British Artillery Battalions and the Men Who Led Them 1793-1815 By Steve Brown 2nd Battalion, Royal Artillery 1757: Royal Artillery as a single formation comprising 19 companies 1757: 2 April - augmented to 24 companies 1757: 1 August - Royal Artillery split into two battalions of 12 companies each 1757: 2nd Battalion formed from 12 existing RA companies 1758: Augmented to 13 companies 1759: Reduced to 10 companies (3 companies used to form 3rd Battalion) 1761: Augmented to 11 companies 1771: Reduced to 9 companies (2 companies used to form 4th Battalion) 1776: Augmented to 11 companies 1793: Reduced to 10 companies 1819: Reduced to 8 companies 1825: Companies to be known by number rather than commander's name 1855: Board of Ordinance abolished, Royal Artillery transferred to War Office 1859: Battalion renamed Brigades, Companies renamed Batteries 1862: Royal Artillery absorbed East India Company Artillery 1899: Royal Artillery divided into Royal Field Artillery and Royal Garrison Artillery 1924: RFA and RGA amalgamated as Royal Regiment of Artillery 1936: Brigades renamed Regiments 1947: Permanent numbers allotted to batteries Colonels-Commandant 1781: 3 December - Samuel Cleaveland 1796: 25 September - Ellis Walker Colonels 1782: 1 December - Benjamin Stehelin 1796: 25 April - John Stewart 1803: 17 May - Edward Stephens 1804: 20 July - William Cuppage 1808: 16 December - Flower M. Sproule 1814: 20 December - Brooke Young 1814: 20 December - John Lemoine Lieutenant-Colonels 1782: 1 December - Peter Traille 1786: 13 February - Joseph Eyre 1793: 5 December - George Fead 1794: 9 September - Edward Fage 1795: 7 January - Edward Stephens 1798: 17 January - William Cuppage 1799: 16 July - Francis Laye 1803: 9 April - Thomas Judgson 1803: 12 September - Henry Hutton 1804: 20 July - George Cookson 1805: 28 December - Brooke Young 1806: 1 June - George Ramsey 1808: 1 February - John Harris 1814: 20 December - Stephen G. Adye 1815: 16 May - James Hawker Majors 1782: 1 December - John Stewart 1785: 10 July - William Congreve 1796: 9 December - John Henry Yorke 1801: 18 April - Henry T. Thompson 1801: 18 April - James Boag 1804: 20 July - Brooke Young 1808: 1 February - Robert Beevor 1811: 8 May - Charles Eveleigh 1814: 20 December - J W Tobin Page 1 of 7 Placed on the Napoleon Series: October 2015
Service Histories of Companies Companies were not given numbers until 1825; until that time, were known by company commander's names, which changed frequently. The 1825 company numbering scheme ignored the previous order of seniority (based on date of formation) as existed in the period 1793-1815. Companies are shown according to seniority in 1815, and referred to by their commanders names in 1793 / 1815. Charleton's / Payne's Company, 2nd Battalion, Royal Artillery Raised: 26 May 1716 1793: Newfoundland St John s (OC Capt. Thomas R. Charleton) 1794: St John s 1795: St John s 1796: St John s 1797: St John s 1798: St John s 1799: St John s (OC Capt. William Cox) 1800: St John s 1801: St John s 1802: St John s 1803: St John s 1804: St John s 1805: St John s (OC Capt. William Millar, then Capt. William Payne) 1806: St John s 1807: St John s 1808: St John s 1809: St John s 1810: St John s 1811: St John s 1812: St John s 1813: St John s 1814: St John s 1815: St John s 1825: 7th Company, 2nd Battalion RA 1859: 5th Battery, 2nd Brigade