Summarised history of the Regiment. 1688 to 1914

In the late Seventeenth century Europe was in the grip of religious, military and political upheaval, with several major powers vying for supremacy and the emerging America about to rear its head. Not four decades earlier the English Civil War had been fought, the Thirty Years War in Europe had finished as had an eighty year war between the Netherlands and Spain. The Ming Dynasty had come to an end in China and war, famine and plague swept Europe and the New Worlds of America, killing horrendous numbers of people. Only two decades earlier the Bubonic plague swept London, killing an estimated 100,000 people, closely followed by the Great Fire of London one short year later.

Despite many achievements and much progress being made, including Isaac Newton’s “Mathematical Principles” being published, the 1680’s saw numerous wars, sieges, plots to overthrow and assassinate various royalty and heads of state. By 1688 King Louis XIV of France had the Grand Alliance of England, Spain, Holland, Sweden, Savoy and the Holy Roman Empire arrayed against him and was at war with almost every European power.

In England during the autumn of 1688 and following his “Declaration of Indulgence” towards Catholics and nonconformists, King James II was facing the threat of the Dutch William, Prince of Orange who had brought an army to England on the behest of seven English Lords. The King was in a precarious position and, in response he authorised the raising of a new battalion of Pikemen and Musketeers. Although initially named after the Colonels who commanded them, this regiment would in time become the 16th Regiment of Foot.

With the first men being enlisted from Middlesex, they were moved to Reading and completed the raising of the new regiment. In November they moved to Southwark but clever political manoeuvring against the King caused the army to choose where their allegiance lay. The distinguished veteran Scottish soldier Colonel Archibald Douglas who had raised the regiment remained loyal to the King whereas the rest of the regiment could not bear arms against the Prince of Orange, thus splitting the man who had raised them from the men he had enlisted. The 2nd in command, Robert Hodges, became the new regimental commander, being commissioned on the last day of 1688 by the new King of England, William III (the Prince of Orange). Within months they newly formed regiment was in action on the European continent and would be engaged on European battlefields almost continually until 1712.

Timeline; 1688 to 1914

1688. The Regiment was formed, initially known by the Colonel's names until 1751. Having been raised around Uxbridge and Reading they were initially quartered at Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire.

1689 – 1695. The War of the League of Augsburg.

1689. Embarked for Holland where they helped the Dutch fight the French. They were engaged at Walcourt and later marched to Bruges that October.

1690. Marched to Brussels in June.

1691. Joined the army at South Brabant in March.

1692. Engaged at Steenkirk when Colonel Hodges was killed at the head of an advance by a cannon ball.

1693. Engaged at Landen in July. Quartered at Dendermond later that year.

1694. Joined the army in the field in May and returned to garrison Dendermond after the year’s campaign.

1695. Engaged at the Siege and capture of Namur.

1696. Joined the army at Brabant.

1697. Embarked to Ireland after the Treaty of Ryswick ceased hostilities.

1701-1712. The War of the Spanish Succession.

1701. Left Carrickfergus 7th June and embarked for Holland to help the Dutch fight the French. Reviewed by King William III 21st September.

1702. Moved to Rosendael and encamped at Cranenburg. Engaged at the Seige of Kayserswerth and later marched to Nimeguen. War declared against France. Engaged at the sieges of Venloo, Ruremonde and Stevenswaert. as well as the capture of the Citadel at Liege on 23rd October. Returned to Holland later that year to winter quarters.

1703. Marched towards Maestricht at the end of April. Engaged at the siege and capture of Huy and Limburg on the 28th September. Returned to Holland again for the winter.

1704. Moved to Germany. Engaged at the battle of Schellenburg, the Danube crossing and the battle of Blenheim. The remnants of the battalion returned to Holland after Blenheim.

1705. Engaged during the attacks on Helixum and Neer-Hespen.

1706. Engaged at the battle of Ramilies and the surrender of the principle towns of Brabant, after which they were quartered at Ghent.

