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

British Cavalry Regiments and the Men Who Led Them 1793-1815: 14th Light Dragoons

Secondary Titles:

Duchess of York’s Own (1798)

Regimental History

1715:

22 July – raised as James Dormer’s Regiment of Dragoons in southern counties of England

Colonels

1778:	2 April	Sir Robert Sloper, K.B.
1797:	1 June	John William Egerton, Earl of Bridgewater (until 1823)

Stations and Combats

1793:	Ireland
1794:	Ireland; sent 2 troops to Flanders
1795:	2 troops in retreat to Bremen; July – 2 troops at home absorbed into 8th Dragoons; February – 7 troops to West Indies (dismounted); San Domingo
1796:	San Domingo
1797:	San Domingo; June – Mirebelais; 25 remaining men to England; October - Chelmsford
1798:	Chelmsford; June – Braintree; August – became Duchess of York’s Own; December – Norwich
1799:	Norwich; September – Warwick
1800:	Norwich; received Fencible Cavalry volunteers, increased from 8 to 10 troops; June – Windsor; October – Canterbury
1801:	Canterbury; May – Reading; July – Romford
1802:	Romford; reduced from 10 to 8 troops; August – Weymouth
1803:	Trowbridge; Devizes; August – Hythe
1804:	Hythe; increased from 8 to 10 troops; December – Guildford
1805:	Guildford; September – Chichester
1806:	January – London; funeral of Lord Nelson; October – Winchester
1807:	February – Dorchester; September – Brighton
1808:	Brighton; Falmouth; Portsmouth - to Portugal; December – Lisbon
1809:	DOURO; Oporto; TALAVERA
1810:	Almeida; Villa de Puerco; Frexadas; BUSSACO; Torres Vedras; Rio Mandevilla; received volunteer recruits from Royal Waggon Train
1811:	Pombal; Redinha; Cazal Nova; Foz d’Arouce; Sabugal; Gallegos; FUENTES D’ONORO; 1st siege of Badajoz; Nave d’Aver; Carpio
1812:	Ciudad Rodrigo; Badajoz; Villa Franca; Llerena; Alaejos; Castrillos; SALAMANCA; Penerada; Blasco Sancho; Madrid; Matilla; retreat from Salamanca
1813:	Burgos; Huarte; VITTORIA; Ostiz; Roncesvalles; Almandroz; Maya; Bastan; NIVELLE; Cambo; NIVE; Mendionda; Hasparren
1814:	Hellette; Garris; Sanveterre; ORTHEZ; Aire; Castel Paget; Tarbes; Toulouse; Bordeaux; July – to England; Dover; Hounslow; Weymouth; Plymouth; 2 squadrons to North America (dismounted); November – Jamaica; December – New Orleans
1815:	New Orleans; 42 men in boat taken POW after battle; to England; May – Hounslow; December – Bristol; to Ireland.

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

Lt Col Grice Blakeney

Born Limerick Ireland 1741; Major in 14th Light Dragoons 16 March 1775; Lieutenant-Colonel 19 November 1781; commanded 14th Light Dragoons 1781 to 1799; brevet Colonel 18 November 1790; subsequently Major-General 3 October 1794; Lieutenant-General 1 January 1801; General 25 October 1809; died 16 November 1816.

Major Arthur Carter

Major in 14th Light Dragoons 10 April 1786; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 1 March 1794; brevet Colonel 1 January 1798; Lieutenant-Colonel 10 August 1799; exchanged to Lieutenant-Colonel in 18th Light Dragoons 5 December 1799.

Major George Dunbar, Bt.

Major in 14th Light Dragoons 1 September 1795; died 15 October 1799.

Lt Col John Michell

Major in 4th Dragoon Guards October 1793; Lieutenant-Colonel in 4th Dragoon Guards 24 August 1795; Lieutenant-Colonel in half-pay of 30th Light Dragoons 31 December 1795; Lieutenant-Colonel in 18th Light Dragoons 29 September 1799; exchanged to Lieutenant-Colonel in 14th Light Dragoons 5 December 1799; commanded 14th Light Dragoons 1799 to 1804; Brigadier-General on staff in Ireland 1804; subsequently Major-General 25 October 1809; Lieutenant-General 4 June 1814; General 10 January 1837; died April 1844.

Major Terence O’Brien Loghlin

Born Ireland 1764; Major in 14th Light Dragoons 19 February 1799; exchanged to 1st Life Guards 14 August 1801.

