British Artillery Battalions and the Men Who Led Them 1793-1815 By Steve Brown 1st Battalion, Royal Artillery 1757: Royal Artillery as a single formation comprising 19 companies 1757: 2 April - augmented to 24 companies 1757: 1 August - Royal Artillery split into two battalions of 12 companies each 1758: Augmented to 13 companies 1772: Reduced to 8 companies 1776: Augmented to 11 companies 1783: Reduced to 10 companies 1819: Reduced to 8 companies 1825: Companies to be known by number rather than commander's name 1855: Board of Ordinance abolished, Royal Artillery transferred to War Office 1859: Battalion renamed brigades, companies renamed batteries 1862: Royal Artillery absorbed East India Company Artillery 1899: Royal Artillery divided into Royal Field Artillery and Royal Garrison Artillery 1924: RFA and RGA amalgamated as Royal Regiment of Artillery 1936: Brigades renamed Regiments 1947: Permanent numbers allotted to batteries Colonels-Commandant 1777: 25 April - James Pattison 1796: 25 April - Anthony Farrington Colonels 1782: 1 December - Forbes Macbean 1794: 30 August - Philip Martin 1799: 16 July - John Lemoine 1801: 25 December - Robert Lawton 1804: 20 July - Bayley Willington 1808: 1 February - Edward Stehelin 1814: 20 December - Robert Evans Lieutenant-Colonels 1782: 1 December - John Williamson 1783: 21 November - Thomas Davies 1793: 5 December - William Orchard Huddlestone 1794: 14 August - Alexander Shand 1796: 25 September - John Ramsey 1799: 16 July - John Henry Yorke 1803: 1 November - George Bowater 1804: 20 July - Henry Shrapnell 1805: 2 March - George William Dixon 1805: 29 December - Hoylett Framingham 1807: 18 June - George Salmon 1812: 17 March - William Dixon 1814: 20 December - Nathaniel Foy 1815: 3 July - Frederick Walker Majors 1782: 1 December - Vaughan Lloyd 1786: 13 February - Edward Williams 1796: 25 September - Thomas Seward 1800: 12 November - Charles Terrot 1805: 10 April - William Skyring 1808: 1 February - James Viney 1808: 20 June - Alexander Watson 1812: 17 March - John Dyer 1815: 28 October - Robert Pym Page 1 of 7 Placed on the Napoleon Series: April 2015
Service Histories of Companies Companies were not given numbers until 1825; until that time, were known by company commander's names, which changed frequently. The 1825 company numbering scheme ignored the previous order of seniority (based on date of formation) as existed in the period 1793-1815. Companies are shown according to seniority in 1815, and referred to by their commanders names in 1793 / 1815. Scott's / Brough's Company, 1st Battalion, Royal Artillery Raised: 1 July 1742 1793: Woolwich; September Brighton; November Woolwich (OC Capt. Caroline F. Scott, died 21 September 1794) 1794: Woolwich; July Warley (OC Capt. George Bowater) 1795: Woolwich; July Warley 1796: Warley; June Woolwich; July Brentwood 1797: Brentwood 1798: Brentwood 1799: Brentwood; June Warley; September Woolwich; October to Holland; Helder 1800: Purfleet; July Woolwich 1801: Woolwich 1802: Woolwich; March Leith; November Perth (OC Capt. Andrew Schalch) 1803: Perth; September Leith; December Perth (OC Capt. Percy Drummond, then Capt. Benjamin Fenwick) 1804: Leith; March Perth; September Leith (OC Capt. George Forster) 1805: Leith; September Leith Links; December Leith 1806: Leith; April Haddington 1807: Haddington 1808: Haddington 1809: Haddington; September to Ireland; Dublin 1810: Dublin; February Limerick 1811: Limerick 1812: Limerick (OC Capt. Richard S. Brough) 1813: Limerick; October Ballincollig; Cork; December to West Indies; Barbados 1814: Barbados 1815: Barbados; July detachments to Martinique and Guadeloupe. 