Photographs and history of the
Lincolnshire Regiment,
during the reign of Queen Victoria.
Among the "guards and garrisons" allowed to Charles II in
1661 was a company of Infantry, stationed at Plymouth, and commanded by
the Earl of Bath. In 1685 this was expanded into a regiment of
twelve companies, enlisted in Derbyshire and Nottingham, and named the
"10th Foot". Embarking for Flanders in 1690, it did good
service at Steenkirk, Furnes, Dixmude, D'Olignies, Landen, Fort Kenoque,
and Namur; as it did in the war with France, at Venloo, Ruremonde,
Stevenswart, Liege, Huy, Limburg, Schellenberg, Blenheim, Helixem,
Neer-Winden, Neer-Hespen, Ramilies, Namur, Dendermond, Ath, Oudenarde,
Lisle, Ghent, Tournay, Malplaquet, Mons, Pont-a-Vendin, Douay, Bethune,
Aire, St Venant, Arleux, and Bouchain. In 1767 it sailed for New
Orleans, and took part in the American War from 1775 till 1778, being
present at Concord, Lexington, Bunker's Hill, Long Island, New York,
White Plains, Forts Lee and Washington, Rhode Island, Brandywine,
Germanstown, Philadelphia, Billing's Point, White Marsh, and Freehold.
When the Egyptian campaign of 1801 opened, the regiment was in India,
but embarked at the end of the year, and landed at Kosseir. Thence
it made a bold march to Kennah, on the Nile, a distance of 120 miles,
during which the troops suffered severely from thirst; being afterwards
transferred thence to Rosetta. For its services in this campaign
it bears the Sphinx with "Egypt" on the colours, and gold
medals were presented to the officers by the Sultan.
After sharing in the operations following the occupation of Sicily,
such as the battle of Castalla, siege of Tarragona, blockade of
Barcelona, etc., the 10th returned home, and bears "Peninsula"
on its colours in remembrance of these services. In 1846 it joined
the Army of the Sutlej, and shared in the glory of Sobraon, where, with
the 7th Brigade, and formed in line, it stormed the Sikh works, and
"never fired a shot until within the works of the
enemy". It also shared in the second Sikh War, and bears on
its list of honours "Punjaub", "Mooltan", and "Goojerat".
During the Mutiny it was at Dinapore, with the Jounpore Field Force,
at Lucknow (which it bears on its colours), Azimghur, and in the
operations in Oude. During this campaign Lieutenant H. M. Havelock
Allen gained the Victoria Cross for distinguished bravery at Cawnpore,
and Privates Kirk and Dempsey at Benares and Lucknow. Finally it
served in the Malay Peninsula from 1874 to 1876, taking part in the
Perak Expedition.
The earliest 2nd battalion, raised in Essexs, first appears in
1804. It served at Waalcheren, captured the Island of Ponzo in
1813 without the loss of a man, and was incorporated with the 1st
battalion in 1816. The existing 2nd battalion was formed about
1858, and served with the Burmah expeditionary force in 1878.
The regiment when formed was the only one with blue uniform, and the
facings were at first red; this was altered to red coats and red
"livery" later on, and by 1751 the facings had been changed to
yellow; they are at present white.
The regimental badge - the Sphinx with "Egypt" - appears
(laurelled and crowned) on the button, on the collar, over an
eight-pointed star (derived apparently from the Militia) on the helmet
plate, waist belt, and forage cap.
The 3rd and 4th battalions are formed from the Royal North and South
Lincoln Militia, raised in 1759. The volunteer battalions are the
1st and 2nd Lincoln (with scarlet and white and scarlet and blue
tunics), having headquarters at Lincoln and Grantham respectively.
The "pet" names have been "the Springers", after
the American War, and "the Poachers", probably from the
regimental march. The depot is at Lincoln.
Extract from "The British Army and Auxiliary Forces" Colonel
C. Cooper King, R.M.A. , 1894
JOHN KIRK (Private)
10th of Foot, (The Lincolnshire Regiment)
On June 4th 1857, this soldier was associated with
Sergeant-Major Rosamond (V.C.) and Gill (V.C.).
When, on the outbreak at Benares the mutineers fired the bungalow
and massacred so many Europeans, he and his comrades were able to rescue
Captain Brown and his family, bringing them into the lines in safety.
His Victoria Cross is in the United Service Institute, London.
DENIS DEMPSEY (Private)
10th of Foot, The Lincolnshire Regiment
During the disastrous retreat from Arrah in July 1857, when
Mr.Mangles and Mr. McDonell both won the Victoria Cross by acts of
heroic devotion, Dempsey was one of the retreating party, and helped to
carry Ensign Erskine of his regiment from the pursuing Sepoys.
On August 12th 1857, he was the first man to enter the
village of Jugdispore under a terrific fire, and further, on March 14th
1858, he carried a bag of powder through fire, and further on March 14th
1858, he carried a bag of powder through a burning village in order to
mine a passage in rear of the enemy’s position.
As the sparks from the burning houses were falling in showers
around him, and the path he took was open and exposed to a terrific fire
from the enemy, who were behind loop holed walls, his brave act appears
all the finer. Dempsey
died in Canada January 10th 1886.
