in the Royal Marines in 1747.  She went to service in India, and was involved in the battle of Devicotta in 1749 and was present at the siege of Pondicherry.  She was wounded many times during battle but managed to keep her true gender a secret by tending to her own wounds.  She may also have had help from a sympathetic Indian nurse.

            Hannah returned to Britain in 1750, where she finally disclosed her true identity to the Duke of Cumberland, who was head of the military at the time, in order to petition for her army pension.  Even though she had been a woman in disguise, her military service was officially recognised by the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, and she was honourably discharged from the army and granted her full pension.

            Between the years 1759-1772, Hannah re-married twice and had another two children.  Unfortunately, she later developed signs of insanity and in 1791, her mental condition became considerably worse.  She was admitted to Bethlem (Bedlam) Hospital, where she died in 1792.

            Hannah Snell was one of the first female members of the British Army, even if it was in disguise, and she was buried alongside the other soldiers at Chelsea Hospital in London.