1707. The Regiment were in the field all year but the French avoided any engagements.

1708. Moved to England to repel a French invasion in support of the Pretender, arriving at Tynemouth 21st March. The Navy did the job for them so they returned to Flanders and marched to Ghent, after which they were engaged at the Battle of Oudenarde and the siege and capture of Lisle and it’s Citadel on the 9th December. On arrival at Lisle, Sergeant Littler swam a defended stream armed just with a hatchet and released a drawbridge, thus allowing the army to move onwards. For his gallantry he was given the rare honour of being commissioned from the ranks into the 3rd Foot (the Buffs).

1709. Engaged at the siege and capture of Tournay (which finally fell in September), the Battle of Malplaquet on the 11th September and the siege and surrender at Mons, after which they quartered at Ghent.

1710. Engaged in forcing the French lines at Pont a Vendin, the siege and surrender of Douay (which fell on the 27th June), Bethune (fell in August), Aire and St. Venant. They quartered again at Ghent that winter.

1711. Engaged in the forcing of the French lines at Arleux on the 5th August and the siege of Bouchain, where they garrisoned for the winter.

1712. Moved to Tournay in April and encamped at Cateau-Cambresis. Involved in the surrender of Quesnoy (which fell on the 4th July) before the end of hostilities, when they were moved to defend Dunkirk.

1714. Moved to Scotland in April, landing at Leith. Stationed at Stirling from September.

1715-1716. Suppression of the Scottish Rebellions.

1715. Garrisoned at Fort William and did not take the field during the hostilities that autumn.

The Regiment was on Home Service in Britain during the entire reign of King George I and was not mobilized until 1740.

1739-41. The War of Jenkin’s Ear

1739. War declared against Spain.

1740. Initially encamped at Newbury. Spent some months as Marines and returned to Portsmouth when their task was complete. A detachment embarked on an expedition in the West Indies at the year’s end.

1741. Landed Jamaica in January and were later employed at Carthagena in South America where almost the entire detachment were annihilated by disease.

1742. The War of the Austrian Succession commenced but the Regiment were held at home.

1745. Charles Edward, eldest son of the Pretender, arrived in Scotland and the suppression of the Scottish rebellions started again but the regiment were held on the south coast to repel the threat of French invasion.

1746. In March the Regiment left Gravesend for Edinburgh following the Scottish victory at Falkirk Moor. They waited on ships whilst Culloden was fought and were sent north to Nairn, landing on the 1st May. Garrisoned at Elgin until moved to Fort Augustus the following summer.

1749. The regiment was moved to Ireland and reduced to the levels of a peacetime unit, where it remained for almost 20 years.

1751. On the 1st July the Regiment was officially named the '16th Regiment of Foot' and standardisation of some regiments within the army, including the 16th Foot, took place. Their uniform became almost completely scarlet with yellow facings and two battle flags were carried; the Kings colour (the Union Jack) and the Regimental Colour (Yellow with the Union flag in one corner and the golden numerals for the 16th regiment in the middle).

1755. War restarts with France. Several expeditions involving the 16th Foot were cancelled and they remained in Ireland.

1767. Moved to Florida and enjoyed a comfortable period of service for 13 years. HQ based at Pensacola with several small detachments spread over the countryside.

1775-1782. War of American Independence.

1776. Withdrawn from Florida and moved to New York briefly but returned to Florida soon after due to their familiarity with the locals who called for their return!

1789. War with France, Spain and Holland.

1779. Withdrew to Baton Rouge and a detachment (including some 16th Foot men) were made POW’s in September by the Spanish Governor of Louisiana. Engaged with French and American forces at Savannah and repelled a siege in the state of Georgia in October.

1781. Defended Pensacola against an overwhelming Spanish force.

1782. Their losses forced their return to England from South America, arriving in March. On the 31st August the Regiment was authorised to use the title 'The 16th (the Buckinghamshire) Regiment of Foot' to encourage enlistment from that region and create a county identity. The American War finished.

1784. Moved to Ireland as a small peacetime regiment.

1790. Embarked for Nova Scotia 18th August.

1791. Removed to Jamaica as a result of the unrest caused by the French Revolution, where they served for 5 years. 1793. French Revolution. Detatchment left Jamaica for St. Doningo.

