The 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine ...

regiment of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...

, raised in 1701. Under the

Childers Reforms The Childers Reforms of 1881 reorganised the infantry regiments of the British Army. The reforms were done by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers during 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell Reforms. The reorganisation was ...

it amalgamated with the

29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot The 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1694. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot to become the 1st Battalion, the Worcestershire Re ...

to form the

Worcestershire Regiment The Worcestershire Regiment was a line infantry regiment in the British Army, formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot and the 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot. The regiment f ...

in 1881. Its lineage is continued today by the

Mercian Regiment The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire, Worcesters and Foresters, and Staffords) is an infantry regiment of the British Army, which is recruited from five of the counties that formed the ancient kingdom of Mercia. Known as 'The Heart of England's Infant ...

History

Formation

The unit was raised on the outbreak of the

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...

: on 28 June 1701 William III issued a warrant to William Caulfeild, 2nd Viscount Charlemont to raise a regiment of foot in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

. It was the successor to a previous regiment raised by Charlemont in 1694 for Irish service. William died in March 1702 and his successor, Queen Anne, issued a further warrant declaring that Charlemont's Regiment of Foot was to be one of six newly formed regiments to be equipped for "sea service".Cannon 1853, pp. 2–4

Early service: the War of the Spanish Succession

The regiment was selected to form part of an Anglo-Dutch force under the command of the

Duke of Ormonde The peerage title Earl of Ormond and the related titles Duke of Ormonde and Marquess of Ormonde have a long and complex history. An earldom of Ormond has been created three times in the Peerage of Ireland. History of Ormonde titles The earldom ...

that was to make an assault of the southern coast of Spain. They moved from Ireland to the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the List of islands of England#Largest islands, largest and List of islands of England#Mo ...

in June 1702, embarking for

Cádiz Cádiz (, , ) is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the Province of Cádiz, one of eight that make up the autonomous community of Andalusia. Cádiz, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe, ...

in the following month. They landed on 15 August, but the force failed to take the City of Cadiz, and the regiment left Spain on 24 September, sailing for the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater ...

. They returned to Ireland in 1704. In April 1705 Charlemont's Regiment left Ireland once more, forming part of an expeditionary force led by the

Earl of Peterborough Earl of Peterborough was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1628 for John Mordaunt, 5th Baron Mordaunt (see Baron Mordaunt for earlier history of the family). He was succeeded by his eldest son, Henry, the second Earl. He was ...

. The force landed in Catalonia in August, and the regiment took part in the Siege of Barcelona, with the city falling in October. In April 1706 the regiment helped relieve Barcelona which was under siege by a Franco-Spanish force. On 10 May 1706 Viscount Charlemont was replaced as colonel by Thomas Allnutt, within the unit becoming Allnutt's Regiment of Foot. Allnutt's Regiment was engaged in a number of minor engagements in

Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area also ...

and

Murcia Murcia (, , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the seventh largest city in the country. It has a population of 460,349 inhabitants in 2021 (about one ...

throughout the rest of 1706. In April 1707 they became part of a force of English, Portuguese, Dutch and Spanish troops under the command of the Marquis of Minas and Earl of Galway, suffering defeat at the

Battle of Almansa The Battle of Almansa took place on 25 April 1707, during the War of the Spanish Succession. It was fought between an army loyal to Philip V of Spain, Bourbon claimant to the Spanish throne, and one supporting his Habsburg rival, Archduke Cha ...

. The regiment was nearly destroyed, with Colonel Allnutt wounded and taken prisoner.Cannon 1853, pp. 14–17 In September 1707 Allnutt was permitted to return to England as part of a prisoner exchange. He was instructed to obtain to travel to

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county tow ...

to enlist new recruits to rebuild his regiment, with

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

and

Nantwich Nantwich ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. It has among the highest concentrations of listed buildings in England, with notably good examples of Tudor and Georgian architectur ...

chosen as the places of enlistment. This was recognised as an effective re-raising of the regiment. On the death of Thomas Alnutt on 7 May 1708, Archibald Campbell, Earl of Ilay, become colonel on 23 March 1709, with the unit becoming the Earl of Ilay's Regiment of Foot. In 1710 Ilay resigned and the unit became Disney's Regiment of Foot when Henry Disney became colonel on 23 October. In 1711 Disney's Regiment was part of a 5,000 strong force dispatched to

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the C ...

as part of the

Quebec Expedition The Quebec Expedition, or the Walker Expedition to Quebec, was a British attempt to attack Quebec in 1711 in Queen Anne's War, the North American theatre of the War of Spanish Succession. It failed when seven transports and one storeship were ...

