British Cavalry Regiments and the Men Who Led Them 1793-1815

British Cavalry Regiments and the Men Who Led Them 1793-1815: 1st Regiment of Life Guards

Secondary Titles:

None

Regimental History

1660:	May – formed as three troops of Horse Guards
1661:	2 April – fourth (Scots) troop raised in Edinburgh
1788:	25 June – formed from 1st troop of Horse Guards (which had previously absorbed the 1st troop of Horse Grenadiers)

Colonels

1792:

5 December

Charles, Earl of Harrington (until September 1829)

Stations and Combats

1793:	London – Hyde Park Barracks
1794:	Hyde Park Barracks
1795:	Hyde Park Barracks
1796:	Hyde Park Barracks
1797:	Hyde Park Barracks
1798:	Hyde Park Barracks
1799:	Hyde Park Barracks
1800:	Hyde Park Barracks
1801:	Hyde Park Barracks
1802:	Hyde Park Barracks
1803:	Hyde Park Barracks
1804:	Hyde Park Barracks; October - Windsor
1805:	Windsor
1806:	Windsor
1807:	Windsor
1808:	Windsor
1809:	Windsor
1810:	Windsor
1811:	Windsor
1812:	Windsor; November – 2 squadrons to Portsmouth; Lisbon; Belem; Luz (remaining 2 squadrons at Romford)
1813:	May – joined Peninsula army; Vittoria; Logrono
1814:	Logrono; Pyrenees; Toulouse; April – Bordeaux; July – Boulogne; to Dover
1815:	May – 2 squadrons to Dover; Ostend; Bruges; Ninove; retreat from Quatre Bras; WATERLOO; Paris (remaining 2 squadrons at Romford)
1816:	January – to England.

Careers of Senior Officers (shown as highest rank attained in regiment in the period)

Lt. Col. John Drouly

Lieutenant-Colonel in Horse Guards 19 April 1788; Lieutenant-Colonel in 1st Life Guards 25 June 1788; commanded 1st Life Guards June 1788 to February 1793; retired 4 February 1793.

Major Thomas Roberts

Major in 1st Life Guards 25 June 1788; exchanged to 87th Foot 30 April 1794.

Lt. Col. Henry Read

Supernumerary Lieutenant-Colonel in 1st Life Guards 25 June 1788; Lieutenant-Colonel 4 February 1793; commanded 1st Life Guards February 1793 to September 1808; brevet Colonel 26 February 1795; Major-General 1 January 1798; Lieutenant-General 1 January 1805; retired October 1808; died in Rome 1821.

Lt. Col. Stephen Poyntz

Born Hertfordshire 1755; Supernumerary Major in 1st Life Guards 25 July 1788; Supernumerary Lieutenant-Colonel 4 February 1793; brevet Colonel 3 May 1796; Major-General 1 January 1801; rank stationary thereafter; died 1837.

Major William Tyndale

Major in 1st Life Guards 30 April 1794 (exchanged from 87th Foot); brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 3 May 1796; exchanged to 13th Foot 2 February 1803.

Major George Mercer

Supernumerary Major in 1st Life Guards 4 February 1793; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 3 May 1796; retired 16 April 1799.

Captain Sherborne Stewart

Born London 1759; Captain in 1st Life Guards 25 June 1788; brevet Major 6 May 1795; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 1 January 1800; retired November 1809 (after 21 years a Captain).

Captain Charles Bendyche Walton

Captain in 1st Life Guards 5 June 1790; brevet Major 1 March 1794; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 1 January 1798; retired 7 December 1805.

Major James Gambier

Born London 1772; Captain in 1st Life Guards 27 February 1798; brevet Major 4 April 1799; Supernumerary Major 16 April 1799; 2nd Major 25 September 1799; exchanged to 14th Light Dragoons 14 August 1801.

Lt. Col. Terence O’Bryan O’Loghlin

Born Ireland 1764; Major in 14th Light Dragoons 1799; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 1801; Major in 1st Life Guards 14 August 1801 (on exchange from 14th Light Dragoons); Lieutenant-Colonel 1 September 1808; commanded 1st Life Guards September 1808 to July 1821; Major-General 1 January 1812; commanded 1st Life Guards in Peninsula January to June 1813; on staff June to October 1813; commanded 1st Cavalry Brigade October 1813 to April 1814; died 1843.

Lt. Col. Lawrence Bradshaw

Lieutenant-Colonel in 13th Foot 1 September 1795; served in Ireland 1798 and Egypt 1801; Major & Lieutenant-Colonel in 1st Life Guards 2 February 1803 (on transfer from 13th Foot); brevet Colonel 25 September 1803; on board of Commissioners of Military Enquiry 1806 to 1812; Major-General 25 July 1810; rank stationary thereafter.

Lt. Col. Francis Slater Rebow

Born Francis Slater in Derbyshire 1770; added Rebow surname at marriage; served in West Indies 1788 to 1796; Major in 60th Foot 1796; Supernumerary Major in 2nd Life Guards 16 February 1797; Major & Lieutenant-Colonel in 2nd Life Guards 25 September 1799; Supernumerary Lieutenant-Colonel in 1st Life Guards 20 August 1807; brevet Colonel 25 October 1809; Major-General 1 January 1812; commanded Household Cavalry brigade in Peninsula January to March 1813; Lieutenant-General 1825; General 1841; died 1845.

Lt. Col. Thomas James Birch

Born London 1768; Captain in 1st Life Guards 15 August 1798; Major & Lieutenant-Colonel 1 September 1808; retired June 1810.

Lt. Col. Samuel Ferrior

Born Pembrokeshire 1772; Captain in 1st Life Guards 1 August 1802; Major & Lieutenant-Colonel 1 September 1809; commanded 1st Life Guards in Waterloo campaign; killed in action at Waterloo.

Lt. Col. John Camac

Born Lincolnshire 1782; Captain in 1st Life Guards 2 November 1808 (on transfer from 1st Garrison Battalion); Major & Lieutenant-Colonel 1 March 1812; served in Peninsula November 1812 to April 1814; commanded 1st Life Guards in Peninsula June 1813 to April 1814; brevet Colonel 26 April 1815; retired 1824.

Captain John Berger

Captain in 1st Life Guards 20 May 1813; brevet Major 4 June 1814; served in Peninsula March & April 1814; served at Waterloo; commanded 1st Life Guards on advance to Paris; retired 14 December 1814.

Sources:

Fletcher, Ian. Wellington’s Regiments. Staplehurst: Spellmount, 1994.

Park, S.J. and Nafziger, G.F. The British Miltary – Its System and Organization 1803-1815. Cambridge, Ontario: Rafm Co. Inc. 1983.

Philippart, John. The Royal Military Calendar, or Army Service and Commission Book. London: A.J. Valpy, 1820.

Dalton, Charles. The Waterloo Roll Call. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1904.

London Gazette. May 2009. http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/search.

The Napoleon Series – Peninsula Roll Call. May 2009.

Presenting the Household Cavalry. May 2009. http://householdcavalry.info/index.htm

Wikipedia. May 2009. Various pages.

Placed on the Napoleon Series: December 2009

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