1794. An entire detachment were sent to St. Domingo and perished from a fever, apart from 1 Officer and 1 Sergeant who rejoined at Jamaica.

1795-1796. The Maroon Wars

1795. Engaged in Maroon Wars on Jamaica.

1796. Maroons submit. The remnants of the regiment are returned to England at the end of the year, landing at Greenwich the next year.

1797. Moved to Scotland.

1798. Quartered in Fifeshire and Fort George

1799  Moved back to England, arriving at Margate, later billeting at Horsham in Sussex.

1800. Sailed to Cork in Ireland.

(1803-1815. Wars with France.)

1804. 7th January; embarked to the West Indies, landing at Barbados on 26th March, 573 strong. 7th April; sailed from Barbados and engaged at Surinam. The regiment would waste away here until 1811. 27 Officers and over 500 men died of disease with more being invalided home with Yellow Fever.

1806. Attacked at Surinam, losing 75% of the command yet winning the small scale “battle”.

1809. In May the Regiment exchanged titles with 'The 14th (the Bedfordshire) Regiment of Foot' and became known as 'The 16th (the Bedfordshire) Regiment of Foot'.

1810. Detachments started to be returned to England from Barbados and Surinam, leaving in 1810 and 1811.

1812. The last detachment left the West Indies. The very last group were ship wrecked off the Irish Coast with the loss of a few men, 1 wife and several children, along with all regimental documentation, equipment and property being lost. After rebuilding with English and Irish volunteers they marched to quarters at Sunderland in July.

1813. Moved to Perth in Scotland that March and to Ireland in July.

1814. War with the United States

1814. Embarked from Monkstown in Ireland in the spring for Canada as an advanced guard to the army being sent there. Landed in Quebec on the 29th May before moving to Chambly, later Montreal and finally to Fort Wellington.

1815. Rushed back to England in response to Napoleon’s revival, leaving Quebec in July and arriving at Portsmouth in August before being moved to join Wellington’s army at Ostend. Moved into the army of occupation in Paris and finally sent back to England. They missed the battle of Waterloo due to their transport from Canada being late and, once the treaty was concluded, marched to Calais and arrived at Dover very late in December.

1816. Moved to Ireland. Landed at Monkstown 3rd February and stationed at Fermoy, Limerick and Cashel in turn.

1817. Moved to Kilkenny.

1819. Moved to Athlone in Ireland. Embarked from Cork 25th August, bound for Ceylon. Having spent a month in Cape Town they finally landed at Columbo on February 20th 1820.

1821. In August they marched to Kandy, returning to Columbo in 1824.

1826. Left Columbo for Pont de Galle in July

1828. Moved to Bengal, leaving Ceylon in 4 detachments starting November and the final group landing at Calcutta by January 1829, where they were stationed for several years.

1831. Moved to Chinsura by steam boats.

1833. Marched to Ghazepore but orders altered en route and the regiment moved to Cawnpore, arriving 28th February 1834.

1840. Moved to Dinapore, arriving January and moving to the Presidency in November.

1841. Returned to England after 21 years of foreign service and stationed at Dover on their return. Issued with the new type “Percussion” arms in August and moved to Winchester in December.

1842. Left Winchester in April for Gosport, then to Portsmouth in August. New colours were presented to the regiment on the 22nd September

1843. Moved to Manchester in May then to Ireland in July. Stationed at Newbridge and later Burr.

1844. Marched to Naas in February and onto Dublin where they remained between April and December, after which they moved to Cork.

1845. Moved to Buttevant in June and back to Cork in October to prepare for foreign service again.

1846. 6 Companies (the foreign service element of the peacetime regiment) moved to Gibraltar, leaving on 17th and 19th January and arriving 11th February. The Depot Companies remained in Ireland.

1847. The 6 Companies on foreign service moved to Corfu, leaving 9th March and landing 27th March.

1848. The 4 Depot Companies left Cork to join the rest of the regiment who were at Guernsey. The depot arrived on 4th May.