RA 1939: 6th (Gibraltar 1779-83) Heavy Battery RA 1947: 19th (Gibraltar 1779-83) Coast Training Battery RA Current: 19th (Gibraltar) Battery, 26th Regiment RA. Dixon's / Harrison's Company, 2nd Battalion, Royal Artillery Raised: 1 April 1740 1793: New Brunswick St John (OC Capt. F M Dixon, then Capt. Charles Robison) 1794: St John; December Fredericton 1795: Fredericton; October St John 1796: St John; June Fredericton 1797: Fredericton 1798: Fredericton 1799: Fredericton 1800: January - St John 1801: St John 1802: St John 1803: St John; June men into No. 9 Company and cadre to England; August Woolwich; December Hull (OC Capt. John Dyer) 1804: Hull (OC Capt; George Desbrisay) 1805: Hull 1806: Hull 1807: Hull 1808: Hull 1809: Hull 1810: Hull 1811: Hull 1812: Hull 1813: Hull 1814: Hull (OC Capt. Thomas J. Harrison) 1815: Hull; March Newcastle 1819: 1 February - disbanded at Dublin. Page 2 of 7 Placed on the Napoleon Series: October 2015
Garstin's / Grant's Company, 2nd Battalion, Royal Artillery Raised: 1749 1793: Gibraltar (OC Capt. Robert Garstin, then Capt. Henry T. Thompson, died 8 June 1801) 1794: Gibraltar 1795: Gibraltar; December - to West Indies 1796: San Domingo; October Jamaica 1797: Jamaica 1798: Jamaica; December cadre to England 1799: Woolwich 1800: Woolwich; April to Egypt; July Minorca; December Malta 1801: February Marmorice; March Egypt; November Malta (OC Capt. Ralph Willett Adye) 1802: Malta 1803: Malta 1804: Malta (OC Capt. James Vivion) 1805: Malta 1806: Malta 1807: Malta 1808: Malta 1809: Malta 1810: Malta 1811: Malta 1812: Malta 1813: Malta 1814: Malta 1815: Malta (OC Capt. James E Grant) 1825: 4th Company, 2nd Battalion RA 1859: 4th Battery, 1st Brigade RA 1939: 5th (Gibraltar 1779-83) Field Battery RA 1947: 5th (Gibraltar 1779-83) Field Battery RA Current: 5th (Gibraltar 1779-83) Battery, 19th Regiment RA. Shand's / Campbell's Company, 2nd Battalion, Royal Artillery Raised: February 1757 1793: Jamaica - Port Royal (OC Capt Alexander Shand, then Capt. James Butler) 1794: Port Royal (OC Capt. Edward Stehelin) 1795: Port Royal 1796: Port Royal 1797: Port Royal 1798: Port Royal 1799: Port Royal 1800: Port Royal 1801: Port Royal (OC Capt. William Dixon) 1802: Port Royal 1803: Port Royal 1804: Port Royal 1805: Port Royal 1806: Port Royal 1807: Port Royal 1808: Port Royal (OC Capt. Marcus Roe, died 2 August 1810) 1809: Port Royal; April & June detachments to San Domingo 1810: Port Royal (OC Capt. Dugald Campbell) 1811: Port Royal 1812: Port Royal 1813: Port Royal 1814: Port Royal 1815: Port Royal; April to England; May Woolwich 1825: 3rd Company, 2nd Battalion RA 1859: 7th Battery, 10th Brigade RA 1939: 5th (Gibraltar 1779-83) Heavy Battery RA 1947: 23rd (Gibraltar 1779-83) Heavy Battery RA Current: 23rd (Gibraltar) Commando HQ Battery, 29th Commando Regiment RA. Page 3 of 7 Placed on the Napoleon Series: October 2015
