Regiments stationed on Island

The Manx press usually noted the change of troops, which would appear to arrive at Douglas and then march to Castletown - thanks to the card index for pre 1850 Newspapers the troop rotations pre 1838 can be easily found; however no changes appear to be indexed post 1838! Other information is extracted from "In Search of the Forlorn Hope" by John M Kitzmiller II, Manuscript Publishing Fnd 1988 (ISBN 0-96192605-8) (shown as FHn where 'n' is the original footnote reference - thanks to George Callow for bringing this book to my attention) Further information is taken from published accounts etc which mention, en passant, the name of the regiment.

Prior to the Revestment in 1765 no British Regiment was stationed on the Island - a small professional military based mainly at Castle Rushen but also at Peel Castle and barracks at Douglas and Ramsey, was under the charge of the Lord of Man. A local militia under the leadership of the Captains of the Parish could be raised in time of necessity. At the Revestment a small contingent of British troops were brought across, mainly to discourage any popular expression against the political change. The Act of 1777 removed many of the powers of Town and Parish Captains - a local militia, Manx Fencibles, were raised mainly for work on the Island (a Fencible regiment could not be sent outside of Britain thus the Manx Fencibles were used in Ireland after 1798). Sergeant gives a history of these Fencibles which in some details differs from that of Moore (ref indicated as BS) In 1797/8 a large contingent of soldiers was stationed on the Island in anticipation of problems in Ireland but after this no British troops were present until a battalion of the Royal Veterans arrived in 1811. These were stationed both at Castletown and Peel (and possibly at Douglas) - at Peel a small barracks was built, but in 1815, on the recall of the Royal Veterans, this was declared unwanted and disposed of; Hannah Bullock writing in 1816 states that no British troops had replaced them. Troops were sent in 1816 and initially occupied part of Castle Rushen but c.1821 a new Barracks was opened on the site of the Old George Hotel (later it became the Town Commissioners Offices and is now Mannanan House - office buildings for many years by Shell Exploration). Post 1816 all troops were stationed at Castletown until they were withdrawn in 1896.

Sir George Head in his Home Tour of 1837 states that the troops consisted of a 'company detached from the particular regiment doing duty for the time being in the city of Carlisle' - several of the newspaper reports of this time gave Carlisle either as previous or subsequent posting.

Jenkinson writing of 1873 states that some 50 men were here - that seems rather high given the size of the Barracks, the 1881 census noted 21 men and 3 officers (three men were married and their wives/children were also noted as being at the barracks.). Porter's 1889 directory noted the barrack troops as 'H company' of the Royal Sussex which would fit in with a garrison of about 24. Moore writing in early 1890's has "it now consists of about half a company from an English line regiment, stationed in the barracks at Castletown."

Many gaps are still to be filled in - judging from the regular appearance of soldiers in court such records may well be a fruitful source though marriage records in Malew would indicate that many Manx girls loved a soldier!

Date

 

 

Nick Name

Main Recruitment area

Reference

1765/8
2nd
Queen's Royal, West Surrey (F) Kirke's Lambs West Surrey FH46 ; these may well be those noted as having come from Ireland
1769
48th
Northamptonshire Regt (F)   Northants, Rutland FH29; 1770 confirmed by consumables
1772
42nd
Regiment of Foot     Marriages in Malew June 1772 - April 1773
1773
27th
Regiment of Foot    

Marriages in Malew December 1773 - Jan 1775; Cumberland Paquet reported [9 Mar 1775] that a transport arrived 5th March to take away the three companies of the 27th Regt - unusually no replacement company was given [they were possibly intended for America] - the following week reported they were shipped on the 8th and it is said to be replaced by 3 companies of invalids.

1779
Manx Batallion of Fencibles     see Moore's history; Disbanded 24th April 1783 (BS)
1783
47th
Regiment of Foot     (BS) + several marriages in Malew May - Sept 1783
1784
58th
Regiment of Foot     March 1784 (BS); + marriages of soldiers in Peel August/September 1784 + 1 in 1786 + Malew June 1784- April 1785
1785-1786
39th
Regiment of Foot     Marriages in Malew July 1785-Jan 1786 (+possibly later)
 