. On 30 July they sailed from

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most p ...

for the

St Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (french: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, ) is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. Its headwaters begin flowing from Lake Ontario in a (roughly) northeasterly direction, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connecting t ...

. The expedition ended in failure, and Disney's Regiment returned to England, arriving in

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dense ...

on 9 October.Cannon 1853, pp. 19–20 In 1712

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Ve ...

of France signed a peace treaty with Queen Anne of Great Britain. As part of the provisions, Louis ceded the Port of

Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.Treaty of Utrecht The Peace of Utrecht was a series of peace treaties signed by the belligerents in the War of the Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht between April 1713 and February 1715. The war involved three contenders for the vacant throne of ...

ending the war, was signed in the following year.

1715 Jacobite rising

In the spring of 1714 Disney's Regiment returned to England, proceeding later in the year to Ireland where it was transferred onto the Irish Establishment, an arrangement that allowed for both lower rates of pay and a smaller number of troops. On 11 July 1715 William Egerton was appointed colonel of the regiment, which thus became Egerton's Regiment of Foot.Cannon 1853, pp. 20–22 When the Jacobite rising broke out in Scotland in August 1715, Egerton's Regiment moved to

Stirling Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotland, market town, surrounded by rich farmland, ...

under the command of the

Duke of Argyll Duke of Argyll ( gd, Diùc Earraghàidheil) is a title created in the peerage of Scotland in 1701 and in the peerage of the United Kingdom in 1892. The earls, marquesses, and dukes of Argyll were for several centuries among the most powerful ...

. They fought in the largely inconclusive Battle of Sheriffmuir where they were overrun and forced to retreat. The regiment remained in Scotland until 1718, based in Stirling and

Dumbarton Dumbarton (; also sco, Dumbairton; ) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven, Dunbartonshire, River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 1 ...

. In 1718 the regiment returned to Ireland, and in the following year moved to England where they became Hotham's Regiment of Foot when Sir Charles Hotham, 4th Baronet became colonel. They returned to Ireland in 1720. The regiment remained on garrison duties in Ireland and England until 1739, changing its name as new colonels were appointed: Pocock's Regiment of Foot ( John Pocock) in December 1720, Lenoe's Regiment of Foot (Charles Lenoe) in 1721, Moyle's Regiment of Foot (Brigadier General John Moyle) in 1732 and Bland's Regiment of Foot ( Humphrey Bland).

War of Jenkins' Ear

During 1739 tensions rose between Great Britain and the

Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its predece ...

. Bland's Regiment was recalled from Ireland to England in September 1739 and war broke out on 23 October 1739. In 1740 they sailed to the

, arriving in

Dominica Dominica ( or ; Kalinago: ; french: Dominique; Dominican Creole French: ), officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of the island. It is geographically ...

where there were large losses due to

dysentery Dysentery (UK pronunciation: , US: ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications ...

. On 9 January 1741 James Fleming became colonel, and the renamed Fleming's Regiment of Foot arrived in

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispanio ...

later in the month. The regiment took part in the unsuccessful two-month-long assault on Cartagena. They returned to Great Britain in 1743.

War of the Austrian Succession

By 1744 Britain found itself involved in a wider conflict, the

War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's W ...

. Fleming's Regiment was dispatched to

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture ...

where the formed part of the garrison of Ghent. In the following year there was a second Jacobite rising in Scotland, reaching

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

by January 1746. They fought at the Battle of Falkirk and played a small part in the

Battle of Culloden The Battle of Culloden (; gd, Blàr Chùil Lodair) was the final confrontation of the Jacobite rising of 1745. On 16 April 1746, the Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a British government force under Prince W ...

that ended the uprising. In the following year the regiment returned to Flanders where they were part of the force under the

Duke of Cumberland Duke of Cumberland is a peerage title that was conferred upon junior members of the British Royal Family, named after the historic county of Cumberland. History The Earldom of Cumberland, created in 1525, became extinct in 1643. The dukedom ...

defeated by the French at the

Battle of Lauffeld The Battle of Lauffeld, variously known as Lafelt, Laffeld, Lawfeld, Lawfeldt, Maastricht, or Val, took place on 2 July 1747, between Tongeren in modern Belgium, and the Dutch city of Maastricht. Part of the War of the Austrian Succession, a Fr ...

