British Regiments and the Men Who Led Them 1793-1815

British Regiments and the Men Who Led Them 1793-1815: 34th Regiment of Foot

Secondary Titles:

Cumberland

Regimental History

1702:	12 February – raised in East Anglia by Lord Lucas
1805:	25 April – 2nd Battalion formed at Ashford
1817:	April - 2nd Battalion disbanded in Ireland

Colonels

1760:	30 October	Lord Frederick Cavendish
1797:	13 July	George Ferdinand, Lord Southampton
1810:	25 June	Sir Eyre Coote, G.C.B. (until 1816)

Stations and Combats – 1st Battalion

1793:	Ireland – Limerick; October – flank companies to West Indies
1794:	Limerick; Cork; August – battalion companies to Flanders; Flushing; September – to England; flank companies in West Indies – Martinique; St Lucia; Guadeloupe; light company taken POW at Berville
1795:	February – battalion companies to West Indies; St Lucia; Martinique; St Vincent
1796:	St Vincent; June – New Vigie; July – very few men left; accompanied Caribs to Isle Ratan (Honduras); October – to England; Poole
1797:	Recruited back to strength with orphan boys aged 12-16; March – York; September – Lincoln
1798:	January – Chesterfield; August - Norwich
1799:	Norwich; April – Lincoln; July - to Helder; Bergen-Op-Zoom; to England – Poole; Portsmouth
1800:	Hilsea; January – to Cape of Good Hope; May – Cape Town; September - Wynberg
1801:	Cape Town; Third Xhosa War
1802:	Cape Town; October – to India
1803:	February – Madras; July – 2 companies to Ceylon; October – 2 additional companies to Ceylon
1804:	Madras; August – Wallajabad; December – detachments at Madras and Vizagapatam
1805:	March – Ceylon detachment returned to Wallajabad; April – 4 companies at Vellore; October – Bellary
1806:	Gooty and Bellary
1807:	Gooty and Bellary
1808:	Gooty and Bellary
1809:	Officers detached to native regiments; October to December – field marches
1810:	January to April – field marches; May – Jaulnah
1811:	Jaulnah; May – Secunderabad
1812:	Secunderabad
1813:	Secunderabad
1814:	Secunderabad; August – Seringapatam
1815:	Seringapatam; October – Vellore
1823:	To England (after 23 years away!)

Stations and Combats – 2nd Battalion

1805:	25 April – formed at Ashford from 1st East Yorks, 3rd West Yorks, 1st Lancs, South Lincs and East Essex Militia volunteers; Colchester; November – Ramsgate; to Hanover; returned to England; Sussex
1806:	Sussex
1807:	Sussex; April – Jersey; May – Isle of Wight; to Ireland; Cork; Bandon; December – to England
1808:	January – Spithead; Steyning; May - Jersey
1809:	Jersey; July – to Portugal; Lisbon; August – joined field army; Guadiana – high number of fever deaths
1810:	Alemtejo frontier; Busaco; lines of Torres Vedras; Calendrix; Bucellas
1811:	Relief of Campo Major; May - 1st siege of Badajoz; ALBUERA; October - ARROYO DOS MOLINOS; La Nava
1812:	Ciudad Rodrigo; Merida; Almaraz; Toledo; retreat to Portugal
1813:	Salamanca; Hormoza; VITTORIA; Bastan; Maya; Buenza; Doña Maria; NIVELLE; NIVE; St Pierre d’Irube
1814:	ORTHEZ; Vic-en-Bigorre; Toulouse; Bordeaux; July – Ireland; Midleton; Fermoy; November - Dublin
1815:	Dublin; September - Tipperary
1817:	April – disbanded in Ireland.

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

Lt Col Aubrey Beauclerk, Earl of Burford

Born 1765; Lieutenant-Colonel in 34th Foot 11 November 1789; commanded 34th Foot 1789-1794; retired 22 October 1794; died 12 August 1815.

Major Robert Wood

Major in 34th Foot 25 July 1792; retired 22 November 1797.

Lt Col Richard Mark Dickens

Born Durham 1764; Major in 86th Foot 30 October 1793; Lieutenant-Colonel in 86th Foot 7 June 1794; Lieutenant-Colonel in 34th Foot 22 October 1794; commanded 34th Foot in West Indies 1794-1796; Adjutant-General in West Indies 15 June 1797; brevet Colonel 1 January 1800; Major-General 30 October 1805; died 14 December 1808.

