Historical Record of the Fourth, or Royal Irish Regiment of Dragoon Guards

Miles StaveleyAppointed 12th March, 1803

Miles Staveley obtained a Cornetcy in the Royal Horse Guards in January, 1759, and served with that regiment a period of forty years. His first essay in arms was during the Seven-years' war in Germany, where he served under Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick. He also served in Flanders under his Royal Highness the Duke of York; and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Royal Horse Guards on the 31st of December, 1794. During the following year he was promoted to the rank of Colonel in the army, and in 1798 to that of Major-General. In 1799 he obtained the Colonelcy of the Twenty-eighth, or Duke of York's own Regiment of Light Dragoons, which was disbanded at the peace of Amiens in 1802. In the following year he obtained the command of the Royal Irish Dragoon Guards; was subsequently promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General; and died in September, 1814.

Sir Henry Fane, G.C.BAppointed 3rd October, 1814

General Sir Henry Fane commenced his military career as Cornet in the Sixth Dragoon Guards in 1792; in 1794 he was appointed Captain-Lieutenant in the Royal Irish Dragoon Guards, with which corps he served ten years, and took an active part in Ireland during the rebellion in 1798. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the regiment in 1797, and was removed to the First Dragoon Guards in 1804. In 1808 he proceeded with the army to Portugal, commanded a brigade at the battle of Roleia on the 17th of August, and at Vimiera on the 21st of that month. He also commanded a brigade under Sir John Moore in Spain, and was engaged at the battle of Corunna. Returning to Portugal, he commanded a brigade at the battle of Talavera on the 27th and 28th of July, 1809; was promoted to the rank of Major-General on the 25th of July, 1810; commanded a brigade at the battle of Vittoria on the 21st of June, 1813, and at the battle of Orthes on the 27th of February, 1814; and these distinguished services have been rewarded with the Grand Cross of the Military Order of the Bath, and an honorary Cross with one clasp. He obtained the Colonelcy of the Royal Irish Dragoon Guards in October, 1814; was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General on the 12th of August, 1819; and was removed to the King's Dragoon Guards in 1827. On the 30th of January, 1835, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief in the East Indies, with the local rank of General; in which rank he was included in the brevet promotion on the 10th of January, 1837.

Sir George Anson, G.C.BAppointed 24th February, 1827

1

In the 14th year of the reign of Edward IV. a small force was established in Ireland by Parliament, consisting of 120 Archers on horseback, 40 Horsemen, and 40 Pages.

2

Military Papers, State Paper Office.

3

This Regiment was disbanded after the Peace in 1674.

4

This appears to be the first introduction of bayonets into the English Army.

5

State Paper Office.

6

The first issue of carbines to the regular Horse appears to have taken place in 1678; the Life Guards, however, carried carbines from their formation in 1660. – Vide the 'Historical Record of the Life Guards.'

7

Captain Charles Nedby commanded a troop in the Duke of Monmouth's regiment of horse, which was raised in 1678, in the expectation of a war with France, and was disbanded in the following year. In 1680 he raised an independent troop of horse for service at Tangier in Africa, and proceeding thither immediately, distinguished himself in an action with the Moors, on 27th of September, 1680. In 1683 the four troops of Tangier horse were constituted, together with two troops raised in England, the Royal Regiment of Dragoons. Captain Nedby continued in the Royal Dragoons until June, 1685, when he raised a troop of horse for the Queen's Regiment, now 1st Dragoon Guards; and in July of the same year he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the Earl of Arran's Regiment.

8

According to the estimates of this period, the following sums were usually paid for the clothing of the horse: —

Each Captain clothed his own trumpeter, and the Colonel the kettle-drummer.

9

The Fifth Horse were embodied in July, 1685, under the command of the Earl of Thanet, who was succeeded, on the 24th of October of the same year, by Major-General Werden. This officer commanded the regiment until December, 1688, when Lord Deloraine was appointed to the command; his Lordship was succeeded in the following year by Colonel Francis Russell, who commanded it until it was disbanded.

10

Lord Mountjoy was a warm-hearted Irish nobleman, devoted to the Protestant interest. At the Revolution he was desirous of having Ireland delivered into the hands of King William; the Lord-Lieutenant, Earl Tyrconnel, appeared to acquiesce, and sent Lord Mountjoy to France to obtain the sanction of King James, who confined him in the Bastile, where he remained until 1692, when he was exchanged for General Richard Hamilton. He arrived from France a few days before the battle of Steenkirk, and though holding no military rank, he served with this regiment as a volunteer, and was killed as above stated.

11

The Princess Anne's regiment was formed of independent troops of horse raised in June, 1685, and the Colonelcy conferred on the Earl of Scarsdale, who was succeeded, on the 1st of December, 1687, by Charles, Duke of St. Alban's. This regiment was remarkable for being one of the first corps which joined the Prince of Orange in November, 1688; having been conducted to His Highness's quarters by the Lieutenant-Colonel, Thomas Langston, who was immediately promoted to the Colonelcy of the regiment, and his brother, Captain Francis Langston, of the Royal Dragoons, was promoted to the Lieutenant-Colonelcy. Colonel Thomas Langston died of a fever at Lisburn, in Ireland, in December, 1689, and the Colonelcy of the regiment was conferred on his brother Francis. This regiment served at the battles of the Boyne and Aghrim in Ireland, and at Steenkirk in the Netherlands; but having lost many men and horses, the remainder were transferred to other corps, and the regiment was taken off the establishment of the army in the autumn of 1692. The officers served en seconde until vacancies occurred in other regiments.