. The unit took part in a number of minor operations until the war was ended by the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in October 1748.Cannon 1853 p.31 The regiment returned to England in 1749 where its establishment was reduced before it was sent to

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = "Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gibr ...

to form part of the garrison there. Following the death of James Fleming, Lord Robert Manners became colonel in March 1751.

Numbering

On 1 July 1751 a royal warrant was issued which provided that in future regiments would no longer be known by their colonel's name, but would bear a regimental number based on their precedence. Lord Manners' Regiment duly became the 36th Regiment of Foot. In 1754 the 36th Foot returned to Great Britain, stationed in Scotland until late 1755 when they moved to southern England.

Seven Years' War

On 18 May 1756 Britain declared war on France, beginning a conflict that became known as the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754– ...

. On 25 August, the 36 Foot was authorised to raise a second

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

. The two battalions were encamped as part of a defensive force at Barham Downs,

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces the ...

. In 1758 the second battalion was reconstituted as the 74th Regiment of Foot. The 74th saw service in Senegal and Jamaica until its disbandment in 1763. In 1758 the 36th moved to the

as part of a force under the command of Major-General John Mostyn formed to make raids on the north French coast. They took part in a number of assaults in

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period o ...

and

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

during 1758 and 1759 and again in the

Capture of Belle Île The Capture of Belle Île was a British amphibious expedition to capture the French island of Belle Île off the Brittany coast in 1761, during the Seven Years' War. After an initial British attack was repulsed, a second attempt under General S ...

in 1761. The Treaty of Paris of 1763 brought the war in Europe to an end.

1763–1782

The 36th Foot left England in March 1764 for

where they remained until 1773. The regiment was not involved in the

American War of Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

that broke out in 1775, being stationed in Ireland from September 1775 until 1782.Cannon 1853, p.37 On 21 August 1782, the

Commander-in-Chief of the Forces The Commander-in-Chief of the Forces, later Commander-in-Chief, British Army, or just the Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C), was (intermittently) the professional head of the English Army from 1660 to 1707 (the English Army, founded in 1645, was succ ...

Henry Seymour Conway Field Marshal Henry Seymour Conway (1721 – 9 July 1795) was a British general and statesman. A brother of the 1st Marquess of Hertford, and cousin of Horace Walpole, he began his military career in the War of the Austrian Succession. He hel ...

, issued a regulation giving an English county designation to each regiment of foot other than those with a royal title or

highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...

regiments. The intention was to improve recruitment during the unpopular American War, and the

Home Secretary The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all national ...

, Thomas Townshend issued a circular letter to the

lieutenants A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

of each county in England in the following terms:

My Lord,
The very great deficiency of men in the regiments of infantry being so very detrimental to the public service, the king has thought proper to give the names of the different counties to the old corps, in hopes that, by the zeal and activity of the principal nobility and gentry in the several counties, some considerable assistance may be given towards recruiting these regiments".

The 36th Foot took a county title as the 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot.

India

RobertHome - The Death of Colonel Moorhouse at the Storming of the Pettah Gate of Bangalore

In March 1783 the 36th Foot embarked on ships in

, arriving in

Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

in July. The

Second Anglo-Mysore War The Second Anglo-Mysore War was a conflict between the Kingdom of Mysore and the British East India Company from 1780 to 1784. At the time, Mysore was a key French ally in India, and the conflict between Britain against the French and Dutch in ...

was entering its closing stages and the regiment took part in the relief of Cannonore in December 1783.Cannon 1853 p.39 The war was ended by the

Treaty of Mangalore The Treaty of Mangalore was signed between Tipu Sultan and the British East India Company on 11 March 1784. It was signed in Mangalore and brought an end to the Second Anglo-Mysore War. Background Hyder Ali became dalwai Dalavayi of Mysore by f ...

in March 1784. The 36th Foot remained in India, and in December 1789 the

Third Anglo-Mysore War The Third Anglo-Mysore War (1790–1792) was a conflict in South India between the Kingdom of Mysore and the British East India Company, the Kingdom of Travancore, the Maratha Empire, and the Nizam of Hyderabad. It was the third of four Angl ...

commenced. They saw service at the Siege of Bangalore in 1791. The war ended in March 1792 with the signing of the

Treaty of Seringapatam The Treaty of Seringapatam (also called Srirangapatinam or Srirangapatna), signed 18 March 1792, ended the Third Anglo-Mysore War. Its signatories included Lord Cornwallis on behalf of the British East India Company, representatives of the Niza ...

