To Our Right Trusty and Right Entirely Beloved Cousin and Councillor John Duke of Bedford Lieutenant General and General Governor of our Kingdom of Ireland and to Our Lieutenant Deputy or other Chief Governor or Governors of that Our Kingdom for the time being.
On the 24th March, the Muster Master General was again addressed, and instructed that, in consequence of an application from the Earl of Drogheda, “the orders relating to the Magistrates attesting the men raised to be Protestants and to making returns of the several places where the recruits were enlisted may be dispensed with, proper certificates that the men are Protestants having been obtained from the Clergymen of the Parishes where such men were severally enlisted, and all other requisites in the Earl of Rothes’ said instructions having been complied with.”
On 25th October 1760, George II. died; in February 1763, the Peace of Paris was concluded, and the Seven Years’ War came to an end. During the whole of this time, the Regiment, which was generally known as “Drogheda’s Horse,” remained in Ireland; but little or nothing can be learned concerning it. Considerable reductions of establishment were made directly peace was assured. The 17th (Aberdour’s Horse), which had never been able to complete its strength, ceased to exist, and the 18th Light Dragoons became the 17th. The 19th in the same way became the 18th, under which number it gained much distinction in the West Indies, Holland, the Peninsula, and Waterloo, being finally disbanded in 1821. Lord Drogheda, who had raised the regiment, continued to be its Colonel Commandant till its disbandment, nearly sixty two years afterwards, an unbroken term of service with one regiment probably unparalleled.
It is impossible at this date to ascertain what was the uniform of the regiment, before its number was changed. It certainly wore the red light dragoon coat of the period, and the facings were probably white, with red and white lace, similar to what it wore after its number was changed, until blue was substituted for red in all the Light Dragoon regiments.
[PART II]
THE NINETEENTH LIGHT DRAGOONS
1779–1783
War in America—Declaration of War by France—Increase of the Army—Orders for raising the 19th Light Dragoons—Uniform—Peace proclaimed—Reduction of Military Establishments—Regiment disbanded.