Royal Fusiliers     (BS) no dates given
1790-1792
44th
Regiment of Foot     May 1790 (BS); withdrawn prior to formation of 1st Corp RMF
1792
31st
      several marriages Malew,Peel, Braddan between March - August 1792
1792
53rd
      one marriage in Braddan
1793
1st
Corps of the Royal Manx Fencibles     raised Feb 1793 and disbanded June 1802 (BS)
1794
99th
Regiment of Foot     between April and July, 7 privates in 99th Regt buried at Douglas St Georges's
1794   Gen Stuart Douglas's regt     several marriages Braddan May - July 1794 - ?irish regt/militias who trained on the Island at this time.
1794   Fingall regt     2 marriages Braddan Dec 1794 - ?irish militia
1795   Col Craddock's Regt     3 marriages of soldiers between Jan and April 1795 in Braddan- this was possibly an Irish militia regiment - a Lt Col Craddock is reported as in Carrick on Shannon in 1793 when disturbances that culminated in the 1798 rebellion began
1795   Duke of York's Royal Dublin Regt     complaint [AP_102_40] dated 9 May 1795 that a sentry assaulted in Douglas - see correspondence in AP_X22(2nd) bundle
 
58th
Regiment of Foot     one marriage Braddan 1795 (Wm Cunningham was Lt Col and recruited men from the RMF)
1803
3rd
Corps of the Royal Manx Fencibles     Raised 1803 disbanded March 1811 (BS)
1811
6th
Reg (2nd Battalion (cmd Major Gardner) Saucy Sixth   25 May - 350 men took over from Volunteers (Manks Advertiser) departed 21 Sept (caused considerable upset in Douglas in their support of impressment + considerable difficulties in accomodation)
1811/1815
 11th
Royal Veterans (3 companies cmd Col Taylor)     arrived 21 Sept on same transport used to return 6th Regt to Dublin. several refs inc AP_X38-50, AP_X73(3rd)_8, Census of Peel 1814;
'disbanded' 9 July 1814
Left 17 July 1815
1815/1816
None     Bullock states no troops stationed
1815-1816
54th
Reg (Detachment under Capt Reeves)     AP_X38-50, Manks Adv 25 April 1816
1816-1818
85th
Bucks Volunteers, The King's Light Infantry (F) Young Bucks Buckinghamshire AP_X38-50,FH127;
Manks Adv 28 Nov 1816 under Mjr McDougall;
Manks Adv 21 Aug 1817 detachment under Col Welby
1818-1819
95th
 Regt     Manks Adv 9 April 1818 - Col McGregor
1819
52nd
Oxfordshire Light Infantry (F)   Oxfordshire AP_X38-50,FH26;
Manks Adv 7 Jan 1819 (cmd Lt Hill)
1819
71st
Highland Light Infantry (F) Pig & Whistle Glasgow AP_X38-50,FH125;
Manks Adv 8 July 1819 (cmd Mjr Reid)
1820
6th
Royal Veterans     AP_X38-50, Manks Adv 13 April 1820 Capt R Peddy + Ensign Wm Minson
1821
29th
Infantry     AP_X38-50, Manks Adv 18 Oct 1821 - Capt T.B. Hichin (sent because of Riots in Peel, they were destined for Ireland) - arrived 14 Oct departed 25 Dec; see Roper Blue book
1822
2nd
Veteran Battalion     Manks Adv 8 June 1822 - Mjr Dalton, Lt Burgess, Ensign Walton Account of execution of Camaish & Kinrade April 1823
1826
Manks Adv 7 Jan 1826 200 recruits arrived for purpose of making this place a military depot (? construction of Castletown Barracks )
1826
80th
Regt     Manks Adv 29 April 1826
Manks Adv 16 Oct 1827 - 80 men departed for Malta
baptisms noted in St Mary's Castletown to soldiers etc of 80th Reg continued to Feb 1828
1828
74th
Regt     Manks Adv 3 Aprl 1828 - Mjr Stewart
1829
24th
Foot - South Wales Borderers Howard's Green Wales, Warwickshire Manks Adv 18 Aug 1829 - Reserve Co. under Capt Bacon
1831
30th
Cambridgeshire Regt (F) The triple X's Cambridgeshire FH51; Manks Adv 26 Oct 1830
baptisms Castletown 3 Oct 1830, Mar 1831
1831
24th
Regt     Manks Adv 26 April 1831 + replaced, same regt, Manks Adv 13 March 1832 - Capt Marsh
several illeg children fathered on men of 24th noted in Castletown reg May 1831-Feb 1833
1833-1835
15th
Regt     Manks Adv 5 March 1833 - Capt Hope
Manks Adv 11 March 1834 (38 in number under Lt Rose)
baptisms in Castletown reg noted to April 1835;
1834
Manx Adv 16 Sept 1834 Company of Royal Sappers and Miners to make a Coastal Survey
1835
34th
Regt     Manks Adv 15 May 1835
1836
84th
       