. In February 1793

Revolutionary France The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are consider ...

declared war on Great Britain, and in May 1793 the 36th Foot was ordered to move into

French India French India, formally the ( en, French Settlements in India), was a French colony comprising five geographically separated enclaves on the Indian Subcontinent that had initially been factories of the French East India Company. They were ''d ...

.Cannon 1853 p.63 It took part in the capture of

Pondicherry Pondicherry (), now known as Puducherry ( French: Pondichéry ʊdʊˈtʃɛɹi(listen), on-dicherry, is the capital and the most populous city of the Union Territory of Puducherry in India. The city is in the Puducherry district on the sout ...

in August 1793, and remained in India until 1798.Cannon 1853 p.64 They left India in October 1798, but did not reach England until July 1799, spending three months in

Saint Helena Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constitu ...

due to shortage of convoy ships.

Napoleonic Wars 1800–1808

The 36th Foot was brought up to strength in

Winchester Winchester is a cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, at the western end of the South Downs National Park, on the River Itchen. It is south-west of Lond ...

by recruits from the

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

before moving to Ireland in January 1800. They formed part of an expeditionary force under the command of Brigadier-General Thomas Maitland which sailed from Cork in June 1800, carried our a number of raids on the French coast. In July 1800 the 36th Foot moved to the island of

Menorca Menorca or Minorca (from la, Insula Minor, , smaller island, later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Majorca. Its capit ...

in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

, which had surrendered to the British in 1798. The

Treaty of Amiens The Treaty of Amiens (french: la paix d'Amiens, ) temporarily ended hostilities between France and the United Kingdom at the end of the War of the Second Coalition. It marked the end of the French Revolutionary Wars; after a short peace it s ...

, signed in March 1802, brought a temporary cessation of hostilities. As part of the treaty's terms Menorca became a Spanish possession, and in August 1802 the regiment returned to Ireland. On 29 June 1804 the 36th Foot was authorised to raise a second battalion, recruiting in County Durham. The battalion was formally placed on the army establishment on Christmas Day 1804, but saw no foreign service and was disbanded in 1814. In early 1806 the 1st Battalion (as the original 36th Foot was temporarily renamed) was briefly part of the Hanover Expedition. In autumn 1806 the battalion was selected to form part of a special force under the command of Major-General

Robert Craufurd Major-General Robert Craufurd (5 May 1764 – 23 January 1812) was a British soldier. Craufurd was born at Newark, Ayrshire, the third son of Sir Alexander Craufurd, 1st Baronet (see Craufurd Baronets), and the younger brother of Sir Char ...

. The brigade left Falmouth in November 1806 in great secrecy, eventually reaching South America in the following year where they made an assault on

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South Am ...

. The 1st Battalion returned to Ireland in December 1807.

Peninsular War

In August 1808 the 1st Battalion landed in

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a Sovereign state, country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southern Europe, Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes ...

, and was quickly engaged in action against the French at the Battle of Roliça on 17 August, the

Battle of Vimeiro In the Battle of Vimeiro (sometimes shown as "Vimiera" or "Vimeira" in contemporary British texts) on 21 August 1808, the British under General Arthur Wellesley (who later became the Duke of Wellington) defeated the French under Major-Gene ...

on 21 August. In spite of these early victories, by 1809 the British were in full retreat, and the battalion fought at the rearguard

Battle of Corunna The Battle of Corunna (or ''A Coruña'', ''La Corunna'', ''La Coruña'' or ''La Corogne''), in Spain known as Battle of Elviña, took place on 16 January 1809, when a French corps under Marshal of the Empire Jean de Dieu Soult attacked a Briti ...

on 16 January 1809. The battle was a defeat for the British, though they managed to evacuate their troops, and the 1st/36th embarked for England on the following day. The 1st Battalion took part in the

Walcheren Campaign The Walcheren Campaign ( ) was an unsuccessful British expedition to the Netherlands in 1809 intended to open another front in the Austrian Empire's struggle with France during the War of the Fifth Coalition. Sir John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chatha ...

