British Artillery Battalions and the Men Who Led Them 1793-1815 By Steve Brown 4th 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 1757: 2nd Battalion formed from 12 existing RA companies 1759: 3rd Battalion formed 1771: 1 January - 4th Battalion formed 1779: 1 August - 4th Battalion augmented 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 1801: 14 Oct - Vaughan Lloyd 1805: 28 June - George Fead 1815: 21 Nov - William Cuppage Colonels 1782: 1 Dec - William Martin 1794: 20 Oct - William Borthwick 1800: 12 Nov - Thomas Blomefield 1801: 14 Oct - Alexander Shand 1803: 9 Apr - Edward Fage 1804: 20 July - John H Yorke 1806: 1 June - Thomas Desbrisay 1808: 16 December - Flower M Sproule 1809: 20 June - Charles N Cookson 1814: 20 Dec - George Wolff Lieutenant-Colonels 1791: 16 Mar - William Borthwick 1793: 5 Dec - Thomas Blomefield 1795: 7 Jan - Edward Stephens 1795: 6 Mar - Robert Douglas 1796: 9 Dec - Thomas Trotter 1800: 12 Nov - Samuel Rimington 1801: 27 May - Thomas Desbrisay 1801: 14 Oct - Charles Terrot 1804: 20 July - Philip Riou 1804: 20 July - John F Smith 1806: 1 June - John Sheldrake 1814: 14 February - Joseph Carncross 1814: 1 May - Alexander Watson 1814: 20 Dec - Henry Phillott Majors 1790: 14 May - Thomas Paterson 1791: 16 Mar - John Lemoine 1797: 21 Aug - Francis Laye 1799: 16 Jul - Thomas R Charleton 1802: 11 Feb - Henry Rogers 1804: 9 Oct - John Sheldrake 1808: 24 Oct - Thomas Charleton 1808: 1 February - Charles Newhouse 1812: 16 March - Charles C Bingham Page 1 of 6 Placed on the Napoleon Series: July 2016
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. Trotter's / Maxwell's Company, 4th Battalion, Royal Artillery 1793: Portsmouth; May - to Flanders; Ostend; Valenciennes; Menin; Cysoing; Tournai; Kain (OC Capt Thomas Trotter) 1794: Ghent; Herlebeek; St Amand; Tournai; Rosendaal; Ossterhuit; Berlikum; Nijmegen; Arnhem; Klingelbeek 1795: Northern Germany; Verden; Grambke; April - England; May - Woolwich (OC Capt John Burton) 1796: Woolwich 1797: Woolwich; July - Sheerness; September - Woolwich 1798: Woolwich 1799: Woolwich 1800: Ringmer 1801: Ringmer 1802: Ringmer; March - Woolwich; April - Perth; November - Leith Fort 1803: Leith Fort (OC Capt W Scott, then Capt James Hawker) 1804: Haddington 1805: Haddington 1806: Woolwich; July - Plymouth; November - Falmouth; to Cape of Good Hope 1807: At sea; March - Cape of Good Hope; to South America; June - Montevideo; September - to Ireland 1808: Cork; February - Portsmouth; March - Woolwich 1809: Woolwich; April - Exeter 1810: Exeter; September - to Portugal; Lisbon 1811: Cabeco da Montachique; Lisbon; Elvas; Albuera; Almendralejo; Torre da Mouro; Villa Vicosa; Portalegre 1812: Gaffitu; Castello Branco; Portalegre; Almendralejo; Zafra; Aranjuez; Idanha a Nova (OC Capt Stewart Maxwell) 1813: Castello Branca; Ladoeiro; Zibreira; Coria; Pente Arenas; Vittoria; Pyrenees; Roncesvalles 1814: Villefranche; Orthez; Toulouse; to Canada; August - Quebec; October - Chambly 1815: Chambly 1825: 1st Company, 4th Battalion RA 1859: 4th Battery, 7th Brigade RA 1914: 72nd Company RGA 1939: 82nd Battery RA Collier's / Wallace's