1825: 7th Company, 1st Battalion RA 1859: 4th Battery, 5th Brigade RA 1939: 2nd (Sphinx) Heavy Battery RA 1947: 4th (Sphinx) Coast Training Battery RA Current: 4/73rd (Sphinx) Special Observation Post Battery, 5th Regiment RA. Smith's / Kirby's Company, 1st Battalion, Royal Artillery Raised: September 1743 1793: Woolwich (OC Capt. John Smith) 1794: Woolwich; July Warley; December Yarmouth 1795: Yarmouth (OC Capt. George Scott) 1796: Yarmouth; May Woolwich; September Gibraltar (OC Capt. Richard King, died 8 February 1802) 1797: Gibraltar 1798: Gibraltar 1799: Gibraltar 1800: Gibraltar 1801: Gibraltar 1802: Gibraltar (OC Capt. Francis Rey) 1803: Gibraltar 1804: Gibraltar 1805: Gibraltar 1806: Gibraltar 1807: Gibraltar 1808: Gibraltar (OC Capt. Charles H. Godby) 1809: Gibraltar 1810: Gibraltar 1811: Gibraltar; March - detachment at Barrosa 1812: Gibraltar 1813: Gibraltar 1814: Gibraltar 1815: Gibraltar (OC Capt. Stephen Kirby). 1825: 6th Company, 1st Battalion RA 1859: 6th Battery, 2nd Brigade RA 1939: 3rd Heavy Battery RA 1947: 6th Heavy Battery RA Current: 6/36th (Arcot 1751) Battery, 40th Regiment RA. Page 2 of 7 Placed on the Napoleon Series: April 2015
Wright's / Farrington's Company, 1st Battalion, Royal Artillery Raised: October 1745 1793: Woolwich (OC Capt. Jesse Wright, then Capt. Thomas Hosmer ) 1794: Woolwich; June Warley; December Woolwich 1795: Woolwich; August Portsmouth; October Isle d Yeu (OC Capt. Archibald Robertson, died 4 April 1802) 1796: Portsmouth; March to Cape of Good Hope; August Cape Town 1797: Cape Town 1798: Cape Town 1799: Cape Town 1800: Cape Town 1801: Cape Town 1802: Cape Town (OC Capt. Robert Lawson, died 23 July 1802; then Capt. Thomas Downman) 1803: Cape Town; May Portsmouth; Hilsea; Woolwich; Chatham 1804: Chatham; March Canterbury; Coxheath; Woolwich; detachment on bomb ketches (OC Capt. Henry M. Farrington) 1805: Woolwich 1806: Woolwich; July Leith 1807: Leith 1808: Leith 1809: Leith 1810: Leith 1811: Leith; June Haddington 1812: Haddington; June Leith 1813: Leith 1814: Dublin; March to Nova Scotia; July detachment to Maine; Halifax; October New Brunswick 1815: New Brunswick 1825: 4th Company, 1st Battalion RA 1859: 3rd Battery, 5th Brigade RA 1939: 1st Heavy Battery RA 1947: 3rd Coast Battery RA Current: 3/29th (Corunna) Battery, 4th Regiment RA. Hosmer's / Lloyd's Company, 1st Battalion, Royal Artillery Raised: 1 July 1747 1793: Woolwich; March to Flanders; Valenciennes; Tournay (OC Capt. Thomas Hosmer, then Capt. Jesse Wright, then Capt. George Glasgow) 1794: Flanders; retreat to Bremen (OC Capt. James Winter) 1795: Bremen; April to England; Woolwich (OC Capt. Henry Shrapnel ) 1796: Woolwich 1797: Woolwich 1798: Woolwich 1799: Woolwich 1800: Woolwich 1801: Woolwich 1802: Woolwich 1803: Woolwich (OC Capt. Joshua W. Tobin ) 1804: Woolwich 1805: Woolwich; to Hanover 1806: Hanover; February - Woolwich 1807: Woolwich; July Copenhagen; November Chatham (OC Capt. John May) 1808: Woolwich 1809: Woolwich; February to Portugal; Lisbon; Talavera 1810: Almeida 1811: Portugal 1812: Badajoz; Salamanca; siege of Burgos 1813: Vittoria; siege of San Sebastian; Nivelle; Nive 1814: Toulouse; February detachment on gun boats at Bayonne; July to England; Woolwich; September Chatham; November Woolwich 1815: Woolwich (OC Capt. James Lloyd). 1825: 2nd Company, 1st Battalion RA 1859: 2nd Battery, 1st Brigade RA 1914: 2nd Field Battery RA 1939: 2nd (Minden) Field Battery RA 1947: 12th (Minden) Anti-Tank Battery, 20th Anti-Tank Regiment RA Current: 12th (Minden) Battery, 14th Regiment RA. Page 3 of 7 Placed on the Napoleon Series: April 2015