, an unsuccessful attempt to open another front in the war in Flanders. They landed on 1 August 1809 and were initially successful in capturing Flushing. However an epidemic of

malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, fatigue (medical), tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In se ...

soon swept through the troops stationed on the swampy islands, and the battalion lost more than 200 to the disease. They returned to England in December 1809.Cannon 1853 p.77 The 1st/36th were stationed at Battle,

Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English C ...

where they were brought up to strength before sailing from

, arriving in

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administrative limits w ...

on 5 March 1811. They formed part of an army of reinforcements as the British began a new offensive aimed at breaking the military stalemate in the Iberian peninsula. The battalion fought at the

Battle of Salamanca The Battle of Salamanca (in French and Spanish known as the Battle of Arapiles) on 22July 1812 was a battle in which an Anglo-Portuguese army under the Earl of Wellington defeated Marshal Auguste Marmont's French forces at Arapiles, so ...

on 22 July 1812 and took part in the

Siege of Burgos At the siege of Burgos, from 19 September to 21 October 1812, the Anglo-Portuguese Army led by General Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington tried to capture the castle of Burgos from its French garrison under the command of General o ...

from September to October 1812. They then pursued the French Army into France fighting at the

Battle of the Pyrenees The Battle of the Pyrenees was a large-scale offensive (the author David Chandler recognises the 'battle' as an offensive) launched on 25 July 1813 by Marshal Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult from the Pyrénées region on Emperor Napoleon’s or ...

in July and August 1813, the

Battle of Nivelle The Battle of Nivelle (10 November 1813) took place in front of the river Nivelle near the end of the Peninsular War (1808–1814). After the Allied siege of San Sebastian, Wellington's 80,000 British, Portuguese and Spanish troops (20, ...

on 10 November 1813 and the

Battle of the Nive The Battles of the Nive (9–13 December 1813) were fought towards the end of the Peninsular War. Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese and Spanish army defeated Marshal Nicolas Soult's French army on French soil ...

in December 1813 as well as the

Battle of Orthez The Battle of Orthez (27 February 1814) saw the Anglo-Spanish-Portuguese Army under Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington attack an Imperial French army led by Marshal Nicolas Soult in southern France. The outnumbered Fr ...

in February 1814 and the Battle of Toulouse in April 1814.Cannon 1853, pp. 84–92 The 1st Battalion arrived back in Ireland in July 1814. On 24 October 1814 the 2nd Battalion was disbanded, with men fit for duty transferred to the 1st Battalion which became once more simply the 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot.

1815–1881

For the last sixty-five years of its existence as a separate regiment, the 36th Foot was not involved in active conflict, for the most part performing garrison duties in the United Kingdom and the British Empire. It formed part of the army occupying France from July to December 1815 and then moved to

on 22 December 1815. The regiment was sent to

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

in September 1817Cannon 1853, p.94 and then on to the

United States of the Ionian Islands The United States of the Ionian Islands ( el, Ἡνωμένον Κράτος τῶν Ἰονίων Νήσων, Inoménon-Krátos ton Ioníon Níson, United State of the Ionian Islands; it, Stati Uniti delle Isole Ionie) was a Greek state and a ...

in 1821, where they suffered from much sickness, before returning to England in 1826. The regiment was posted to

in 1827 and then embarked for

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estima ...

in 1831 although eleven men were killed in a

hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Dep ...

on the way.Cannon 1853, p.98 The regiment was at Barbados until 1833 when it moved to

Antigua Antigua ( ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the native population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Bar ...

; it transferred

St Lucia Saint Lucia ( acf, Sent Lisi, french: Sainte-Lucie) is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. The island was previously called Iouanalao and later Hewanorra, names given by the native Arawaks and Caribs, two Amerindi ...

in 1835 and back to Barbados in 1837.Cannon 1853, p.99 It then moved on to North America arriving in

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

in 1838 and

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

in 1839Cannon 1853, p.100 before returning to Ireland in 1842.Cannon 1853, p.101 The regiment moved to Northern England in 1845; a second or reserve battalion was formed at

Weedon Bec Weedon Bec, usually just Weedon, is a village and parish in West Northamptonshire, England. It is close to the source of the River Nene. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 2,706. Geography Weedon is around southeas ...

on 28 November 1846. It was posted back to the United States of the Ionian Islands in 1847: both battalions were stationed there during an

insurgency An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion against authority waged by small, lightly armed bands who practice guerrilla warfare from primarily rural base areas. The key descriptive feature of insurgency is its asymmetric nature: small irr ...