Major Hon. James Butler

Major in 14th Light Dragoons 14 October 1799; retired 14 October 1800.

Lt Col Samuel Hawker, G.C.H.

Served in Netherlands 1793 to 1796; Major in 16th Light Dragoons April 1797; Lieutenant-Colonel in Sussex Fencible Cavalry 6 June 1799; Lieutenant-Colonel in 14th Light Dragoons 12 June 1800; brevet Colonel and ADC to King George 25 April 1808; commanded 14th Light Dragoons in Peninsula December 1808 to June 1811; wounded at Talavera; subsequently Major-General 4 June 1811; on staff in Britain 25 November 1811; Lieutenant-General 19 July 1821; General 28 June 1838; died 27 December 1838.

Major Henry Browne

Major in 14th Light Dragoons 14 October 1800; retired August 1804.

Major James Gambier

Born London 1772; Supernumerary Major in 1st Life Guards 16 April 1799; 2nd Major 25 September 1799; exchanged to 14th Light Dragoons 14 August 1801; retired 25 June 1802.

Lt Col Neil Talbot

Major in 14th Light Dragoons 25 June 1802; Lieutenant-Colonel 22 August 1805; served in Peninsula with 14th Light Dragoons December 1808 to April 1809; Brigadier-General of Portuguese cavalry 11 May 1809; served with Portuguese army May 1809 to July 1810; killed in action at Sexmiro 11 July 1810.

Major Richard Pigot

Major in 14th Light Dragoons 4 August 1804; to Lieutenant-Colonel in 21st Light Dragoons 1 May 1806.

Major Thomas Smith

Major in 14th Light Dragoons 14 November 1805; retired July 1807.

Lt Col Sir Felton Hervey-Bathurst

Born Felton Hervey in Cambridge 1782; added -Bathurst surname in 1801; Major in 14th Light Dragoons 8 May 1806; served in Peninsula December 1808 to April 1814; lost right arm at Douro; Lieutenant-Colonel 2 August 1810; commanded 14th Light Dragoons in Peninsula 1811 to 1814; wounded at Fuentes d’Onoro and El Bodon; brevet Colonel and ADC to Prince Regent 4 June 1814; served on staff at Waterloo; changed name to Sir Felton Elwell Hervey-Bathurst, Bt. in 1818; died 24 September 1819.

Major Hon. Charles Harward Butler

Born Yorkshire 1779; Major in 14th Light Dragoons 9 July 1807; served in Peninsula December 1808 to December 1810; again in Peninsula June to October 1811; retired 30 January 1812; died November 1860.

Major John Chapman

Served in Peninsula December 1808 to August 1810; wounded at Talavera; Major in 14th Light Dragoons 2 August 1810; again in Peninsula February to April 1811; and again in Peninsula October 1811 to January 1812; exchanged to 3rd Dragoon Guards 26 March 1812.

Major Thomas William Brotherton

Served in Egypt 1801; served in Hanover 1805; served in Peninsula with 3rd Dragoon Guards December 1808 to December 1810; again in Peninsula April to October 1811; wounded at El Bodon and Castalla; Major in 14th Light Dragoons 26 March 1812 (on exchange from 3rd Dragoon Guards); and again in Peninsula June 1812 to April 1814; wounded at Salamanca; wounded and taken POW at Nive December 1813; released April 1814; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 19 May 1814; exchanged to half-pay of 22nd Light Dragoons 25 September 1820; died January 1868.

Major Charles Massey Baker

Born Tipperary Ireland; served in Flanders 1793 to 1794; served in Irish rebellion 1798; served in Egypt 1801; served in Peninsula December 1808 to September 1811; Major in 14th Light Dragoons 30 January 1813; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 4 June 1814; Lieutenant-Colonel 30 September 1819; retired 15 April 1829.

Sources:

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

Hamilton, Henry Blackburne. Historical Record Of The 14th (King's) Hussars From A.D. 1715 To A.D. 1900. London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1901.

Chichester, Henry Manners, and Burges-Short, Henry. The Records and Badges of Every Regiment and Corps in the British Army. London: William Clowes & Sons, 1895.

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

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

Reid, Stuart. Wellington’s Officers, Volume 1. Leigh-On-Sea: Patrizan Press, 2008.

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

London Gazette Website. February 2010.

Placed on the Napoleon Series: March 2010

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