1850. Moved back to Jamaica, spending the next 7 years there and missing the Crimean War as a result.

1855. The Beds and Herts Militia battalions were amongst the first to train at the newly acquired training grounds at Aldershot.

1857. Returned to England in June.

1858. The 2nd battalion of the 16th Foot was raised in Ireland. All line regiments up to the 25th were expanded to include a 2nd battalion following reforms resulting in the glaring deficiencies shown up in the Crimean War and the Indian Mutinies.

1859. The 2nd battalion stationed in Ireland.

1861. The 1st battalion sent to Montreal, later to defend the border with America against Fenian raiders. The 2nd were sent to Halifax in Canada and spent their time in Nova Scotia.

1866. 1st battalion involved in several small engagements along the borders around Niagara against the attempted invasion by American Fenian’s.

1866. 2nd battalion sent to the West Indies.

1869. 2nd battalion returned home and posted to Curragh in Ireland.

1870. 1st battalion joined 2nd in Curragh. British Army reorganised including the abolishment of purchasing commissions and the raising of a Reserve army amongst other things.

1876. The Regimental Barracks and Depot were completed on the Kempston Road, about 1 mile west of Bedford town centre. The building cost around £50,000 at the time and stood on a 23 acre site, 13 of which were used for encampments, drill and recreation grounds. The main building was formed into three sides of a quadrangle, housing the entire stores, powder magazines, Officers and men's quarters, including some married person's quarters, canteens, Mess Halls and other such areas. The 1st battalion remained stationed in Ireland whilst the 2nd battalion were sent to Madras in India .

1881. The Regiment was renamed 'The Bedfordshire Regiment' although the title the 16th Foot was still used for many years afterwards, even during the Great War. Bedford became the official centre for the regiment. The Bedfordshire Light Infantry Militia and Hertfordshire Militia formed the 3rd and 4th Regimental battalions and the Volunteer units from both counties were also folded into the county Regiment. The 2nd battalion moved to Burma.

1885. The 2nd battalion moved to Bellary, India.

1889. The 2nd battalion moved to Secunderabad.

1890. 1st battalion moved to Malta between February and December, thereafter to India, arriving on the 20th December.

1891. The 2nd battalion return to England, arriving at Devonport.

1895. The Chitral Expedition.

1895. 3rd April; the 1st battalion engaged at Malakand Pass, naming the steep hill they took that day Bedfordshire Hill. 1st and 2nd in command mentioned in despatches as a result.

1896. The 2nd battalion move to Litchfield.

1898. The 2nd battalion move to Dublin.

1899. The 1st battalion moved to Mooltan.

1899-1902. The South African Wars.

1900. The South African Wars. The 2nd battalion arrive 2nd January with the 4th Militia battalion arriving on the 21st March. Many of the men from the 2nd Volunteer battalion offered themselves for service and a Company was formed who served between 1900 and 1902.

1902. The 1st moved to Jhansi.

1903. The 2nd battalion return to England and are stationed at Colchester. 1904 sees them move to Bordon and 1906 to Tidworth.

1907. The 1st battalion moved to Aden and the 2nd are sent to Gibraltar.

1908. The 1st battalion returned to England, stationed at Aldershot.

1910. The 2nd battalion move to Bermuda

1912. Whilst the 2nd battalion were preparing to leave Bermuda for Bloemfontein on the 16th January, the German Cruiser 'Hansa' arrived and docked there for three weeks. Several parties were held and friendships formed between the Bedfordshire Officers and German Naval Officers, who only a couple of years later, would be at war.

1913. The 1st battalion moved to Mullingar in Ireland.

1914. The 1st battalion are in Ireland and the 2nd are stationed at Pretoria, South Africa. Both are recalled immediately to fight in the war against Germany and her allies.

Commanders of the 16th Regiment of Foot

1688. Sir Archibald Douglas was a Scotsman who raised the regiment in 1688 and was a veteran of many battles across several decades. He was appointed to lead the regiment on the 9th October. Ten weeks later the “Revolution” saw him out of the army and he never served the British Crown again.

