British Regiments and the Men Who Led Them 1793-1815: 7th 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. John Despard

Born Dublin 1744; Major in Earl of Moira’s Corps June 1778; Deputy Adjutant-General in North America 1779; Major in 7th Foot June 1788; Lieutenant-Colonel in 7th Foot 13 July 1791; commanded 1/7th Foot 1791 to 1795; brevet Colonel 21 August 1795; subsequently Major-General 18 June 1798; Lieutenant-General 30 October 1805; General 4 June 1814; died 1829.

Col. Anthony Lewis Layard

Born London 1750; Major in 7th Foot 9 July 1791; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 13 April 1795; Lieutenant-Colonel 16 April 1795; commanded 1/7th Foot 1798 to 1802; Colonel 29 April 1802; exchanged to the half-pay of 54th Foot 25 December 1803; subsequently Major-General 25 October 1809; Lieutenant-General 4 June 1814.

Major Walter Cliffe

Born Ireland 1757; Major in 7th Foot 7 February 1798; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 31 March 1795; brevet Colonel 11 May 1802; exchanged to the half-pay of 9th Foot 30 November 1802; Inspecting Field Officer of Yeomanry in January 1804; subsequently Major-General 24 October 1809; died 1816.

Major James Burroes

Major in 7th Foot 16 April 1795; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 1 January 1798; exchanged to 47th Foot 24 March 1804.

Lt. Col. Fielder King

Born Sussex 1755; Major in 98th Foot May 1796 (on transfer from 84th Foot); Lieutenant-Colonel in 98th Foot 4 March 1797; Lieutenant-Colonel in 47th Foot 11 July 1803 (transferred from Cape Regiment); Lieutenant-Colonel in 7th Foot 21 January 1804; commanded 2/7th Foot 1804; Inspecting Field Officer of Yeomanry September 1804.

Lt. Col. Lord Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck

Born 1781; Major in 45th Foot 27 March 1804 (on transfer from 52nd Foot); Lieutenant-Colonel in 7th Foot 28 April 1804 (on transfer from 45th Foot); transferred back to 45th Foot 12 May 1804; to 1st Foot Guards January 1805.

Col. Hon. Edward Michael Pakenham, G.C.B.

Born Ireland 1778; Major in 64th Foot May 1800 (on transfer from 23rd Light Dragoons); Lieutenant-Colonel in 7th Foot 5 May 1804 (on transfer from 64th Foot); served in Copenhagen 1807; served in Martinique 1808; Colonel 25 October 1809; served in Peninsula August to September 1810, October 1810 to January 1811, July 1811 to July 1812 as brigade commander in 1st and 4th Divisions; commander of 3rd Division July 1812 to January 1813; commander of 6th Division February to April 1813; Major-General 1 January 1812; commander of British forces in North America 1814-1815; killed in action New Orleans 8 January 1815.

Lt. Col. Sir William James Myers, Bart.

Born 1783, son of General Sir William Myers; Lieutenant-Colonel in 62nd Foot 10 July 1802 (on transfer from 15th Foot); Lieutenant-Colonel in 7th Foot 15 August 1804; commanded 2/7th Foot in Peninsula April to July 1809; commanded a brigade in 4th Division July 1809 to January 1810; commanded 1/7th Foot in Peninsula November 1810 to February 1811; commanded brigade again February to November 1811; severely wounded at Albuera; died of wounds at Valverde 17 May 1811; has a memorial plate in St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Major Theophilus Pritzler, C.B.

Major in 7th Foot 1 September 1804 (on transfer from 21st Light Dragoons); Assistant Adjutant-General in York 1805; Inspector-General of recruiting service 1806; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 16 April 1807; Assistant Adjutant-General at Horse Guards 1807 to 1809; Assistant Adjutant-General for recruiting services 1809 to 1813; Lieutenant-Colonel in 22nd Light Dragoons 15 August 1811; subsequently a Major General; died 1839.

Lt. Col. Sir Edward Blakeney, K.C.B.

Born Newcastle-upon-Tyne 1778; Major in 7th Foot 24 March 1804 (on transfer from 47th Foot); served in Copenhagen 1807; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 25 April 1808; served in Martinique 1808; commanded 1/7th Foot in Peninsula August to October 1810; commanded 2/7th Foot in Peninsula November 1810 to June 1811; wounded at Albuera 1811; Lieutenant-Colonel 20 June 1811; commanded 1/7th Foot in Peninsula again July 1811 to May 1812; severely wounded at Badajoz; again in Peninsula January 1813 to January 1814; brevet Colonel 4 June 1814; commanded 1/7th Foot in North America and France 1814-1815; subsequently a Field Marshall in 1862; died 1868.

Lt. Col. John Mervyn Nooth, C.B.

Major in 7th Foot 30 December 1806; served in Martinique 1808; served in Peninsula with 1/7th Foot August 1810 to July 1811; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 20 June 1811; Lieutenant-Colonel 2 January 1812; transferred to 21st Foot 6 June 1816. (Unlikely to be the well known military doctor and chemist of the same name who lived 1737 to 1828; probably his son).

Major Robert Haly Burton

A prototype Sharpe. Private in 30th Foot 1774; Sergeant by 1779; Assistant-Adjutant 25 August 1783; Quartermaster in 60th Foot 12 April 1786; Lieutenant in 7th Foot 1794; Major 18 May 1806; served in Copenhagen 1807; served in Martinique 1808; served in Peninsula with 2/7th Foot February 1810 to July 1811; and again with 1/7th Foot September 1812 to October 1813; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 26 August 1813; Lieutenant-Colonel in 13th Royal Veteran Battalion 21 October 1813; ...alas, never a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Dutch service at Waterloo; died 1831.

Major John Welwyn Beatty, C.B.

Served in Peninsula with 1/7th Foot July to December 1810; attached to Portuguese service January 1811 to May 1812; Major in 7th Foot 2 January 1812; with 1/7th Foot June to October 1812; again in Portuguese service November 1812 to July 1813; back with 1/7th Foot August 1813 to April 1814; served at Salamanca, Orthez and Toulouse; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 12 April 1814; died 1823.

Major Samuel Benjamin Auchmuty, C.B.

Served in Peninsula in staff positions April 1809 to November 1810; Brigade-Major in Campbell’s brigade December 1810 to July 1812; Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General March to November 1813; Major in 7th Foot 28 October 1813; ADC to Gen. Cole December 1813 to April 1814; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 12 April 1814; died 1868.

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: May 2009; updated October 2009

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