Who was a German soldier who got paid to fight for British army?

Answer 1

The German soldiers were called Hessians, because many of them came from the city-state of Hesse. There was no nation of Germany then; where Germany is today were dozens of "Germanic states", a few large ones and quite a few small ones.

The soldiers themselves did not get paid. Their king got paid to rent out his subjects. This was the main source of income for many of the rulers of these tiny states, the "soldaten handel" - the soldier trade. Military service was compulsory for all young men, and if they got rented out to serve across the ocean, they had no say-so in the matter. Their king got a bonus payment for all his subjects who were killed.

Because the Hessians were not paid, the only way they could get any money was by robbing the Americans. Many of them had brought their wives along, and the Hessian women were the most formidable plunderers. If they came to your house they'd take everything, and I mean everything, if they had any way they could carry it off. They'd take any horses and wagons you had to haul off the loot.

Answer 2

German soldiers, called Hessians by the British, were hired as mercenaries by the British because they were effective and brave fighters know well back in Europe.