12

When the regimental record was read to King William IV. in November, 1835, at the Royal Pavilion, Brighton, His Majesty observed – 'I was often at the house where the peace of Ryswick was signed. It was then the property of the Earl of Athlone, but now belongs to the Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen, sister to her Majesty the Queen.'

13

Official Records in Ireland.

14

While the regiment was on Dublin duty the following curious order was received.

'Dublin, 31st January, 1764.

'Lieutenant-General Fowkes recommends to the officers of the garrison that they would not play at the castle whilst on duty; and that the officers of the Horse Guards will avoid mixing with the ladies in the drawing-room, on account of the inconveniency of spurs to the ladies' hoop petticoats.

(Signed) 'D. Grant, Captain 52nd Reg., for the Major of Brigade.'

15

It has been stated that the troop-horses' tails were first docked in 1698; but the practice did not become general until ten years afterwards.

16

See the Royal Warrant of the 19th December, 1768.

17

Previous to reviews at this period a set of movements were fixed on by the Lord-Lieutenant, and ordered to be performed in his presence; the movements of the First Horse on this occasion were: – Salute – march past by squadrons – ditto by fours – dismount – manual exercise – march past by divisions – ditto by files – mount – cavalry evolutions – form line to the right twice – wheel to the right about – form line to the left twice – wheel to the left about – form two columns by quarter ranks from the centre of each squadron – double up to half-ranks – form squadrons – file from the right of fours – form squadrons – file from the left of fours – form squadrons – by fours to the right about – file from the right of fours – form to the rear – by fours to the right about – form four squadrons – wheel the line – charge – retreat by files from the right – form to the front – form two lines opposite, by squadrons wheeling outwards – charge through the intervals – form two columns to the rear by each line wheeling by squadrons inwards – squadrons wheel to the front – form two squadrons – advance – form six squadrons – form two columns on the centre squadrons – form line – charge – retreat by three squadrons, the three others supporting – move to the right to gain a flank – form and charge – form two squadrons – centre troops advance and pursue – retire and form in the rear of their own squadrons – charge – take ground to both flanks and rear by fours – charge – retreat by fours – form line – advance – halt – general salute.

18

'Adjutant-General's Office, 19th April, 1788.

'Dear Sir,

'Having had the honour of laying yesterday before His Majesty your request that the Fourth Regiment of Dragoon Guards, late the First Regiment of Horse, under your command, might bear the title of Royal Irish Regiment of Dragoon Guards, I have the pleasure to acquaint you that His Majesty has been graciously pleased to grant his royal permission for the same.

'I am, &c.

'William Fawcett, Adjutant-General.

'Lieut. – General George Warde, Colonel of the Fourth Regt. of Dragoon Guards.'

19

In this attack Lord Mountjoy was killed. He was the second nobleman of that name who fell while serving with this Regiment. See the account of the battle of Steenkirk, in 1692, page 12.

20

This eminence had been the scene of the most infamous and inhuman proceedings. Here the hapless Protestants seized by the rebels were taken and maliciously butchered, after a mock trial, and often no trial at all: some were shot, others transfixed with pikes, and many were barbarously tortured before their final execution. It appears, from unquestionable authority, that upwards of 500 Protestants were murdered on this fatal hill; and the priests were the instigators of these horrid religious massacres.

21

When this part of the record was read to King William IV. at the Royal Pavilion, Brighton, on the 9th day of November, 1835, His Majesty observed: – 'I recollect perfectly well inspecting the squadron at Liverpool with the Duke of Gloucester, and I think they were the finest men and horses I ever saw. In a short time afterwards we went to see the regiment at Manchester, and were equally pleased with the whole. It is a long time ago now, but the circumstance is fresh in my memory.' His Majesty directed Colonel Chatterton to make a note of this in the record.

22

During this year, 1815, the white web pantaloons and Hessian boots, were replaced by dark-coloured cloth overalls and short boots.

23

Horse furniture was originally used by both officers and men of the regiment, but it was discontinued in the early part of the reign of George III.

24

The Earl of Arran had not been long at court before an affair of gallantry involved him in a quarrel with Lord Mordaunt (afterwards the celebrated Earl of Peterborough), which produced a meeting in Greenwich Park, when, after firing their pistols without effect, they engaged with swords; Lord Mordaunt was wounded in the groin, and the Earl of Arran in the thigh, when the former accidentally broke his sword, which terminated the contest.

25

Charles Godfrey, Esq., was brother-in-law to John Lord Churchill (afterwards Duke of Marlborough), having married Miss Arabella Churchill, mistress of King James II., and mother of James Duke of Berwick, one of the most successful and distinguished generals of his age, who rose to the rank of Marshal of France, and obtained a dukedom in Spain, and another in France.

26

A detailed account of this action is given in the Record of the 6th Dragoon Guards; and also in the Record of the Fifth Foot.

27

His Highness was afterwards reigning Duke of Brunswick. He married the Princess Augusta, sister to King George III.; and died of wounds received at the battle of Jena in 1808.