HISTORICAL RECORD.


YEARPAGE
1684Formation of the regiment in Ireland[1]
——Arthur Earl of Granard appointed to be Colonel[2]
1685Decease of King Charles II.
——Accession of King James II.
——Rebellion of the Duke of Monmouth
——Embarkation of the regiment for England
——Capture and execution of the Duke of Monmouth
——Regiment re-embarked for Ireland
1686Proceedings in Ireland in favour of the Roman Catholics[3]
——Arthur Lord Forbes appointed Colonel in succession to the Earl of Granard
1687Encamped on the Curragh of Kildare
1688Embarked for England4
——The Prince of Orange arrived from Holland
——Adhesion of a certain number of the officers and soldiers to the Protestant cause[5]
——The Protestant officers and soldiers marched into Hertfordshire with the regiment[6]
——The Irish Roman Catholic soldiers sent to the Isle of Wight
1688Lord Forbes retired from the service, and succeeded in the Colonelcy by Sir John Edgeworth[6]
——Colonel —— Talbot, Earl Tyrconnel, appointed by King James II. as Lord-lieutenant of Ireland
——The Prince of Orange elevated to the throne with the title of King William III.
1689Regiment marched to Chester
——Sir John Edgeworth deprived of his commission, and succeeded in the Colonelcy by Edward Earl of Meath
——Arrival of King James II. in Ireland, with troops from France[7]
——King William III. assembled an army at Chester
——Regiment marched to Highlake, and embarked for Ireland
——Engaged at the siege of Carrickfergus
——Encamped at Dundalk
——Quartered at Lisburn during the winter
1690King William III. arrived in Ireland and assumed the command of the army
——Battle of the Boyne
——Marched to Dublin, and reviewed at Finglass[8]
——Detached against Castle-Connell
——Engaged in an unsuccessful assault upon Limerick
——Siege of Limerick raised[9]
——Marched towards Mullingar
——Proceeded to the relief of Birr
——Stationed at Mullingar during the winter
1691Detachment advanced towards Dunmore
——Quitted Mullingar, and engaged in the siege of Ballymore[10]
——Engaged in the siege of Athlone
————— at the battle of Aghrim
——Marched against Galway[11]
——Engaged in the siege and capture of Limerick
——Termination of hostilities in Ireland
1692Regiment embarked for England[11]
——Naval action off La Hogue, and French fleet nearly destroyed
——Menace of French invasion ceased[12]
——Projected expedition to the coast of France
——Certain regiments ordered to Flanders
——Regiment landed at Ostend
——Capture of Furnes and Dixmude
——Re-embarked for England
——Lieut.-Colonel F. Hamilton promoted to the Colonelcy in succession to the Earl of Meath, retired
1693Embarked as Marines on board the fleet
——Disembarked and proceeded to Norwich[13]
——Marched to London, and reviewed by King William III. in Hyde Park
——Embarked for Ostend
1694Proceeded to Louvain[14]
——Engaged in the siege of Huy
——Marched into winter quarters at Ghent
——Rank of the regiment fixed as EIGHTEENTH of the infantry of the line[15]
1695Engaged at the siege of Namur
————— in storming the castle of Namur[16]
——King William III. conferred on the regiment the title of the ROYAL REGIMENT OF FOOT OF IRELAND, with the HARP IN A BLUE FIELD AND THE CROWN OVER IT, the privilege of bearing his own arms, THE LION OF NASSAU, on its colours; with the motto Virtutis Namurcensis Premium[17]
——Title afterwards changed to "THE ROYAL IRISH REGIMENT OF FOOT"[18]
——Surrender of the fortress of Namur
——Marched into winter quarters at Ghent
1696Served under the Prince of Vaudemont
——Returned to Ghent
1697Joined the army of Brabant under King William III.
1697Termination of the war, and treaty of Ryswick[19]
——Embarked at Ostend for Ireland
——Arrived at Cork
1699Marched to Waterford, thence to Dublin
1700Removed to Kinsale
1701Hostilities recommenced with France[20]
——Embarked for Holland
——Reviewed on Breda Heath by King William III.