Goll's / Jones's Company, 1st Battalion, Royal Artillery Raised: 1 April 1756 1793: Woolwich; August Landguard Fort; November Woolwich (OC Capt. John D. Goll) 1794: Woolwich; July Warley Common; December Woolwich 1795: Woolwich; July Hopton; October Yarmouth (OC Capt. William Mudge) 1796: Yarmouth; September Lowestoft; November Beccles 1797: Beccles; July Colchester 1798: Colchester 1799: Colchester 1800: Colchester 1801: Colchester 1802: Colchester; December Woolwich 1803: Woolwich; July Hull (OC Capt. William M. Leake) 1804: Hull 1805: Hull; December Woolwich 1806: January Hanover; February Woolwich; April Leith (OC Capt. John Dyer) 1807: Leith 1808: Leith 1809: Leith 1810: Leith; October Haddington 1811: Haddington; June Leith; August - to Ireland; Athlone 1812: Athlone; July Dublin (OC Capt. Richard Jones) 1813: Dublin 1814: Dublin 1815: Dublin; June Cork; to Belgium; Ostend; Paris; Army of Occupation 1819: 31 January - disbanded at Woolwich. Grant's / Light's Company, 1st Battalion, Royal Artillery Raised: 1 April 1756 1793: Woolwich; December Brighton (OC Capt. William Grant) 1794: Brighton (OC Capt. John Arbuthnot, died 27 October 1796) 1795: Brighton; October Woolwich; to West Indies 1796: April Barbados; May St Lucia (OC Capt. Lawrence H. Newton) 1797: St Lucia 1798: St Lucia; July Trinidad 1799: Trinidad 1800: Trinidad 1801: Trinidad 1802: Trinidad; July San Domingo 1803: San Domingo (OC Capt. John Sheldrake) 1804: Barbados; detachments on other islands and in Surinam (OC Capt. Charles Keane, died 14 January 1813) 1805: Barbados; detachment on San Domingo 1806: Barbados; detachments on other islands 1807: Barbados; detachments on other islands 1808: Barbados; detachments on other islands 1809: Barbados; detachment on Martinique 1810: Martinique 1811: Barbados 1812: Barbados 1813: Barbados (OC Capt. Edward C Whinyates, then Capt. William Norman Ramsay) 1814: Barbados (OC Capt. George Jenkinson) 1815: Barbados; July detachments to Martinique and Guadeloupe (OC Capt. Henry Light) 1819: 31 January - disbanded at Woolwich. Page 4 of 7 Placed on the Napoleon Series: April 2015
Wilson's / Cockburn's Company, 1st Battalion, Royal Artillery Raised: 1 April 1757 1793: Woolwich; February Brighton; May Woolwich; June to Flanders (OC Capt. George Wilson) 1794: Flanders; retreat to Bremen 1795: Bremen; April to England; Woolwich 1796: Woolwich; May Tower of London 1797: Tower of London 1798: Tower of London 1799: Tower of London (OC Capt. John Lemoine) 1800: Tower of London; April Woolwich; July Minorca; December Malta 1801: Marmorice; March Egypt; October Malta 1802: Gibraltar; February Woolwich; September Chatham 1803: Chatham; April Colchester; August Ipswich 1804: Ipswich; September Lexden; November Ipswich 1805: Ipswich; May Colchester (OC Capt. Oliver Fry, then Capt. Charles Egan) 1806: Colchester; July Danbury (OC Capt. James P. Cockburn) 1807: Danbury; August Copenhagen; November Colchester 1808: Colchester; December Norwich 1809: Norwich; August Colchester; October Norwich 1810: Norwich 1811: Norwich 1812: Norwich 1813: Norwich 1814: Norwich; detachment at Ipswich; December Colchester 1815: Colchester 1817: 1 March disbanded at Colchester. Blomefield's / Armstrong's Company, 1st Battalion, Royal Artillery Raised: 1 November 1759 1793: Woolwich; August Waterdown; September Brighton (OC Capt. Thomas Blomefield, then Capt. Charles Terrot) 1794: Brighton; June - Woolwich; November Brighton; November - Portsmouth 1795: Portsmouth 1796: Portsmouth 1797: Portsmouth; detachment on bomb ketches 1798: Portsmouth 1799: Portsmouth; July Woolwich; August Holland; November - Portsmouth 1800: Portsmouth (OC Capt. John Quayle) 1801: Portsmouth; July - Madeira 