Lt Col Dennis Milton Woodward

Major in 59th Foot 12 November 1794; Lieutenant-Colonel in 34th Foot 1 September 1795 (on transfer from 59th Foot); retired 23 November 1796.

Lt Col Francis Cuninghame

Major in 34th Foot 1 September 1795; Lieutenant-Colonel 23 November 1796; exchanged to Captain & Lieutenant-Colonel in Coldstream Foot Guards 24 November 1799; retired 10 July 1801.

Major George Anderson

Major in 34th Foot 22 November 1797; retired 9 May 1800.

Lt Col Isaac Gascoyne

Born Suffolk 1763; Captain & Lieutenant-Colonel in Coldstream Foot Guards 5 December 1792; brevet Colonel 3 May 1796; exchanged to Lieutenant-Colonel in 34^th Foot 24 January 1799; commanded 34th Foot 1799-1803; exchanged to Lieutenant-Colonel in 16th Foot 9 March 1803; subsequently Major-General 29 April 1802; Lieutenant-General 25 April 1808; General 12 August 1819; MP 1796 to 1831; died August 1841.

Major Robert Gordon

Born 1768; Brigade-Major in South Britain 27 February 1798; Major in 34th Foot 9 May 1800; retired 17 July 1806; Inspecting Field Officer of Yeomanry 7 May 1808; died 2 March 1832.

Lt Col St John Fancourt

Major in 17th Foot 7 August 1799; Lieutenant-Colonel in 69th Foot 15 June 1801; Lieutenant-Colonel in 16th Foot 17 July 1801; Lieutenant-Colonel in 34th Foot 9 March 1803; commanded 34th Foot in India 1803-1806; commandant at Vellore and killed during mutiny 8 July 1806.

Major John Bromhead

Born 1775; Major in 34th Foot 16 May 1805 (on transfer from 24th Foot); to Lieutenant-Colonel in 77th Foot 3 August 1809; brevet Colonel 12 August 1819; died Lincoln 1837.

Lt Col David Parkhill

Major in 10th Foot 19 July 1803; Lieutenant-Colonel 8 June 1805; Lieutenant-Colonel in 34th Foot 12 December 1805; retired 20 August 1807.

Lt Col George Dodsworth

Major in 34th Foot 23 November 1796; Deputy Quartermaster-General in West Indies 1 January 1799; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 29 April 1802; Lieutenant-Colonel 10 July 1806; commanded 1/34th in India 1806-1809; died 17 May 1809.

Major Richard Diggens

Major in 34th Foot 17 July 1806; exchanged to Major in 11th Light Dragoons 14 August 1806; brevet Colonel 4 June 1813.

Major Thomas Browne

Major in 11th Light Dragoons 29 January 1802; exchanged to Major in 34th Foot 14 August 1806; exchanged to half-pay of 9th Foot 16 October 1806.

Lt Col John Maister

Born Yorkshire 1778; Served at Helder 1799 (wounded four times); Major in 20th Foot 29 May 1802; to half-pay on reduction; Major in 39th Foot 9 July 1803; Lieutenant-Colonel in 34th Foot 20 August 1807; commanded 2/34th in Peninsula July 1809 to June 1810; brevet Colonel 4 June 1814; to half-pay 25 June 1817; subsequently Major-General 19 July 1821; Lieutenant-General 10 January 1837; commander-in-chief in Windward and Leeward Islands 1839.

Major Thomas Bodkin

Major in 9th Foot 16 July 1803; Major in 8th Battalion of Reserve 2 June 1804; to half-pay of 9th Foot 25 June 1804; Major in 34th Foot 16 October 1806; retired 10 July 1807.

Lt Col William Fenwick, C.B.

Born Northumberland 1777; served in Flanders 1793; served in West Indies 1795-1796; served at Cape of Good Hope 1800-1801; served in East Indies 1802-1807; Major in 34th Foot 15 May 1805; Lieutenant-Colonel 15 December 1808; served in Peninsula July 1809 to June 1810; commanded 2/34th in Peninsula June 1810 to October 1813; lost right leg at thigh and POW at Maya; released September 1813; retired 27 January 1814; Governor of Pendennis Castle 1813-1832.

Major James Tomlinson Terrewest

Born Lincoln 1781; Major in 34th Foot 30 April 1807; retired 1 February 1810.