1836
52nd
Regt of Foot     Manks Adv 20 May 1836 - to relieve 84th Regt stationed at Castletown for last 3 months (? error for 34th)
1837
48th
Regt     Manks Adv 2 June 1837 - Capt Codd
1837
86th
Royal County Down Regt (F) The Irish Giants Down Leinster Manks Adv 9 Dept 1837 - Capt Hay; also R Cath marriage Nov 1837 of Murtagh O'Sullivan of 86th Regt FH177 (has under 1836)
1838
98th
Regt     Manks Adv 16 Nov 1838 (company of 66 present in 1841c)
1842
61st
Regt     Mona's Herald 2 Feb 1842 Captn Jones commanding officer of the 61st now lying here
1844
6th
Royal Regt     account fire at KWC Jan 1844 + also trial of 2 soldiers in Jan 1844
1845
14th
      account funeral Lt Gov Ready November 1845
1846
36th
Regiment of Foot     2 Roman Catholic baptisms July & Aug noted against Castletown, 36th Regt
1847
90th
Regiment of Foot     R Cath marriage Nov 1847 Trevor John Blunden(Corporal) to Anne Catherine Robinson
1848
15th
      trial John Bridgeman for Manslaughter April 1848
1848
81st
Regiment of Foot     R Cath marriage August 1848 Maurice O'Neil (private) to Elizabeth Clark
1849 46th? Regiment of Foot     R Cath baptism 30 Dec of Catherine Flint d/o John Flint + Catherine Curley - note reg has 40th Reg but John Flint was known in all other records to be 46th Reg and for period 1842 to 1852 the 40th was in India and then Australia whereas 46th was in Liverpool in 1849 + see * Mona's Herald " 24 April 1850 detachment of 62nd Regiment of Foot to replace 46th"
1850
91st
Princess Louise's Argyllshire Highlanders (F)   Argylshire FH136
*1850/51
52nd
Oxfordshire Light Infantry (F)   Oxfordshire FH26 (?Mona's Herald has 62nd from April 1850)
1851
      1851 census does not give regiment's name! - company of 54 men (many Irish) + officers
1851
23rd
Royal Welch Fusilers (F)   Wales FH98 + Castletown Vestry Book Jan 1852
...          
1856 36th Regt     Manx Sun 6th Mar 1858 one detachment replaces current company
...          
1861
84th
Reg     1861 census (company of 28 men + officers)
1873/1874
22nd
      Jenkinson's Guide 1874
1876
30th
Cambridgeshire Regt (F) The triple X's Cambridgeshire FH51 ; Mona's Herald 12 Jul 1876 reports that a detachment of the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot under Colonel Dickson + Lieut Robinson provided military salue at Tynwald
1876
106th
Bombay Light Infantry     FH52
1879
11th
North Devonshire     1st battalion arrived in October 1878; moved to Salford March 1879 (info from Regimental Musuem)
1881
103rd
      April 1881 census return
1881
8th
King's Liverpool Regt (F) The Leather Hats Derbyshire FH90
1883
4th
King's Own, Lancaster (F) Barrell's Blues London Area FH195
1884
48/58 th
Northhamptonshire Regt     FH115 ;IoM Examiner 30 Oct 1886 " On Thursday morning the detachment of the Northampton regiment which has been stationed here under the command of Captain Fraser for a little over two years, left for Aldershot,and was succeeded by a detachment of the Gloucester regiment under the command of Lieut. Hobbs, which arrived here on Thusday evening.
1886   Gloucester Regiment     see above
1889
Royal Sussex (H Company)     Porters Directory 1889

(F) = Foot Regiment ; no facilities for a cavalry regiment existed on the Island

*Mona's Herald 24 April 1850 detachment of 62nd Regiment of Foot to replace 46th

References:

Bertram Edward Sargeaunt, The Royal Manx Fencibles Aldershot: Gale & Polden 1947


 Military

see B114


Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor
© F.Coakley , 2002