Abbott's / d'arcy's Company, 2nd Battalion, Royal Artillery Raised: 1 April 1757 1793: Gibraltar; October - detachment to Toulon (OC Capt. Charles Abbott, died 8 August 1793; then Capt. James M. Hadden, then Capt James Boag) 1794: Gibraltar 1795: Gibraltar 1796: Gibraltar 1797: Gibraltar 1798: Gibraltar; October detachment to Minorca 1799: Gibraltar 1800: Gibraltar; July - Malta 1801: Malta; June detachment to Egypt (OC Capt Thomas Charleton) 1802: Malta 1803: Malta 1804: Malta 1805: Malta; December to Sicily 1806: Sicily; July detachment to Calabria (Maida) (OC Capt. Joseph d Arcy) 1807: Sicily- Messina; September Milazzo; to England 1808: January Spithead; February Woolwich 1809: Woolwich; February Chatham; July Portsmouth; August Walcheren; December Portsmouth 1810: Chatham; to Scotland; October Leith Fort 1811: Leith Fort 1812: Leith Fort; June Haddington 1813: Haddington 1814: Haddington; to Ireland; April Dublin 1815: Dublin 1825: 1st Company, 2nd Battalion RA 1859: 7th Battery, 6th Brigade RA 1939: 16th (Gibraltar 1779-83) Medium Battery RA 1947: 22nd (Gibraltar 1779-83) Observation Battery RA Current: 22nd (Gibraltar 1779-83) Battery, 32nd Regiment RA. Ramsay's / Paterson's Company, 2nd Battalion, Royal Artillery Raised: 1 April 1757 1793: Jamaica Port Royal (OC Capt. John Ramsey) 1794: Port Royal (OC Capt. Charles N. Cookson) 1795: Port Royal 1796: Port Royal; February San Domingo 1797: San Domingo; July - cadre to England; September Woolwich (OC Capt. George Wulffe) 1798: Woolwich 1799: Woolwich (OC Capt. Spencer C. Parry) 1800: January - Sevenoaks; October November - Woolwich 1801: Woolwich; June Colchester 1802: Colchester 1803: Colchester 1804: Colchester; September Lexden; November Colchester 1805: Colchester (OC Capt. Thomas Francklin) 1806: Colchester; November Ipswich 1807: Ipswich; July to Copenhagen; October Harwich; Ipswich (Capt. Robert H. Birch) 1808: Ipswich (OC Capt. Thomas Paterson) 1809: Ipswich; August to Walcheren; October; Ipswich; November Colchester 1810: Colchester; April Ipswich 1811: Ipswich; August to Scotland; Leith Fort 1812: Leith Fort 1813: Leith Fort 1814: Leith Fort 1815: Leith Fort 1825: 6th Company, 2nd Battalion RA 1859: 7th Battery, 8th Brigade RA 1939: 6th Field Battery RA 1947: 15th Observation Battery RA Current: Disbanded. Page 4 of 7 Placed on the Napoleon Series: October 2015
Stephens's / Campbell's Company, 2nd Battalion, Royal Artillery Raised: 1 January 1758 1793: Gibraltar; October Toulon; to Corsica (OC Capt. Edward Stephens) 1794: Corsica (OC Capt. William Bentham) 1795: Corsica (OC Capt. William Collier, died 21 July 1796) 1796: Corsica; November Elba (OC Capt. Daniel Gahan) 1797: Elba; April to Portugal; Lisbon 1798: Lisbon; November Minorca 1799: Minorca 1800: Minorca; August to Egypt 1801: February Marmorice; March Egypt; October Malta; December Minorca 1802: Minorca; August Gibraltar (OC Capt. Robert Wright) 1803: Gibraltar 1804: Gibraltar 1805: Gibraltar 1806: Gibraltar (OC Capt. Patrick Campbell) 1807: Gibraltar 1808: Gibraltar 1809: Gibraltar 1810: Gibraltar; to Spain; February Cadiz 1811: Cadiz; detachment at Barrosa 1812: Cadiz; February east coast of Spain 1813: East coast of Spain 1814: East coast of Spain; May Cadiz; August to England; September Portsmouth 1815: Portsmouth 1825: 2nd Company, 2nd Battalion RA 1859: 2nd Battery, 12th Brigade RA 1939: 4th (Gibraltar 1779-83) Heavy Battery RA 1947: 21st (Gibraltar 1779-83) Coast Battery RA Current: 21st (Gibraltar 1779-83) Battery, 47th Regiment RA. Smith's / Godby's Company, 2nd Battalion, Royal Artillery Raised: 1 January 1759 1793: Jamaica Port Royal (OC Capt. William P. Smith) 1794: Port Royal 1795: Port Royal 1796: Port Royal; February San Domingo (OC Capt. George Wulffe) 1797: San Domingo; May Jamaica (OC Capt. Charles N. Cookson) 1798: Port Royal 1799: Port Royal 