Lt Col Thomas Bradford

Born Doncaster 1777; Major in Nottinghamshire Fencibles 9 September 1795; served in Ireland 1798; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 1 January 1801; Assistant Adjutant-General in Scotland 1801; Major in 3rd Garrison Battalion 28 September 1804; Major in 87th Foot 30 May 1805; served in Peninsula August 1808 to January 1809; Lieutenant-Colonel in 34th Foot 18 May 1809; exchanged to Lieutenant-Colonel in 82nd Foot 21 December 1809; commanded Portuguese brigade in Peninsula December 1811 to April 1814; subsequently Major-General 4 June 1813; Lieutenant-General 27 May 1825; General 28 November 1841; died London 28 November 1853.

Lt Col Chichester McDonnell

Born Scotland 1781; Major in 82nd Foot 2 August 1804; Lieutenant-Colonel in 34th Foot 21 December 1809 (on transfer from 82nd Foot); commanded 1/34th in India 1809-1811; died 31 July 1811.

Major Walter Hovenden

Born Wolverhampton 1780; Major in 34th Foot 1 February 1810; retired 26 March 1812.

Lt Col William Thornton

Major in Royal York Rangers 13 November 1806; Inspecting Field Officer of Militia in Canada 28 January 1808; Lieutenant-Colonel in 34th Foot 1 August 1811; to Lieutenant-Colonel in Duke of York’s Greek Light Infantry 23 January 1812; Lieutenant-Colonel in 85th Foot 25 January 1813; brevet Colonel 4 June 1814; subsequently Major-General 27 May 1825; Lieutenant-General 28 June 1838; died Middlesex 1840.

Lt Col John Matthias Everard

Major in 34th Foot 10 July 1806; Lieutenant-Colonel 23 January 1812; commanded 1/34th in India 1812-1818; exchanged to Lieutenant-Colonel in 77th Foot 5 March 1818.

Major Henry Worsley

Born Hampshire 1783; served in Peninsula with 85th Foot April to August 1811; Major in 4th Garrison Battalion 13 June 1811; Major in 34th Foot 23 January 1812; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 13 May 1812; again in Peninsula with 2/34th June 1812 to April 1814; commanded 2/34th in Peninsula 1813-1814; died Newport, Isle of Wight 13 May 1820.

Major George Edward Pratt Barlow

Born London 1791; Major in 34th Foot 26 March 1812; to Lieutenant-Colonel in 61st Foot 4 December 1823.

Lt Col Henry Roberts

Served in West Indies 1794; served in Egypt 1801; Brigade-Major to John Moore in 1802; served in India 1803-1816; Major in 34th Foot 19 January 1809; Lieutenant-Colonel 27 January 1814; died 1 April 1816.

Major James Harrison Baker

Born Norfolk 1781; served in Peninsula December 1812 to April 1814; Major in 34th Foot 10 March 1814; wounded at Toulouse and died of wounds 11 April 1814.

Lt Col Henry Charles Dickens

Son of Lt Col Richard Mark Dickens; Major in 34th Foot 26 June 1809; served in Peninsula July 1809 to August 1811; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 4 June 1814; Lieutenant-Colonel 2 April 1816; retired 28 October 1824; died 1825.

Major Charles Ramus Forrest

Born Berkshire 1786; served in Peninsula April 1812 to April 1814 (on staff November 1812 to April 1814); Major in 34th Foot 2 June 1814 (on transfer from 3rd Foot); served at New Orleans 1815; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 29 June 1815; to half-pay 25 June 1817; served in Canada 1821-1823; died at Chatham 1827.

Sources:

War Office. Army Lists 1788 to 1816. London: various years.

Cannon, Richard. An Historical Record of the Thirty-Fourth, or, The Cumberland Regiment of Foot; Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1702, and of its Subsequent Services to 1844. London: Parker, Furnivall and Parker, 1845.

Sutherland, Douglas. Tried and Valiant: The Story of the Border Regiment 1702-1959. London: Leo Cooper Ltd. 1972.

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.

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

Reid, Stuart. Wellington’s Officers, Volume 2. Leigh-On-Sea: Partizan Press, 2009.

Reid, Stuart. Wellington’s Officers, Volume 3. Leigh-On-Sea: Partizan Press, 2011.

Park, S.J. and Nafziger, G.F. The British Military – 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.

17th-18th Century Burney Collection Newspapers. December 2012. National Library of Australia.

Placed on the Napoleon Series: January 2013

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