SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. 1685 Duke of Somerset 109 1687 Alexander Cannon 110 1688 Richard Leveson -- 1694 Thomas Lord Fairfax 111 1695 William Lloyd -- 1703 George Carpenter 112 1732 Philip Honeywood 114 1743 Humphrey Bland -- 1752 James Lord Tyrawley 115 1755 Earl of Albemarle 116 1772 Charles Lord Southampton 117 1797 Francis Lascelles -- 1799 Sir Charles Grey 118 1807 William Cartwright 119 1821 Viscount Combermere 120 1829 Lord George Beresford -- 1839 Lord Charles Somerset Manners 121 PLATES. Costume of the Regiment _to face_ 1 Battle of Sobraon " 106 [Illustration: 3rd Light Dragoons. [To face page 1.] HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRD, OR THE KING'S OWN, REGIMENT OF LIGHT DRAGOONS. [Sidenote: 1685] JAMES THE SECOND ascended the throne of England on the 6th of February, 1685, and four months only had elapsed, when his nephew, JAMES DUKE OF MONMOUTH, erected the standard of rebellion on the western coast, and, having been joined by upwards of three thousand men, proclaimed himself king. To oppose MONMOUTH and his rash adherents, the King obtained from Parliament a grant of four hundred thousand pounds, and augmented the strength of his army. Among the loyal yeomen and artisans who arrayed themselves under the banners of their sovereign, a number of young men from Berkshire, Middlesex, Herts, and Essex, were formed into five independent troops of Dragoons under Captains RICHARD LEVESON, JOHN WILLIAMS, THOMAS HUSSEY, EDWARD LEA, and FRANCIS RUSSEL. These five troops, with an old independent troop of Dragoons, commanded by Colonel Strather, were attached to the Royal Dragoons under JOHN LORD CHURCHILL, (afterwards the great DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH,) whose regiment was thus augmented to nine hundred men, and from these additional troops the corps which now bears the distinguished title of the "THIRD, OR KING'S OWN REGIMENT OF LIGHT DRAGOONS," derives its origin.