. The reserve battalion was absorbed by the 1st Battalion in April 1850. In 1851 the regiment returned to Barbados before moving on to

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

in 1852. In 1853 it returned to Barbados and then, in 1854, it moved to Jamaica where the regiment lost a large number of men from an epidemic of

yellow fever Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. ...

. It returned home to England in 1857 and then spent a tour in Ireland from 1860 to 1863 when it was posted to

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

. It returned to England in 1875 before being posted to Ireland again in 1880.

Amalgamation

Under the

Cardwell Reforms The Cardwell Reforms were a series of reforms of the British Army undertaken by Secretary of State for War Edward Cardwell between 1868 and 1874 with the support of Liberal prime minister William Ewart Gladstone. Gladstone paid little attention ...

, a "localisation scheme" for infantry regiments was introduced. This divided the United Kingdom into "brigade districts". Within each district a single depot was to be established to accommodate two regular battalions and also the local

regiments. In April 1873 it was announced that the 22nd Brigade District was to consist of the counties of

Herefordshire Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouths ...

and

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see H ...

, with a single depot for the

, the 36th Foot and the

and

Militia. The 29th and 36th Foot were to be paired, with one regiment on active service while the other was on home duties, with the two swapping roles every few years. A depot was established at

Norton Barracks Norton Barracks is a military installation in Norton, Worcestershire. The keep is a Grade II listed building. History The barracks were built in the Fortress Gothic Revival Style between 1874 and 1877. Their creation took place as part of the C ...

, near

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engla ...

. On 1 July 1881 the

came into effect and the 29th and 36th Regiments of Foot became the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the

, with the militia regiments becoming the 3rd and 4th Battalions. The amalgamated regiment inherited the traditions and battle honours of the 29th and 36th Foot. In 1970 the Worcestershire Regiment was itself amalgamated with the

Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for just under 90 years, from 1881 to 1970. In 1970, the regiment was amalgamated with the Worcestershire Regiment to ...

to form the

Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment (29th/45th Foot) (abbreviated as ''WFR'') was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. The regiment served as the county regiment for Derbyshire, Nottingha ...

. In another amalgamation in 2007, the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment became part of a new

large regiment A large regiment is a multi-battalion infantry formation of the British Army. First formed in the 1960s, large regiments are the result of the amalgamation of a number of existing single-battalion regiments, and perpetuate the traditions of each of ...

, the

Facings, battle honours and motto

The

facings A facing colour is a common tailoring technique for European military uniforms where the visible inside lining of a standard military jacket, coat or tunic is of a different colour to that of the garment itself.René Chartrand, William Younghusb ...

worn on the red coats of the regiment were green by 1742, when they were illustrated in ''A Representation of the Clothing of His Majesty's Household and all the Forces upon the Establishments of Great Britain and Ireland'', commissioned by the

. Nine years later a royal warrant was issued on 1 July 1751 regulating the ''"Colours, Cloathing &c. of the Marching Regiments of Foot"'' where the facings were confirmed as green. The 1751 warrant and subsequent regulations also set out the design of the

colours Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associa ...

of the regiment: the first or King's (or Queen's) colour being the grand union with the regimental number in the centre in

Roman numeral Roman numerals are a numeral system that originated in ancient Rome and remained the usual way of writing numbers throughout Europe well into the Late Middle Ages. Numbers are written with combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet, ea ...

s and the second or regimental colour being of the facing colour with the regimental number and title in the centre.

Battle honours A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In European military t ...

came to be borne on scrolls on the regimental colour, and by 1881 the 36th Foot had received the following: *Hindoostan *RolicaAwarded 1833 *VimieraAwarded 1816 *Corunna *Salamanca *PyreneesAwarded 1825 *Nivelle *Nive *Orthes *Toulouse *Peninsula Following amalgamation the

was belatedly awarded two battle honours for the service of the 36th Foot: *Mysore: awarded in 1889 for services in southern India in 1780–1784 and 1790–1792. *Belle Isle: awarded in 1951 for the

capture of Belle Île The Capture of Belle Île was a British amphibious expedition to capture the French island of Belle Île off the Brittany coast in 1761, during the Seven Years' War. After an initial British attack was repulsed, a second attempt under General S ...

