CHAPTER VIII[ToC]
THE PREDECESSORS OF THE FIFE AND FORFAR YEOMANRY
During the troublous times in France at the end of the eighteenth century the fear of invasion was as acute as it was during the first years of the European War. To meet this danger Pitt issued his famous appeal, and towards the end of 1793 the first yeomanry regiment was raised in Suffolk. Others quickly followed, and in 1794 we find a regiment was raised in Forfar called the Forfar Yeomanry or Angus Cavalry, which continued twenty-five years until disbanded in 1819.
In Fife the first unit raised appears to have been a regiment of “Fencible Cavalry” named “The Fifeshire Light Dragoons”; like other Fencible Units throughout the country this regiment seems to have been more or less a Regular Unit enlisted for the period of the war and for home service only. It was apparently the force on which the Government relied for keeping a check on local unrest, and was disbanded in 1797.
In 1798 the Fife Yeomanry Cavalry and the Stirlingshire Yeomanry Cavalry were raised, and later on Perthshire, Clackmannanshire, and Kinross-shire all had their yeomanry regiments, which, however, seldom exceeded 150 in strength.
In Fife, however, thanks to the inspiration and energy of Sir William Erskine and Mr Wemyss of Cuttlehill, it was very popular; and when the Earl of Crawford was appointed Colonel Commandant in September 1798 there were already seven mounted troops.
With change of name to the Royal Fifeshire Yeomanry Cavalry, and under the successive command of Lieut.-Colonel Morison of Naughton (1803), Colonel J. Anstruther Thomson of Charlton (1809), and Colonel W. Wemyss (1823) the Regiment continued to flourish, receiving in 1814—the year which saw the close of the war—the thanks of both Houses of Parliament for its services.
In 1822 the Regiment took part in the Review held by His Majesty King George IV. on Portobello sands where, according to a contemporary account, “the novelty of an exhibition of this order, and the passion allowable of the ladies to see their gallant and rustic lords and lovers relinquishing the habiliments of common life and flourishing in scarlet and glory, produced an immense crowd.”
In December 1827 an Order was circulated announcing the disbandment of many yeomanry regiments, and among those on the list was The Royal Fife. Arms were returned to store, and the Regiment actually disbanded in 1828. The Perthshire, Clackmannanshire, and Kinross-shire Yeomanries were also disbanded at this time.