Company, 4th Battalion, Royal Artillery 1793: Quebec (OC Capt William Collier) 1794: Quebec 1795: Quebec; October - Niagara (OC Capt John A Schalch) 1796: Niagara; September - Fort William Henry; December - Montreal 1797: Montreal; June - Quebec 1799: Quebec 1800: Quebec 1801: Quebec (OC Capt Charles Godfrey) 1802: Quebec 1803: Quebec 1804: Quebec 1805: Quebec (OC Capt William Hall) 1806: Quebec (OC Capt P Durnford, then Capt Charles C Bingham) 1807: Quebec 1808: Quebec 1811: Quebec 1812: Quebec (OC Capt Peter M Wallace) 1813: Quebec; April - Montreal; May - Kingston; August - Chambly; October - La Prairie; December - Chambly 1814: Chambly; October - Longueuil; December - Montreal 1815: Montreal; June - Quebec; July - to Belgium; August - Ostend; September - Brussels; October - Assche; November - Brussels 1825: 2nd Company, 4th Battalion RA 1859: 6th Battery, 3rd Brigade RA 1914: 105th Battery, XXII Brigade RFA 1939: 105th Field Battery RA 1947: 42nd Light Anti-Aircraft Battery RA Current: 42nd (Alem Hamza) Battery, supporting 12th and 16th Regiments RA. Page 2 of 6 Placed on the Napoleon Series: July 2016
Yorke's / Wilford's Company, 4th Battalion, Royal Artillery 1793: Plymouth (OC Capt John H Yorke) 1794: Plymouth; August - Roxborough Camp; November - Plymouth 1795: Plymouth; April - to Cape of Good Hope; September - Cape Town 1796: Cape of Good Hope (OC Capt Wiltshire Wilson) 1797: Cape of Good Hope 1798: Cape of Good Hope 1799: Cape of Good Hope; May - 3rd Kaffir War 1800: Cape of Good Hope 1801: Cape of Good Hope 1802: Cape of Good Hope (Capt Robert Hope) 1803: Cape of Good Hope; March - to England; May - Portsmouth; June - Hilsea; July - Woolwich (Capt William Scott) 1804: Woolwich 1805: Woolwich; August - Plymouth 1806: Plymouth 1807: Plymouth; September - to Madeira; December - Funchal 1808: Madeira 1809: Madeira 1810: Madeira 1811: Madeira 1812: Madeira (Capt William Carey) 1813: Madeira 1814: Madeira; October - to England; Woolwich 1815: Woolwich (Capt Ernest C Wilford) 1825: 3rd Company, 4th Battalion RA 1859: 8th Battery, 2nd Brigade RA 1939: 27th (Lloyd's Company) Heavy Battery RA Current: 43rd (Lloyd's Company) Battery, 47th Regiment RA. Laye's / Smyth's Company, 4th Battalion, Royal Artillery 1793: Portsmouth; September - to Flanders; Menin; Chateau de Camphin; La Tombe; Tournai (OC Capt Francis Laye) 1794: Ghent; St Amand; Tournai; Oosterhout; Berlikum; Klingelbeek 1795: Northern Germany; Verden; Grambke; April - to England; May - Woolwich; July - Plymouth; August - Roxborough Camp; November - Plymouth 1796: Plymouth 1797: Plymouth (OC Capt J Brooke Young) 1798: Plymouth 1799: Plymouth 1800: Plymouth 1801: Plymouth 1802: Plymouth 1803: Plymouth; January - Gibraltar 1804: Gibraltar (Capt William Henry Gardiner) 1805: Gibraltar (Capt Francis Smyth) 1806: Gibraltar 1807: Gibraltar 1808: Gibraltar; detachment to Cadiz 1809: Gibraltar 1810: Gibraltar 1811: Gibraltar; detachment at Barrosa 1812: Gibraltar 1813: Gibraltar 1814: Gibraltar 1815: Gibraltar 1825: 4th Company, 4th Battalion RA 1859: 8th Company, 1st Brigade RA 1914: 52nd Company RGA 1939: Disbanded. Page 3 of 6 Placed on the Napoleon Series: July 2016