. The regimental motto was the word "Firm". The origins of this are not certainly known, although regimental tradition stated that it had been granted in 1747 for their performance at the

The regimental tradition stated that the motto was granted by Field Marshal

Lord Stair James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount Stair (May 1619 – 29 November 1695), Scottish lawyer and statesman, and a key influence on the Scottish Enlightenment. He was a leading figure of Scottish law, “and also one of the greatest thinkers on law ...

. However he had died two months before the battle. It was uncertain if the regiment was authorised to use the motto until new colours were ordered at the end of 1816. The regiment corresponded with

George Nayler Sir George Nayler, KH FRS ( bapt. 29 June 1764 – 28 October 1831) was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. Early life George Nayler was born on 29 June 1764 in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire. He was the fifth son ...

, the

Inspector of Regimental Colours The Inspector of Regimental Colours is an officer of arms responsible for the design of standards, colours and badges of the British Army and of those Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth states where the College of Arms has heraldic jurisdiction. ...

as to whether the motto could be emblazoned. On 6 January 1817 Nayler issued a letter stating he was satisfied that the motto had been in use at least since 1773 and it that it could be borne. The motto was subsequently used by the Worcestershire Regiment from 1881 to 1970 and the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment from 1970 to 2007. The motto of the Mercian Regiment since 2007 has been "Stand Firm and Strike Hard", and the word "Firm" forms part of the collar badge design.

Regimental Colonels

Colonels of the Regiment were: ;Viscount Charlemont's Regiment of Foot, etc. *1701–1706: Maj-Gen. William Caulfeild, 2nd Viscount Charlemont *1706–1709: Col. Thomas Alnutt *1709–1710: Col.

Archibald Campbell, 3rd Duke of Argyll Archibald is a masculine given name, composed of the Germanic elements '' erchan'' (with an original meaning of "genuine" or "precious") and '' bald'' meaning "bold". Medieval forms include Old High German and Anglo-Saxon . Erkanbald, bishop o ...

(Earl of Islay) *1710–1715: Col. Henry Disney *1715–1719: Col. Hon.

William Egerton William Egerton (originally William Tatton; 1749–1806) was an English politician and a member of the Egerton family. Egerton was the son of William Tatton and Hester, sister of Samuel Egerton, who was her brother's heiress. He changed his s ...

*1719–1720: Brig-Gen. Sir Charles Hotham, Bt *1720–1721: Brig-Gen. John Pocock *1721–1732: Col. Charles Lenoe *1732–1737: Maj-Gen. John Moyle *1737–1741: Lt-Gen. Humphrey Bland *1741–1751: Maj-Gen. James Fleming ;36th Regiment of Foot (1751) *1751–1765: Gen. Lord Robert Manners *1765–1778: Lt-Gen. Sir Richard Pierson, KB *1778–1818: Gen. Hon. Henry St John ;36th (the Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot (1782) *1818–1829: Gen. Sir

George Don George Don (29 April 1798 – 25 February 1856) was a Scottish botanist and plant collector. Life and career George Don was born at Doo Hillock, Forfar, Angus, Scotland on 29 April 1798 to Caroline Clementina Stuart and George Don (b.1756), ...

, GCB, GCH *1829–1851: Gen. Sir

Roger Hale Sheaffe General Sir Roger Hale Sheaffe, 1st Baronet (15 July 1763 – 17 July 1851) was a Loyalist General in the British Army during the War of 1812. He was created a Baronet in 1813 and afterwards served as Commander and acting Lieutenant Governor of ...

, Bt. *1851–1854: Lt-Gen. Lord Frederick FitzClarence *1854–1868: Gen. William Henry Scott *1868–1868: Maj-Gen. Edward Basil Brooke *1868–1876: Gen. Sir Arthur Augustus Thurlow Cunynghame, GCB *1876–1881: Gen. Sir Charles William Dunbar Staveley, GCB

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot Worcestershire Regiment Infantry regiments of the British Army Military units and formations in Herefordshire Military units and formations established in 1701 Military units and formations disestablished in 1881 1701 establishments in England