DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70266#0095
THE MANCHESTER HEROINE.
77
bricklayer), as a labourer; and, being tall of her age, when
about fourteen years old, she enlisted as a soldier into the 15th
Light Dragoons. Probably her extreme youth and healthy
appearance might occasion a laxity of attention, for she
passed muster without her sex being discovered. In the
course of two months she learned her exercise sufficiently
for all the purposes of parade ; the rough-riding master de-
claring her the best rider in the squad of recruits with whom
she was taught. She remained with the 15th Light Dra-
goons, in which she progressively attained the ranks of cor-
poral and serjeant, for twenty-one years, her sex all the time
remaining a secret to every one. Perhaps the care she was
under of guarding it, had the good effect of producing that
regularity and orderly conduct which recommended the pre-
tended “William Roberts” to the favour and protection of the
officers, and procured her promotion. When she had been a
soldier twenty-one years, the Colonel of the regiment ten-
dered her discharge, which she demurred the acceptance
of; but being under size, by her own consent, she was
transferred to the 37th regiment of foot, which regiment
she joined inlSOO, at the island of St. Vincent’s, in the West
Indies, where, soon after, she was taken seriously ill, (for
the first time, in her military career), of the yellow fever,
when wanting some of those attentions which would inevi-
tably lead to a discovery of her sex, she was obliged to en-
trust the secret she had so well kept, to the wife of a
serjeant, at a time she expected nothing but death.
She however recovered, and having no longer even a nomi-
nal claim to manhood, she was obliged to resume fe-
minine habiliments; but still enamoured of a military lijfe,
as she could no longer be a soldier herself, she became, in
May, 1801, the wdfe of one, a private in the 3/th
foot, of the name of Taylor, by whom this Amazon has
since had three children ; still following the fortune of way,
through various climates ; during which she was with her
77
bricklayer), as a labourer; and, being tall of her age, when
about fourteen years old, she enlisted as a soldier into the 15th
Light Dragoons. Probably her extreme youth and healthy
appearance might occasion a laxity of attention, for she
passed muster without her sex being discovered. In the
course of two months she learned her exercise sufficiently
for all the purposes of parade ; the rough-riding master de-
claring her the best rider in the squad of recruits with whom
she was taught. She remained with the 15th Light Dra-
goons, in which she progressively attained the ranks of cor-
poral and serjeant, for twenty-one years, her sex all the time
remaining a secret to every one. Perhaps the care she was
under of guarding it, had the good effect of producing that
regularity and orderly conduct which recommended the pre-
tended “William Roberts” to the favour and protection of the
officers, and procured her promotion. When she had been a
soldier twenty-one years, the Colonel of the regiment ten-
dered her discharge, which she demurred the acceptance
of; but being under size, by her own consent, she was
transferred to the 37th regiment of foot, which regiment
she joined inlSOO, at the island of St. Vincent’s, in the West
Indies, where, soon after, she was taken seriously ill, (for
the first time, in her military career), of the yellow fever,
when wanting some of those attentions which would inevi-
tably lead to a discovery of her sex, she was obliged to en-
trust the secret she had so well kept, to the wife of a
serjeant, at a time she expected nothing but death.
She however recovered, and having no longer even a nomi-
nal claim to manhood, she was obliged to resume fe-
minine habiliments; but still enamoured of a military lijfe,
as she could no longer be a soldier herself, she became, in
May, 1801, the wdfe of one, a private in the 3/th
foot, of the name of Taylor, by whom this Amazon has
since had three children ; still following the fortune of way,
through various climates ; during which she was with her