Hannah Snell (1723–1792)
Having served more than two years in a regiment of the marines, Hannah Snell (alias James Grey) announced to her disbelieving shipmates that she was in fact a woman. She sold her story to a publisher who turned it into a bestselling biography. She portrayed herself in stage adaptations (usually in uniform) and successfully lobbied for a military pension. She is one of only two women to have been buried at the Royal Chelsea Hospital.