58th (Rutlandshire) Regiment of Foot

History

Early wars

The regiment was raised by Colonel Robert Anstruther as the 60th Regiment of Foot in 1755 for service in the Seven Years' War. It was re-ranked as the 58th Regiment of Foot, following the disbandment of the existing 50th and 51st regiments, in 1756. After returning to England later that year it was posted to Gibraltar in 1770 and took part in the Great Siege in the early 1780s. It adopted a county designation as the 58th (Rutlandshire) Regiment of Foot in August 1782.

Napoleonic Wars

The regiment embarked for the West Indies in late 1793 and fought at the capture of Martinique in February 1794 during the French Revolutionary Wars. in the Capture of Minorca in November 1798. The regiment then embarked for Egypt for service in the French campaign in Egypt and Syria: it saw action at the Battle of Abukir in March 1801, the Battle of Alexandria later that month and the siege of Cairo in June 1801. A second battalion was raised in 1804 to increase the strength of the regiment.

The 1st battalion was deployed to Sicily in 1805 for service in the Napoleonic Wars and saw action at the Battle of Maida in July 1806. It was deployed to Portugal in spring 1812 to serve under the Marquess of Wellington in the Peninsular campaign. During this campaign it fought on the East Coast of the Peninsula at the Battle of Castalla in April 1813 and the siege of Tarragona in June 1813. It then embarked for North America for service in the War of 1812 and saw action at the Battle of Plattsburgh in September 1814.

Meanwhile, the 2nd battalion, which was formed in 1803, saw service initially in Ireland and was then posted to Jersey in April 1804 serving there until 1809. They deployed from Jersey to Portugal arriving in Lisbon on 2 July 1809. The regiment initially deployed as garrison troops for Lisbon. The battalion's headquarters were based at Vila Nova on the northern edge of Lisbon; it fielded some nine companies. One company was commanded by Captain Adam Ferguson. During the autumn of 1810 the newly formed "Fighting 3rd Division" led by General Thomas Picton, had the 2nd Battalion of the 58th Foot placed under its command and ordered it to move to a defensive position at the Lines of Torres Vedras. The battalion then advanced with the 3rd Division and in April 1812 saw action at the Battle of Salamanca in July 1812, the siege of Burgos in September 1812 and the Battle of Vitoria in June 1813.

The Victorian era

The regiment was deployed to Jamaica in 1816 and to Ceylon in 1828 and to New South Wales, where it took over garrison duties from the 80th Regiment of Foot, in 1843. It was deployed to New Zealand for service in the New Zealand Wars in March 1845. On 16 April 1847, after a minor chief of the Wanganui people was accidentally shot by a junior army officer, about 500 or 600 heavily armed Māori formed a taua (war party) that swept down the Whanganui River, plundering and burning settlers' houses and killing and mutilating a soldier from the 58th Regiment who ventured out of the town.

When a fire broke out in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1858, eventually destroying an entire city block, the men of the 58th Regiment were instrumental in firefighting efforts under the command of Colonel Robert Wynyard.

Although some men from the regiment chose to settle in New Zealand, the regiment returned home in 1859.

The regiment was deployed to India in 1864 and remained there until 1874 when it returned to England.

As part of the Cardwell Reforms of the 1870s, where single-battalion regiments were linked together to share one depot and recruiting district in the United Kingdom, the 58th was linked with the 48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot, and assigned to district no. 29 at Gibraltar Barracks in Northampton. On 1 July 1881 the Childers Reforms came into effect and the regiment amalgamated with the 48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot to form the Northamptonshire Regiment.

Battle honours

Battle honours won by the regiment were:

• Gibraltar 1779–1783
• French Revolutionary Wars: Egypt
• Napoleonic Wars: Maida
• Peninsular War: Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Orthes, Peninsula
• New Zealand Land Wars: New Zealand 1846–1847

In 1841, the Regiment was presented its second stand of colours. They were laid up in 1860 and presented to the people of Auckland, New Zealand.

Colonels of the Regiment

Colonels of the Regiment were:

60th Regiment of Foot

• 1755–1767: Lt-Gen. Robert Anstruther

58th Regiment of Foot – (1756)

• 1767–1775: Gen. The Rt. Hon. Robert Cuninghame, 1st Baron Rossmore, PC
• 1775–1776: Col. Hon. George West
• 1776–1787: Lt-Gen. Lancelot Baugh

58th (Rutlandshire) Regiment of Foot – (1782)

• 1787–1811: Gen. George Scott
• 1811–1823: Gen. Richard Lambart, 7th Earl of Cavan, KC
• 1823–1826: Gen. Thomas Graham, 1st Baron Lynedoch, GCB, GCMG
• 1826–1828: Maj-Gen. Lord Frederick Bentinck, CB
• 1828–1833: Lt-Gen. Sir Kenneth Douglas, 1st Baronet
• 1833–1848: Gen. Frederick Maitland
• 1848–1851: Lt-Gen. Sir George Charles D'Aguilar, KCB
• 1851–1864: Gen. Edward Buckley Wynyard, CB
• 1864–1868: Lt-Gen. Charles Craufurd Hay
• 1868–1870: Maj-Gen. William Sullivan, CB
• 1870–1881: Gen. Sir Arthur Johnstone Lawrence, KCB

References

Sources

References

1. (2010). "The British Army against Napoleon". Frontline Books.
2. Late Lieutenant-Colonel of the 26th Regiment of Foot, Beatson, p. 426
3. "58th (Rutlandshire) Regiment of Foot". regiments.org.
4. "58th (Rutlandshire) Regiment of Foot: locations". regiments.org.
5. Chichester, H. M.. (2004). "Houston, Sir William, first baronet (1766–1842)".
6. O/379/6 Regimental annual dispositions. National Archives. Retrieved 8 August 2018
7. [https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=WO+12%2F6783 National Archive Muster and Pay Rolls 2/58th retrieved 4 August 2018]
8. (1809). "2nd Battalion Pay and Muster rolls". National Archives.
9. Stanley 1986, p. 81.
10. (24 July 1858). "Destructive fire in Auckland". Taranaki Herald - archived by PapersPast.
11. "58th (Rutlandshire) Regiment of Foot". National Army Museum.
12. "Training Depots". Regiments.org.
13. "Regimental colour : 58th (Rutlandshire) Regiment".