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Wiltshire Yeomanry


Military History Army Yeomanry and Militia Wiltshire Yeomanry

[UP] - London Scottish - Queen's Westminsters - Yeoman Warders - Royal Guernsey Militia - Volunteer Infantry - Cheshire Yeomanry - Wiltshire Yeomanry

Photographs of the Wiltshire Yeomanry during the reign of Queen Victoria

The Officers of the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry

The ?First? Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry

 The Wiltshire Yeomanry have as their motto ?Primus in armis,? signifying that they were the first local body of cavalry, chiefly drawn from the class of yeomanry, to be formed into a regiment.  In March 1793, the Government issued a circular to the Lord-Lieutenants and high Sheriffs of counties, suggesting, among other plans for the strengthening of the land forces that volunteer troops of fencible cavalry be raised of from fifty to eighty men per troop, to serve during the war in the United Kingdom.  In Wiltshire the idea was accepted with enthusiasm, and the first troop of sixty men rose from Devizes, under the command of Mr. James Sutton, It was resolved to raise nine more troops in the county as well; but this did not take place to the following year, when a fresh start was made with the formation of a Salisbury troop, which was placed under the command of Henry Penniddocke Wyndham, Esq. The circulars inviting recruits to join this troop announced that ?Hunters, coursers, and other bold riders would be particularly acceptable.?  The first official notice concerning the Wiltshire Yeomanry appeared in the London Gazette of July 8, 1794, and the final arrangements of the officers in the issue dated August 22 following, by which period the county possessed its full complement of ten troops, namely, Devizes, Salisbury, Warminster, Bradford, Chippenham and Calne, Malmesbury, Swindon, Marlborough, Everley, and Hindon.  The uniform of each consisted of blue coatee, white leather breeches, long black gaiters, and a black leather helmet, with black plume over the ridge, and a small red feather plume at the side; while the Devizes troop was allowed to have ?Number 1? inscribed on its buttons, to denote the fact that it was the first raised in the Kingdom. In the year 1976 the Salisbury troop had the honour of being inspected by Gorge III. who broke his journey through the county to the fashionable watering-place of Weymouth for the purpose.  In the following year the ten troops were formed into the regiment of Wiltshire Yeomanry Cavalry, Lord Bruce being appointed Colonel.  A medal was then struck to commemorate the banding together of the troops.  In June 1798, all the ten troops for the first time paraded together at Devizes for three days? duty and marched to Beckhampton Down, where Lady Bruce presented five standards.  The parade state of the regiment on this occasion showed 28 officers and 595 non-commissioned officers and men. At the peace of Amiens in 1803 the Wiltshire Regiments was not disbanded, as were others, and upon the renewal of hostilities in 1804 it recruited up to 804 of all ranks.  In the following year the great strength and efficiency of the regiment caused it to be called out for permanent duty, when it was also inspected and praise by the Duke of Cumberland.  In 1810 the county Militia, quartered at Devizes, mutinied, and the Yeomanry were summoned to quell the disturbances.  The two forces faced each other in the market square with loaded firearms, and it seemed that nothing could avert a sanguinary conflict.  Just as the Yeomen were about to fire, however, the Militia ringleaders surrendered.

           Between 1817 and 1830 Wiltshire was in a very disturbed and unhappy state on account of labour troubles, and the Yeomanry were constantly being requisitioned to quell riots.  In 1831 the King bestowed the title of ?Royal? upon the regiment, through Lord Lansdowne, in recognition of its services during the critical period.  In 1835, when the precedence of Yeomanry regiments was established, the Royal Wiltshire was given Number 1, both because it was the first raised in 1793, and because it had preserved its continuity. At a later date, when Light Dragoon regiments were converted into Hussars, the Wiltshire followed suit, the uniform adopted being-?Blue; facings, Busby-bag, and plume scarlet.?  In the light of passing events a noteworthy innovation appeared in 1859.  The then colonel, Lord Ailesbury, introduced auxiliary riflemen, who were not horsed, but transported in cars.  These riflemen were young townsmen, not having the same facilities for equestrian exercise as the farmer class, but who proved themselves to be better shots.  The system was maintained until 1876, when a war office order disbanded them.  In 1863 the Prince of Wales honoured Colonel the Marquess of Ailesbury with a visit at Savernake, and, as might have been expected, the Marlborough troop of the Royal Wiltshire supplied travelling escorts and guards of honour.  As this was the first occasion on which His Royal Highness came into contact with the Yeomanry force officially, he conferred upon the regiment the distinctive title ?Prince of Wale?s Own.?  We have nothing more to record of the regiment until 1872, when it took part in the Salisbury manoeuvres, and, again, until the training of 1893, when the century of its genesis was celebrated amidst great enthusiasm.

           When in January, 1900, the Yeomanry were called upon to volunteer service companies for South Africa, the Wiltshire promptly produced three, forming the 1st, 2nd, 63rd Companies of Imperial Yeomanry, which were the first to be ready, though for some reason they were not the first despatched.  Two machine-gun detachments equipped with Colt automatic guns and galloping carriages complete, accompanied the force, which was composed of picked men-good shots and riders.  In South Africa the most notable engagements in which the Wiltshire companies took part were the defence of Ladybrand-successfully maintained by the 2nd company and some details-and the battle of Senekal.  The defence of Ladybrand was a brilliant affair, and Lord Roberts specially mentioned the gallantry of the Wiltshire men in foiling a greatly superior force of Boers in his cable to the war office announcing the relief.  The third company had the honour of accompanying the present Commander-in-Chief when he entered Pretoria in triumph.  When reinforcements of Imperial Yeomanry were called for at the commencement of the present year, the Wiltshire regiment sent out an additional 100 men.  The corps has had no less than eleven officers and three members of the permanent staff serving with the Imperial Yeomanry in South Africa or in other capacities, in addition to officers and non-commissioned officers specially enlisted for special service.  Four officers have received the D.S.O., and several non-commissioned officers and men the Distinguished Service Medal, including Sergeant-Major Lyford, who at the siege of Ladybrand had the whole of his lower jaw shot away by a shell.  The casualties suffered by the regiment were heavy, one officer and over thirty non-commissioned officers and men having been killed or died of disease.

           The present regimental commander is Lieutenant ?Colonel the right Hon. W.H. Long, M.P. whose ancestor, Mr Richard Long, as High Sheriff of the county in 1793, issued the original call to arms, resulting in the formation of the ?Number 1? Devizes troop.  Under the new regulations the best class of recruit is being obtained-this year there have been 134 of them-and the influx of a quota of town candidates is an agreeable feature.  In the person of Squadron Sergeant-Major Parrott, the Wiltshire?s possess a veteran Yeoman who claims to be the oldest of any.  Since Sergeant Major joined the force, as far back as 1854, it is hardly likely that this claim can be disputed.  The headquarters of the Royal Wiltshire?s is located at Chippenham.     Extracted from ' Deeds That Thrill The Empire'  


Wiltshire Yeomanry by Richard Simkin


Wiltshire Yeomanry by Richard Simkin

Item Code : UN0259Wiltshire Yeomanry by Richard Simkin - Editions Available
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PRINT Open edition print.
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Image size 9 inches x 12 inches (23cm x 31cm)none£6 Off!
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ANTIQUE
CHROMOLITHOGRAPH
Original chromolithograph published c.1888.
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Image size 10 inches x 13 inches (25cm x 33cm)none£140.00

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