Mother Ross

Image The Outpost c1700 By Ernest Crofts - available from here

Christian 'Kit' Cavanagh (or Davies), better known as "Mother Ross" was one of several women who served as dragoons in the British Army. She fought during the 1690s at first disguised as a man and later openly as a woman
Kit Cavanagh wikipedia entry

The life and adventures of Mrs. Christian Davies, commonly called Mother Ross; who [served] in several campaigns under King William and the late Duke of Marlborough - by Daniel Defoe is not as exciting as you might imagine. The story of a woman disguising herself as a man and her escapades should be pretty entertaining but whilst being of merit the book is pretty dull. Given that the book is out of copyright and it's pretty interesting cinematically - a swashbuckling dragoon in the 1690s but a woman - we should start a campaign to have this remade as a movie. Who shall we have? Cate Blanchett?

Picture of Kit Cavenaugh, aka Mother Ross and Christian Davies. Illustration from 1706. From the Scottish Military Historical Society (that looks like another, a third picture of a Marlburian soldier!)

Synopsis here