1688. Robert Hodges was appointed to command the 16th Foot on the 31st December 1688 having served as an Officer entirely in the Royal Regiment of Foot, eventually commanding the Grenadier Company with distinction in many battles during his career. He was killed in action by a cannon ball on the 3rd August 1692 at the Battle of Steenkirk, at the head of his regiment where he always fought.

1692. The Honourable James Stanley, later the Earl of Derby, was appointed on the 3rd August 1692, having been 2nd in command of the Foot Guards beforehand. On his succession to the Earl to Derby in 1702 (after the death of his brother, the current Earl) he became the Lord Lieutenant of North Wales and finally relinquished his military position in 1705. He continued serving at the highest levels of the Monarchy, holding many senior positions including carrying one of the 3 Swords of State in the 1702 and 1714 coronations. He eventually passed away at Knowsley on 1st February 1736.

1705. Francis Godfrey joined from the Foot Guards on the 25th May, having served in several campaigns under his Uncle the Duke of Marlborough. His mother was Miss Arabella Churchill before marriage and had been King James II’s mistress. He sold his colonelcy in 1711 and died on the 6th October 1712.

1711. Henry Durrell was appointed the C.O. on the 17th February, having joined from the Foot Guards. He was appointed the Deputy Governor of Dunkirk and died there 1st December 1712.

1713. Hans Hamilton served an Officer for many years in the 16th until he gained the colonelcy of the 34th Regiment in 1705. He was commissioned on the 23rd June 1713 and sold his rank in 1715, dying six years later.

1715. Viscount Richard Irving was commissioned on the 11th July whilst the regiment were in Scotland, as well as being granted the post of Governor of Hull that year. He was promoted out of the 16th in 1717 and appointed Governor of Barbados in 1721. He died of Smallpox on April 10th 1721 before he left for Barbados.

1717. James Cholmeley took over on the 13th December after a notable career served with distinction and remained in command until his death in 1724.

1724. Henry, the Earl of Deloraine, K.B. served in the army since the 1690’s, holding senior posts from 1704 onwards. He obtained command of the 16th on the 7th April 1724 and remained there until moved in July 1730. He died on Christmas Day 1731.

1730. Roger Handasyd served as the regiment’s commander, joining from the 22nd Foot on the 9th July 1730. He had been an Officer since 1694, commanding the 22d Foot from 1712 and served as the C.O. of the 16th until his death in January 1763.

1763. The Honourable Robert Brudenell was appointed to command the regiment on the 14th June from the 3rd Foot Guards. He was the son of the Earl of Cardigan and held several senior posts until his removal to the 4th Foot two years later. He died in 1768 at Windsor.

1765. Sir William Draper, K.B. was born in Bristol in 1721, the son of Ingleby Draper, a Customs Officer. He went to Bristol Grammar School, Eton and King's College in Cambridge, where he got a degree in 1744, became a Fellow of the College and earned his M.A. in 1749. Instead of taking Holy Orders as was intended, he obtained an Ensigncy in the 48th Foot (later the Northamptonshire Regiment) on 26th March 1744 and was at Colluden in April 1746. In May 1747 he was appointed as Adjutant of the 1st Foot Guards and served in that battalion until commissioned as a Lt-Colonel to raise a new regiment of foot in November 1757 - the 79th. Serving in Madras, he distinguished himself repeatedly during the Fort George siege between 1758 and 1759, returned home ill later that year and led the assault on Manilla in 1762, who's captured standards he presented to his old college. The million pound ransom he secured from the Spanish Government was never paid and became a matter of public debate for years afterwards. He commanded the 16th Foot as a Colonel from the 25th June 1765, his old Regiment having been disbanded. He swapped Colonelcy's with James Gisbourne after a year, became the Governor of Yarmouth and later travelled in North America following the death of his first wife in 1769. He rose to become Lt-Governor of Minorca (1779) and achieved the rank of Lieutenant-General (1777) before his death in 1787. He was 2nd in command of Fort St. Phillip during it's famous siege and subsequent capture between 1781 and 1782. William draper was also involved in several very public altercations including laying charges and a Court Martial against his superior officer (Lt-General Murray) from the Fort St. Phillip siege.

