▁War ▁of ▁ 1 8 4 6 ▁to ▁ 1 8 4 8 . ▁Brown ▁B esses ▁saw ▁service ▁in ▁the ▁First ▁O pi um ▁War ▁and ▁during ▁the ▁Indian ▁re bell ion ▁of ▁ 1 8 5 7 . ▁Z ulu ▁war riors , ▁who ▁had ▁also ▁purchased ▁them ▁from ▁European ▁trad ers , ▁used ▁them ▁during ▁the ▁Ang lo - Z ulu ▁War ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 9 . ▁One ▁was ▁even ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Sh il oh ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 2 . ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁of ▁the ▁name ▁One ▁hypothesis ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁" B rown ▁B ess " ▁was ▁named ▁after ▁Elizabeth ▁I ▁of ▁England , ▁but ▁this ▁la cks ▁support . ▁Jonathan ▁Fer g us on , ▁Fire ar ms ▁Cur ator ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Arm ou ries , ▁traces ▁the ▁name ▁to ▁at ▁least ▁the ▁ 1 7 6 0 s , ▁and ▁his ▁research ▁suggests ▁the ▁name ▁was ▁adopted ▁for ▁sl ang ▁for ▁a ▁low ly ▁woman , ▁mist ress , ▁or ▁prost itute ▁who ▁also ▁appear ▁in ▁period ▁sources ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁" B rown ▁B ess ." ▁He ▁writes , ▁"' B ess ' ▁was ▁a ▁generic ▁and ▁sometimes ▁der og atory ▁name , ▁a ▁bit ▁like ▁' She ila ' ▁in ▁modern ▁Australian ▁English ," ▁and ▁" b rown " ▁simply ▁meant ▁plain ▁or ▁d rab . ▁Fer g us on ▁disc ount s , ▁with ▁evidence , ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁theories ▁previously ▁popular . ▁ ▁Early