Shuttleworth's / Younghusband's Company, 4th Battalion, Royal Artillery 1793: Plymouth; December - Guernsey (OC Capt A Shuttleworth) 1794: Guernsey; February - Portsmouth; June - to Flanders; Ostend; Rosendaal; Breda; Berlikum; Nijmegen; Arnhem 1795: Northern Germany; Verden; Grambke; April - to England; May - Woolwich; July - Portsmouth; October - to Barbados (OC Capt Robert Hope) 1796: At sea; April - Barbados; May - Demerara and Berbice; August - Martinique 1797: Martinique 1798: Martinique; April - to Puerto Rico; Martinique 1799: Martinique 1800: Martinique; December - to San Domingo 1801: San Domingo 1802: Various West Indies islands (OC Capt Wiltshire Wilson) 1803: January - Antigua; July - Barbados 1804: Barbados (OC Capt William Payne) 1805: Barbados (OC Capt William Millar, then Capt Charles Younghusband) 1806: Barbados 1807: Barbados 1808: Barbados 1809: Barbados; April - detachment at Surinam; Martinique & Barbados 1810: Martinique & Barbados; detachment to Guadeloupe 1811: Barbados 1812: Barbados 1813: Barbados 1814: Barbados; April - to England; Woolwich 1815: Woolwich; May - to Belgium; Ostend; advance to Paris 1825: 5th Company, 4th Battalion RA 1859: 2nd Battery, 9th Brigade RA 1939: 16th Field Battery RA 1947: 40th Field Battery RA Lawson's / Morrison's Company, 4th Battalion, Royal Artillery 1793: Tower of London; February - Woolwich; March - Gibraltar (OC Capt Robert Lawson; Capt J Wilson, died 20 Oct 1794) 1794: Gibraltar (OC Capt J Bradbridge) 1795: Gibraltar 1796: Gibraltar 1797: Gibraltar (OC Capt Hoylett Framingham) 1798: Gibraltar; November - Minorca 1799: Minorca 1800: Minorca 1801: Minorca; March - detachment to Egypt 1802: Minorca; August - Gibraltar 1803: Gibraltar 1804: Gibraltar (OC Capt George Skyring) 1805: Gibraltar 1806: Gibraltar 1807: Gibraltar 1808: Gibraltar; to Portugal; Vimeiro; September - Cascaes; October - artillery depot with Moore; December - Salamanca; retreat to Corunna 1809: Corunna; to England; March - Canterbury 1810: Canterbury 1811: Canterbury; August - Sandgate Castle (OC Capt William Morrison) 1812: Sandgate Castle; March - Portsmouth; September - to Portugal; Lisbon 1813: Lisbon; April - Abrantes; Vittoria; San Sebastian; November - Urroz; December - Estregaraga 1814: Estregaraga; March - Bayonne; April - Tarbes; Toulouse; Bordeaux; June - to England; July - Shorncliffe; December - Dover 1815: Dover; May - Woolwich; to Belgium; Ostend; Brussels garrison; advance to Paris 1825: 6th Company, 4th Battalion RA 1859: 1st Battery, 6th Brigade RA 1939: 14th Heavy Battery RA 1947: 44th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery RA Page 4 of 6 Placed on the Napoleon Series: July 2016