1802: Madeira; February - Port Royal, Jamaica 1803: Port Royal 1804: Port Royal 1805: Port Royal 1806: Port Royal (OC Capt. Henry Deacon) 1807: Port Royal (OC Capt. James Armstrong) 1808: Port Royal 1809: Port Royal; June - detachment to San Domingo 1810: Port Royal 1811: Port Royal 1812: Port Royal 1813: Port Royal 1814: Port Royal 1815: Port Royal 1825: 3rd Company, 1st Battalion RA 1859: 7th Battery, 2nd Brigade RA 1939: 101st Field Battery RA 1947: 2nd Field Battery RA Current: Disbanded. Page 5 of 7 Placed on the Napoleon Series: April 2015
Winter's / Lloyd's Company, 1st Battalion, Royal Artillery Raised: 1 August 1779 1793: Woolwich; March Hythe; May Woolwich; May Flanders; siege of Valenciennes; Lincelles (OC Capt. James Winter) 1794: Flanders Cambrai; Ostend; Tournay; retreat to Bremen (OC Capt. William Borthwick) 1795: Bremen; December to England 1796: Woolwich 1797: Woolwich; June Gravesend; August Colchester; detachments on bomb ketches 1798: Colchester 1799: Colchester 1800: Colchester; November Lisbon 1801: February Marmorice; March Egypt; Alexandria; October Malta 1802: Gibraltar; March Woolwich (OC Capt. George Bulteel Fisher) 1803: Woolwich; July Tynemouth (OC Capt. George Scott, then Capt. Charles Baynes; then Capt. Turtliff Boger) 1804: Tynemouth 1805: Tynemouth 1806: Tynemouth; November Newcastle 1807: Newcastle 1808: Newcastle 1809: Newcastle 1810: Newcastle 1811: Newcastle 1812: Newcastle 1813: Newcastle 1814: Newcastle (OC Capt. Stephen Kirby) 1815: Newcastle; June Woolwich (OC Capt. William Lloyd). 1825: 5th Company, 1st Battalion RA 1859: 7th Battery, 14th Brigade RA 1914: Disbanded. Cuppage's / Onslow's Company, 1st Battalion, Royal Artillery Raised: 1 August 1779 1793: Woolwich; August Waterdown; September Brighton (OC Capt. William Cuppage) 1794: Woolwich; November Brighton (OC Capt. John Rogers, died 30 June; then Capt. Wiltshire Wilson) 1795: Brighton; September Portsmouth; to West Indies 1796: February Barbados; May San Domingo 1797: San Domingo (OC Capt. George Frederick Koehler, died 29 December 1800) 1798: San Domingo; October Jamaica 1799: Jamaica; Port Royal 1800: Port Royal (OC Capt. Thomas Charleton) 1801: Port Royal (OC Capt. Thomas Franklin) 1802: Port Royal 1803: Port Royal 1804: Port Royal 1805: Port Royal (OC Capt. Thomas B. P. Hardy, died 27 January 1814) 1806: Port Royal 1807: Port Royal 1808: Port Royal 1809: Port Royal; June - detachment to San Domingo 1810: Port Royal 1811: Port Royal 1812: Port Royal 1813: Port Royal 1814: Port Royal (OC Capt. Sir Henry William Onslow) 1815: Port Royal 1825: 1st Company, 1st Battalion RA 1859: 6th Battery, 9th Brigade RA 1914: 1st Battery, 45th Brigade RFA 1939: 1/5th Field Battery, 28th Field Regiment RA 1947: 1st Field Battery, 14th Field Regiment RA Current: 1st Battery, 14th Regiment RA (The Blazers). Page 6 of 7 Placed on the Napoleon Series: April 2015
Sources: War Office. Army Lists 1791 to 1815. London: various years. Laws, Lt Col M. E. S. Battery Records of the Royal Artillery 1716-1859. Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institute, 1952. Duncan, Francis. History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery. 2 volumes; London: John Murray, 1879. Kane, John. List of Officers of the Royal Regiment of Artillery. Greenwich: Elizabeth Delahoy, 1815. Gordon, Iain. Bloodline: The Origins and Development of the Regular Formations of the British Army. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military, 2010. McKenna, Michael G. The British Army And Its Regiments and Battalions. West Chester, Ohio: The Nafziger Collection. 2004. Page 7 of 7 Placed on the Napoleon Series: April 2015