76th Regiment of Foot

History

Formation

The regiment was raised by Sir Thomas Musgrave, 7th Baronet for service in India as the 76th Regiment of Foot in October 1787. In accordance with the Declaratory Act 1788 the cost of raising the regiment was recharged to East India Company on the basis that the act required that expenses "should be defrayed out of the revenues" arising there.

The Royal Warrant for their raising was issued on 12 October 1787 and read:

GEORGE R.

Whereas We have thought fit to order a Regt of Foot to be

forthwith raised under your Command, which is to consist of ten

Companies, with 3 Sergts, 4 Corpls, 2 Drumrs & 71 private Men

in each, with two Fifers to the Grenadier Compy and one

Compy, of 8 Sergts, 8 Corpls, 4 Drumrs & 30 private Men with

the usuals Comd. Officers, these are to authorise you by Beat of

Drum or otherwise to raise so many Men in any Country or part

of our Kingdom of Great Britain as shall be wanted to complete

the said Regt, to the above mentioned numbers. And all above

Given the 12th October. 1787 in the 27th Year of Our Reign.

By H.M.'s Command (Sd.) Geo. Yonge

India

The regiment embarked for India in 1788 for service in the Third Anglo-Mysore War and saw action at the Siege of Bangalore in February 1791 and the Siege of Seringapatam in February 1792. The regiment also saw service in the Second Anglo-Maratha War and fought at the Siege of Aligarh in September 1803. The regiment laid siege to Aligarh Fort, a fort commanded by a French mercenary in Maratha service Pierre Cuillier-Perron, and captured it. The Marathas prepared for the siege by lining 14 ditches around the fort with sword-blades and poisoned chevaux-de-frise. The walls were reinforced with Maratha artillery, and the defenders also used tigers and lions of Scindia's menagerie. The British suffered 900 casualties in capturing the fort. The regiment went on to fight at the Battle of Delhi in September 1803, the Battle of Laswari in November 1803, and the Battle of Deeg in November 1804. The regiment returned to England and became the 76th (Hindoostan) Regiment of Foot in October 1806.

Napoleonic Wars

In 1807, the regiment was deployed to Jersey in the Channel Islands for garrison duty, remaining there until 1808, when it was deployed to Spain to take part in the Peninsular War. and the Battle of the Nive in December 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.

The Victorian era

The regiment did not return from North America until 1827. The regiment was posted to the Garrison of the Imperial fortress colony of Bermuda, part of British North America, from 20 May 1840, until 9 November 1841, and on to Canada in 1841 before returning home in 1842. The regiment were deployed to South Wales later in the year to help suppress the Rebecca Riots. After that the regiment went to Corfu in 1848 and on to Malta in 1850 before sailing for Saint John, New Brunswick in March 1853. It was garrisoned at Fredericton in New Brunswick It embarked for India in September 1863 and was stationed in Fort St. George, Madras

As part of the Cardwell Reforms of the 1870s, where single-battalion regiments were linked together to share a single depot and recruiting district in the United Kingdom, the 76th was linked with the 33rd (Duke of Wellington's) Regiment, and assigned to district no. 9 at Wellesley Barracks in Halifax. On 1 July 1881 the Childers Reforms came into effect and the regiment amalgamated with the 33rd (Duke of Wellington's) Regiment to form the Duke of Wellington's Regiment.

Battle honours

The regiment's battle honours were:

• Hindoostan
• Peninsular War: Nive, Peninsula

Colonels

Colonels of the Regiments were: ;76th Regiment of Foot (1787) ;76th (Hindoostan) Regiment of Foot (1806)

• 1787–1812: Gen. Sir Thomas Musgrave, 7th Baronet ;76th Regiment of Foot (1812)
• 1813–1814: Lt.-Gen. Sir George Prévost
• 1814–1834: Lt-Gen Christopher Chowne
• 1834–1836: Gen. Sir Peregrine Maitland, GCB
• 1843: Lt-Gen. George Middlemore, CB
• 1843–1853: Lt-Gen. Sir Robert Arbuthnot, KCB
• 1853–1862: Gen. William Jervois, KH
• 1862–1871: Lt-Gen. Joseph Clarke
• 1871–1875: Lt-Gen. Matthew Smith
• 1875–1881: Gen. Frederick Darley George, CB
• 1881: Regiment amalgamated with 33rd (Duke of Wellington's) Regiment of Foot as the second battalion

References

Sources

References

1. "76th Regiment of Foot". regiments.org.
2. The majority of recruits were raised from [[Nottingham]] and [[Leicestershire]], but many of them also came from the Musgrave family estates around Hayton Castle, near [[Aspatria]], [[Cumbria]].Brereton & Savory, p. 79
3. Hayden, p. 142
4. Hayden, p. 6–10
5. "76th Regiment of Foot: Locations". Regiments.org.
6. Hayden, p. 8–12
7. Thackeray, chapter 2
8. For their distinguished service in these actions, [[George III of the United Kingdom. King George III]] authorized the regiment to have the word "[[Hindustan. Hindoostan]]" emblazoned upon the [[Colours, standards and guidons. regimental colour]]s, along with an elephant badge with a [[howdah]] atop the elephant, also inscribed with the word "Hindoostan".Hayden, p. 61
9. Hayden, p. 90–91
10. Hayden, p. 104–106
11. . (1840-05-19). "H. M. Steamer Pluto". *The Royal Gazette*.
12. . (1840-05-19). "H. M. S. Vestal". *The Royal Gazette*.
13. . (1840-05-19). "Vaccine Lymph". *The Royal Gazette*.
14. "Bermuda Online: British Army in Bermuda from 1701 to 1977".
15. Capewell, Roger. "76th Regiment of Foot". Family History in India.
16. Hayden, p. 114
17. before embarking for home again in September 1857.Hayden, p. 116
18. Hayden, p. 122
19. "Training Depots". Regiments.org.