Seward's / Caddy's Company, 4th Battalion, Royal Artillery 1793: Quebec; August - Niagara (OC Capt Thomas Seward) 1794: Niagara 1795: Niagara; November - Quebec 1796: Quebec (OC Capt Charles W Thornton) 1797: Quebec (OC Capt Edward Trelawney) 1799: Quebec (OC Capt Spencer C Parry, then Capt George Wulff) 1800: Quebec; September - Fort George 1801: Fort George 1802: Fort George 1803: Fort George 1804: Fort George (OC Capt John T Caddy) 1805: Quebec 1806: Quebec 1807: Fort George; June - Amherstburg 1808: Quebec; May - Amherstburg 1811: Amherstburg; August - Montreal; September - Quebec 1812: Quebec 1813: Quebec 1814: Quebec 1815: Quebec 1825: 7th Company, 4th Battalion RA 1859: 6th Battery, 10th Brigade 1939: 15th Heavy Battery RA 1947: 20th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery RA Current: 20th Battery, 16th Regiment RA. Rimmington's / Cleaveland's Company, 4th Battalion, Royal Artillery 1793: Perth; September - Leith Fort (OC Capt Samuel Rimmington) 1794: Leith Fort 1795: Leith Fort 1796: Leith Fort 1797: Leith Fort 1798: Leith Fort 1799: Leith Fort (OC Capt Bridges D Hooke) 1800: Leith Fort 1801: Leith Fort 1802: Leith Fort; April - Woolwich (OC Capt Edward V Worsley) 1803: Woolwich; February - Gravesend; to Ceylon; June - Trincomalee; October - Galle 1804: Galle 1805: Galle; December - Colombo 1806: Colombo 1807: Colombo 1808: Colombo 1809: Colombo; February - detachment on campaign; July - detachment to Madras (OC Capt John S Robinson) 1810: Colombo 1811: Colombo; March - detachment to Java (OC Capt R F Cleaveland) 1812: Colombo 1813: Colombo; May - Trincomalee 1814: Trincomalee 1815: Trincomalee; Kandy wars 1825: 8th Company, 4th Battalion RA 1859: 5th Battery, 1st Brigade RA 1939: 17th Field Battery RA 1947: 41st Field Battery RA Page 5 of 6 Placed on the Napoleon Series: July 2016
Sources: Brady's / Sinclair's Company, 4th Battalion, Royal Artillery Raised: 1 August 1779 1793: Lower Canada - Fort William Henry (OC Capt Thomas Brady, then Capt George L Hamilton, died 2 February 1800) 1794: Quebec 1795: Quebec 1796: Quebec; June - Fort William Henry; August - Quebec 1797: Quebec 1799: Quebec 1800: Quebec (OC Capt Robert Wright, then Capt William Robe) 1801: Quebec 1802: Quebec 1803: Quebec 1804: Quebec 1805: Quebec 1806: Quebec (OC Capt Thomas J Forbes) 1807: Quebec 1808: Quebec (OC Capt John S Sinclair) 1811: Quebec 1812: Quebec; October - Montreal 1813: Montreal; September - La Prairie; November - Montreal 1814: Montreal; May - Chambly; October - Montreal 1815: Montreal; June - Quebec; to Belgium; July - Ostend; September - Brussels 1819: 31 January - disbanded at Woolwich. Marlow's / Holcroft's Company, 4th Battalion, Royal Artillery Raised: 1 August 1779 1793: Upper Canada - Niagara; September - Quebec (OC Capt Benjamin Marlow) 1794: Quebec (OC Capt George Glasgow) 1795: Quebec 1796: Quebec 1797: Quebec 1799: Quebec; June - Montreal 1800: Montreal; March - Quebec (OC Capt Richard Dickinson) 1801: Quebec 1802: Quebec 1803: Quebec 1804: Quebec 1805: Quebec 1806: Quebec (OC Capt Edmund Curry) 1807: Quebec; November - Montreal 1808: Montreal; November - Quebec (OC Capt William Holcroft) 1811: Quebec; June - Kingston; July - Fort George 1812: Fort George 1813: Fort George; July - Niagara 1814: Niagara; August - York; October - Niagara; November - Montreal 1815: Montreal; to Belgium; July - Ostend; August - Tournai; Army of Occupation 1819: 31 January - disbanded at Woolwich. 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 6 of 6 Placed on the Napoleon Series: July 2016