British Regiments and the Men Who Led Them 1793-1815: 2nd Regiment of Foot

By Steve Brown

Regimental History

Colonels

Stations and Combats – 1st Battalion

Stations and Combats – 2nd Battalion

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

Lt. Col. Hon. Frederick St. John

Born 1765, youngest son of Viscount Bolingbroke; Major in 45th Foot 16 June 1783 (on transfer from 104th Foot); Lieutenant-Colonel in 2nd Foot March 1791; Transferred to 117th Foot August 1794; subsequently a General; died 1844.

Lt. Col. George, Earl Dalhousie

Born George Ramsay in Scotland 1770; Major in 2nd Foot 27 June 1792 (on transfer from 1st Foot); commanded 2nd Foot in Martinique campaign; Lieutenant-Colonel 22 August 1794; wounded and returned to England 1795; commanded 2nd Foot 1795 to 1801; brevet Colonel 1 January 1800; Brigadier-General in Scotland 1803-1805; Major-General 25 April 1808; Lieutenant-General 4 June 1813. Commanded 7th Division in the Peninsula 1812-1814; died 1838.

Lt. Col. William Harris

Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel in 40th Foot 1 March 1794; Major in 2nd Foot July 1795; Lieutenant-Colonel 1 September 1795; retired December 1797.

Lt. Col. Thomas Eyre

Major in 2nd Foot 1795; Lieutenant-Colonel 27 December 1797; died July 1799.

Lt. Col. Love Parry Jones

Brevet Major in 2nd Foot 9 September 1794; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 1 January 1798; Lieutenant-Colonel 25 May 1799; possibly retired to estates about 1808. (Not to be confused with the Victorian era General Love Parry Jones-Parry, who was born in 1782).

Col. Hon. James Ramsay

Born Scotland 1772; younger brother of Earl Dalhousie; Major in 2nd Foot 27 December 1797; served in Helder 1799; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 29 April 1802; served in the Peninsula August 1808 to October 1808; commanded the 2nd Foot at Vimiero; served in Walcheren 1809; Colonel 4 June 1811; subsequently Major-General 4 June 1814; died 1837.

Lt. Col. William Iremonger

Major in 88th Foot September 1804 (on transfer from 11th Reserve Regiment); Lieutenant-Colonel in 2nd Foot 17 March 1808; commanded 2nd Foot in the Peninsula August 1808 to January 1809; served at Vimiero and Corunna; commanded 2nd Foot in Walcheren 1809; commanded 2nd Foot in Peninsula March 1811 to May 1811; retired 2 May 1811.

Major John Kingsbury

Joined the army in 1780; served at Gibraltar, Glorious 1st of June, West Indies, Helder; Major in 2nd Foot 15 December 1800; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 25 April 1808; served in the Peninsula from August 1808 to January 1809; commanded 2nd Foot at Corunna; served at Walcheren 1809; and again in Peninsula from March 1811 to December 1812; severely wounded at Salamanca, died in England 14 August 1813.

Lt. Col. Lord Robert Manners

Major in 10th Light Dragoons 3 May 1805; Lieutenant-Colonel in 2nd Foot 2 May 1811; commanded 2nd Foot 1811 to 1812; transferred to 23rd Light Dragoons 2 July 1812; ADC to Duke of Wellington in the Waterloo campaign.

Lt. Col. Godfrey Basil Mundy

Born London c.1770; Major in 3rd Dragoons 27 August 1802; served in the Peninsula August 1811 to November 1811 (3rd Dragoons); Lieutenant-Colonel in 2nd Foot 2 July 1812; commanded 2nd Foot 1812 to 1814; subsequently Major-General 4 June 1814.

Lt. Col. George Augustus Henderson

Captain & ADC to Lord Dalhousie in the Peninsula until April 1812; Major in 2nd Foot 4 June 1813; commanded 2nd Battalion of Detachments from December 1813 to April 1814; Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 12 April 1814; Lieutenant-Colonel 16 June 1814; commanded 2nd Foot 1814 to 1817; on half-pay 1820.

Major George Edward Raitt

Served in the Peninsula August 1808 to January 1809; served at Walcheren 1809; and again in the Peninsula from December 1811 to May 1812 as a Captain and ADC to Major-General Houston; Major in 2nd Foot 19 August 1813; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 25 April 1814; Deputy Quarter-Master General to the Forces in Malta September 1814; exchanged to the half-pay of the 90th Foot in 1817.

Captain James Florence de Burgh

Born in Ireland, real name James Florence Burke; served in the French army, deserted to the British army, was a spy in South America 1806-07; brevet Major in 2nd Foot 27 August 1807; served in the Peninsula August 1808 to January 1809; served at Walcheren 1809; and again in the Peninsula from December 1811 to May 1812; Assumed the name ‘de Burgh’ in 1811; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 4 June 1813; Lieutenant-Colonel 12 July 1817.

Sources:

War Office. Army Lists 1796 to 1815. London: various years.

Westlake, Ray. English & Welsh Infantry Regiments - An Illustrated Record of Service 1662-1994. Staplehurst: Spellmount, 2002.

McKenna, Michael G. The British Army – And Its Regiments and Battalions. West Chester , Ohio: The Nafziger Collection. 2004.

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.

Hall, John A. A History of the Peninsular War: Volume VIII – The Biographical Dictionary of British Officers Killed and Wounded 1808-1814.  London: Greenhill Books, 1998.

London Gazette Website. March 2009.

The Napoleon Series – Peninsula Roll Call. March 2009.

Placed on the Napoleon Series: April 2009; updated October 2009

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