History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, Vol. 1: Compiled from the Original RecordsDuncan, Francis
History
History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, Vol. 1: Compiled from the Original Records
Duncan, Francis
Great Britain. Army. Royal Regiment of Artillery
It has already been stated that Colonel Pattison and Major Lewis had
been permitted to retire on full pay, on account of infirmity. The
source from which their income was derived, and the use to which it was
devoted after their death, can best be described in Colonel Miller's
words: "To this purpose there was appropriated the pay allowed for two
tinmen and twenty-four matrosses, the number of effective matrosses
being reduced from forty-four to forty in each company, whilst forty-
four continued to appear as the nominal strength. At the death of
Jonathan Lewis, a warrant dated 25th September, 1751, approved of the
non-effectives being still kept up, and directed the sum of 273_l._
15_s._ a year (15_s._ a day) then available to be applied thus:—173_l._
15_s._ to Colonel Belford (as colonel commandant), and 100_l._ to
Catherine Borgard, widow of Lieutenant-General Albert Borgard, towards
the support of herself and her two children, who were left unprovided
for. When Colonel Thomas Pattison died, a warrant dated 27th February,
1753, directed that the annuity to Mrs. Borgard should in future be paid
out of another source, and applied the balance of the fund derived from
the non-effective tinmen and matrosses to increasing the pay of the
fireworkers from 3_s._ to 3_s._ 8_d._ a day."
"In 1763 the increased pay of the fireworkers was entered in the
estimates, and the pay of colonel commandant was raised to 2_l._ 4_s._ a
day."
During the period to which this chapter refers, a review of the Regiment
by the King took place in the Green Park; and as it was thought worthy
of entry in General Macbean's diary, and shows the way in which the
Regiment was formed upon such an occasion, it may not be deemed out of
place in this work. There were five companies present besides the
Cadets, and the numbers were as follows:—Field officers, three;
Captains, five; Captain-Lieutenants, six; four First, and seven Second
Lieutenants; Lieutenant-Fireworkers, seventeen; one Chaplain, one
Adjutant, one Quartermaster, one Bridge-master, one Surgeon and his
Mate, fifteen Sergeants, fifteen Corporals, one Drum-Major, ten Drummers
and six Fifers, forty Bombardiers, forty-eight Cadets, ninety-eight
Gunners, and 291 Matrosses. The companies were formed up as a Battalion;
three light 6-pounders being on the flanks, and the Cadets formed up on
the right as a Battalion.
Although there was peace for England in Europe up to 1755, there was no
lack of expeditions elsewhere. Besides Jamaica and Virginia, which
demanded guns and stores, Artillery was required for the East Indies and
America. It was for service in the former country that the augmentation
of four companies with an additional Major was made in March, 1755.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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