1800: Port Royal 1801: Port Royal 1802: Port Royal 1803: Port Royal (OC Capt. William Henry Gardner, then Capt. Alexander Y. Spearman, died 14 July 1808) 1804: Port Royal 1805: Port Royal 1806: Port Royal 1807: Port Royal 1808: Port Royal (OC Capt. Nathaniel W Oliver, then Capt. William Lloyd) 1809: Port Royal; April & June detachments to San Domingo 1810: Port Royal 1811: Port Royal 1812: Port Royal 1813: Port Royal 1814: Port Royal 1815: Port Royal; July to England; September Woolwich (OC Capt. Charles H. Godby) 1825: 5th Company, 2nd Battalion RA 1859: 8th Battery, 3rd Brigade RA 1939: 18th (Quebec 1759) Medium Battery RA 1947: 18th (Quebec 1759) Medium Battery RA Current: 18th (Quebec 1759) Battery, 32nd Regiment RA. Page 5 of 7 Placed on the Napoleon Series: October 2015
Whitham's / Knox's Company, 2nd Battalion, Royal Artillery Raised: 1 August 1779 1793: Gibraltar; October detachment to Toulon (OC Capt. Abraham Whitham) 1794: Gibraltar (OC Capt. Edward Stehelin, then Capt. James Butler, then Capt. Charles Neville) 1795: Gibraltar 1796: Gibraltar 1797: Gibraltar 1798: Gibraltar 1799: Gibraltar 1800: Gibraltar; June detachment to Malta 1801: Gibraltar 1802: Gibraltar (OC Capt. Thomas Dodd) 1803: Gibraltar 1804: Gibraltar 1805: Gibraltar 1806: Gibraltar 1807: Gibraltar 1808: Gibraltar 1809: Gibraltar 1810: Gibraltar 1811: Gibraltar; May detachment to Barrosa 1812: Gibraltar (OC Capt. Abraham Paul, died 3 October 1814) 1813: Gibraltar 1814: Gibraltar (OC Capt. Francis A. S. Knox) 1815: Gibraltar 1825: 8th Company, 2nd Battalion RA 1859: 1st Battery, 14th Brigade RA 1914: 20th Battery, IX Brigade RFA 1939: 20th Field Battery RA 1947: 50th Field Battery RA Current: Disbanded. Macleod's / Story's Company, 2nd Battalion, Royal Artillery Raised: 1 August 1779 1793: Nova Scotia Halifax (OC Capt. John Macleod, then Capt. Thomas Desbrisay) 1794: Halifax 1795: Halifax 1796: Halifax 1797: Halifax 1798: Halifax 1799: Halifax (OC Capt. William Robe) 1800: Halifax (OC Capt. Robert Wright) 1801: Halifax 1802: Halifax (OC Capt. Daniel Gahan) 1803: Halifax; received men from No. 10 Company 1804: Halifax (OC Capt. George Forster, then Capt. Benjamin Fenwick, died 15 February 1812) 1805: Halifax 1806: Halifax 1807: Halifax 1808: Halifax 1809: Halifax 1810: Halifax 1811: Halifax 1812: Halifax (OC Capt. David Story) 1813: Halifax 1814: Halifax; May Quebec; July Prescott; August Kingston 1815: Kingston; May Quebec; June to Belgium; August Ostend; France; Army of Occupation 1819: 21 January - disbanded at Woolwich. Page 6 of 7 Placed on the Napoleon Series: October 2015
Sources: War Office. Army Lists 1791 to 1815. London: various years. Laws, Lt Col M. E. S. Battery Records of the Royal Artillery 1716-1859. Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institute, 1952. Duncan, Francis. History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery. 2 volumes; London: John Murray, 1879. Kane, John. List of Officers of the Royal Regiment of Artillery. Greenwich: Elizabeth Delahoy, 1815. Gordon, Iain. Bloodline: The Origins and Development of the Regular Formations of the British Army. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military, 2010. McKenna, Michael G. The British Army And Its Regiments and Battalions. West Chester, Ohio: The Nafziger Collection. 2004. Page 7 of 7 Placed on the Napoleon Series: October 2015