1766. James Gisbourne joined from his post as Quartermaster general of Ireland on the 4th March 1766, having also commanded the 121st and 10th regiments. He died whilst with the 16th in Florida 20th February 1778, having achieved the rank of Major-General.

1778. James Robertson promoted, having served as 2nd in command for many years. He died in Ireland 4th March 1788, having been a Lieutenant-General and the Governor of New York in his career.

1788. The Honourable Thomas Bruce, was appointed from the 100th regiment of Foot on the 25th March 1788 and lead the regiment until his death in 1797.

1797. Henry Bower was appointed on the 15th December from the 89th Regiment and remained there, also becoming Governor of the Leeward and Windward Islands until his death there in 1801.

1801. St. John Fancourt assumed command until moved to the 34th Regiment in 1803.

1803. Brevet Lt-Colonel John Skinner assumed command, having joined the 16th as an Ensign 4th September 1773. He served in almost every engagement until his death in 1827, after 44 years of service with the colours, finishing as a Lt-General.

1807. Brabazon Dean Vernon took over the regiment

1808. Sir Charles Green, Baronet entered the army as a Gentleman Cadet in the Royal Artillery in 1760, and served in many arms of the service during his career. He died in 1831 as a full General.

1810. Henry Tolley assumed command in June 1810.

1814. Sir George Prevost, Baronet, joined from the 76th Foot on the 17th February 1814, having become an Ensign in 1779. He served in every part of the Empire during his career and remained in command of the 16th until his death in 1816.

1816. Hugh Mackay Gordon commissioned to command from the 8th January, arriving from the York Chasseurs. He served there until his death in the spring of 1823.

1822. Brevet Lt-Colonel Lionel Hook took temporary charge until posted to the Ceylon Rifle Corps in1824.

1823. William Carr, Viscount Beresford, G.C.B., G.C.H took over on the 15th March 1823.

1826. David Ximenes took command of a detachment of the battalion in India that March until appointed garrison commander of Fort William January 1829.

1829. Major John W. Adain assumed temporary command until moved back to England in April.

1829. Major Adam Gordon Campbell assumed temporary command between April and the arrival of the new C.O. in November.

1829. Lionel Hook (Brevet Lt-Colonel in 1822) took command again, arriving in November and leaving to command Fort William in January 1831. He died of illness on 7th February 1834 at Secrole whilst back in command of the 16th Foot.

1831. Major Adam Gordon Campbell resumed temporary command again until Hook’s return. Approx.

1840. Lt-Colonel McManus commanded until his retirement on the 10th March 1848. 1848. Major Robert Luxmoore promoted to command the regiment from March.

1854. F.E. Napier, C.B. took command.

1858. G.H. Berkeley was appointed.

1863. George MacDonald took command.

1893. Sir J.W. Cox K.C.B.

1893. J.T. Dalyell.

Around 1895. A.M. Paterson in command of the 1st battalion at Chitral.

1899. Richard H. Curtis took command of the 1st battalion whilst Colonel T.D. Pilcher commanded the 2nd battalion in South Africa.

1913. From September 1913 the 2nd battalion was commanded by Lt-Colonel H.W. Coates D.S.O. who did not take the battalion to Europe in October 1914 due to illness. From October the 1st battalion was commanded by Lt-Colonel C.E.J. Griffin, D.S.O., who commanded them in the field until December 1915. Sources.

The regiment's history up to 1848 was based on a rare book called “Historical Record of the Sixteenth, or Bedfordshire regiment of Foot; containing an account of the formation of the regiment in 1688 and of its subsequent services to 1848”, which was compiled by Richard Canon Esq., of the Adjutant General’s Office, Horse Guards. The period from 1848 to 1914 was compiled mainly from Sir F. Maurice’s “16th Foot” published in 1931. Both are spiced up with details collected from various historical sources from the National Archives and the Bedford County Records Office, as well as the 'Dictionary of National Biography', College directories and other specific sources.