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y separately published work icon The Life, and Surprising Adventures, of Blue-Eyed Patty, the Valiant Female Soldier single work   short story  
Issue Details: First known date: 1790... 1790 The Life, and Surprising Adventures, of Blue-Eyed Patty, the Valiant Female Soldier
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

A chapbook 'history' of the fictitious Patty Freelove, who falls in love with Charles, the son of a neighbouring farmer. Charles, accused of killing game, is forced into military service with the 'Botany Bay Rangers,' and Patty, heartbroken, disguises herself as a man and joins up too. After a narrow escape in Rio De Janeiro, when 'a Portugese Lady, of great beauty and fortune' falls in love with the disguised Patty and hires 'ruffians' to kill her when her advances are spurned, the ship eventually arrives at Port Jackson. There they are soon attacked by 'natives,' and Patty, who fights with 'surprising courage' is wounded in the breast, and her sex is discovered. Patty and Charles marry and are allowed to return to England. At the end of the prose narrative is a brief account of the state of the colony, said to be related by Patty and Charles on their return. This includes some factual details, mentioning Arthur Phillip's wounding (in September 1790), and the parlous state of provisions in the early colony.

The concluding 'New Song. Tune, The Hardy Tar,' recapitulates the events of the narrative in verse form.

Notes

  • The cross-dressing 'female soldier' was a familiar figure in eighteenth-century popular literature. See especially The Female Soldier; or, The Surprising Life and Adventures of Hannah Snell (1750).

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • Wolverhampton, Staffordshire,
      c
      England,
      c
      c
      United Kingdom (UK),
      c
      Western Europe, Europe,      :       J. Hately ,       ca. 1790-1800 .
      Extent: 8vo, 8pp.p.
      Note/s:

      • [1] title, 2-6 main text, 7-8 "A New Song."

        Full title:

        The Life, and Surprising Adventures, of Blue - Eyed Patty, the Valiant Female Soldier; Who was the Daughter of Mr. Samuel Freelove, an eminent Grazier, in Essex; but her Sweet-heart being sent to serve in the Botany Bay Rangers, she eloped from her Father's House, and dressing herself in Man's Apparel, entered into the same Regiment, and set sail with her Sweetheart, without discovering herself. At Rio de Janeiro she was attacked by some Portugese Ruffians, and narrowly escaped with Life: a dreadful Storm arose, and the Ship was near being lost; she fell overboard, and had like to have been devoured by a Shark. At length, after having endured many Hardships, the ship got to Botany Bay, where in an Engagement with the Savages, she was wounded in the Breast with an Arrow, which discovered her Sex, and she and her Sweetheart had Leave to return to England, where they arrived a few Days ago. Also, an Account of the present Situation of that new established Colony.

    • Thomson Gale , ca. 2005 .
      Note/s:
      • A digitised version (of the British Library copy) of the work is available in Eighteenth Century Collections Online, a Gale Cengage subscription database.
    • Melbourne, Victoria,: Croft Press , 1979 .
      image of person or book cover 1535737335787223421.jpg
      Alternative title: The Surprising Adventures of Blue-Eyed Patty, The Valiant Female Soldier
      Extent: 22p.
      Limited edition info: Limited edition of 250 signed and numbered copies.
      Description: illus.
      ISBN: 0959599223
VIEW PUBLICATION DETAILS FOR ALL VERSIONS ()
Last amended 11 Nov 2015 14:32:14
Subjects:
  • Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour, Sydney, New South Wales,
  • Essex,
    c
    England,
    c
    c
    United Kingdom (UK),
    c
    Western Europe, Europe,
  • Rio de Janeiro,
    c
    Brazil,
    c
    South America, Americas,
  • ca. 1790s
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