1702Proceeded to Rosendael
——Engaged at the siege of Kayserswerth
————— in skirmish near Nimeguen
——The Earl of Marlborough assumed the command of the allied army[21]
——Engaged in the siege of Venloo
——Extraordinary attack of Fort St. Michael
——Engaged at the siege and capture of Ruremonde[24]
——————————————— of Liège
——Retired to Holland, and entered winter quarters at Huesden
1703Engaged at the siege and capture of Huy[25]
————— at the siege and capture of Limburg
——Marched to Breda
1704Proceeded from Breda to the Danube
——Joined the Imperial army[26]
——Battle of Schellenberg
——Crossed the Danube
——Siege and capture of Rayn
——Battle of Blenheim[27]
——Marshal Tallard and many officers and soldiers made prisoners
——Returned to Holland[28]
1705General Ingoldsby appointed to be Colonel, in the place of General Hamilton (retired)[29]
——Marched to Maestricht
——Engaged in the recapture of Huy
——Passed the works of Helixem and Neer-Hespen
——Returned to winter quarters in Holland[30]
1706Advanced to Tongres
1706Battle of Ramilies[30]
——Surrender of Brussels, Lierre, Ghent, Bruges, &c.[31]
—————— of Oudenarde and Antwerp
——Siege and surrender of Ostend
——Attack and surrender of the fortress of Menin
——Capture of the fortress of Aeth[32]
——Returned to winter quarters at Ghent
1707Engaged in active field-movements
1708Re-embarked at Ostend for England to repel invasion by the Pretender[33]
——Returned to Flanders
——Recaptured Ghent and Bruges from the French
——Battle of Oudenarde
——Siege and surrender of Lisle[34]
1709———————— of Tournay
——Battle of Malplaquet[35]
——Extraordinary collision between the two regiments called "Royal Regiments of Ireland:" one in the English service, the other in the French service, both regiments bearing the Irish Harp[36]
——Employed in the siege of Mons[37]
——Marched into winter quarters in Ghent
1710Engaged in forcing the lines at Pont-à-Vendin
————— at the siege of Douay
————— at the siege of Bethune
————— at the siege of Aire
——Returned to Ghent[38]
1711Passage of the French lines at Arleux
——Siege and capture of Bouchain
——Marched into winter quarters at Lisle[40]
1712Lieut.-Colonel Stearne promoted to be Colonel in succession to General Ingoldsby (deceased)
——Marched from Lisle, and encamped beyond Bouchain
——Joined the army under the Duke of Ormond
——Suspension of hostilities
1713Rank of the Royal Irish Regiment as 18th regiment of foot in the English army, directed to take date from the time of its arrival in England, in 1688[40]
——Conclusion of the treaty of peace at Utrecht
1714Remained in the garrison of Ghent until the Barrier Treaty was signed[41]
——Reception of the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough on passing through Ghent
1715Returned to England on account of the rebellion of the Earl of Mar, leaving the Lieut.-Colonel and 100 men in the castle of Ghent
——Landed at Greenwich, marched to Gloucester, and thence to Oxford
1716Rencontre at Oxford, in consequence of acts of disloyalty evinced in that town
1717Marched to Portsmouth[42]
——Lieut.-Colonel William Cosby promoted to the Colonelcy in succession to General Stearne, who retired
1718Embarked for Minorca
1727Detachment of 500 men proceeded from Minorca to reinforce the garrison of Gibraltar, besieged by the Spaniards
1732Sir Charles Hotham, Bart., appointed to the Colonelcy in succession to General Cosby, appointed Governor-in-Chief of New York
1735Colonel John Armstrong appointed to the Colonelcy in succession to Sir Charles Hotham
1742Colonel John Mordaunt appointed to the Colonelcy in succession to General Armstrong
——Returned from Minorca to England
1744Reviewed on Hounslow Heath by Field-Marshal the Duke of Cumberland[43]
1745Embarked for Flanders
——Landed at Ostend, and marched to Mons[44]
1745Re-embarked for England in consequence of Charles Edward, son of the Pretender, having landed in Scotland[45]
——Landed at Gravesend, and embarked for Leith
1747Colonel John Folliott appointed to the Colonelcy in succession to General Sir J. Mordaunt[46]
1748Returned from Scotland to England
——Conclusion of the treaty of peace at Aix la Chapelle
1749Embarked for Ireland
1751Royal warrant issued for regulating the clothing, colours, &c.
1755War recommenced with France[47]
——Embarked for England, marched to Edinburgh
1757Re-embarked for Ireland, and remained there during the Seven Years' War
1762General Sir John Sebright, Bart., appointed to the Colonelcy in succession to General Folliott (deceased)
1767Embarked from Ireland for North America
1775Commencement of war with America
——Engaged at the village of Lexington[48]
——Proceeded to destroy American stores at Concord
——Engaged in the battle at Bunker's Hill[49]
1776Quitted Boston and embarked for Nova Scotia
——Embarked for England and stationed at Dover Castle
1778Encamped at Coxheath
1779———— at Warley[50]
1780———— at Finchley
1782Termination of the American war
——Embarked for Jersey
1783Removed to Guernsey
——Engaged in quelling a mutiny in the 104th Regiment
——Received the thanks of the Lieut.-Governor and of the States of the Island, accompanied by one hundred guineas for distribution among the non-commissioned officers and soldiers, for their loyal and spirited conduct[50]
1783Proceeded to Portsmouth, and embarked for Gibraltar
1793Embarked from Gibraltar to take possession of Toulon in aid of the French loyalists and in the name of Louis XVII.
——Evacuated Toulon after destroying the shipping, arsenal, and magazines[52]
1794Embarked for the Island of Corsica
——Siege and capture of the town and fortress of Calvi[53]
——General Sir James Pulteney, Bart., appointed to the Colonelcy in succession to General Sir John Sebright, Bart., deceased[54]
1796Withdrawn from the Island of Corsica
——Proceeded to the Island of Elba
——Embarked for the coast of Italy, and took possession of Campiglia, Castiglione, and Piombino
——Re-embarked for Elba[55]
1797Removed to Gibraltar
1800Embarked from Gibraltar for service in the Mediterranean
——Proceeded to Minorca
——Sailed to Genoa to co-operate with the Austrians
——Returned to Minorca
——Embarked on an expedition against Cadiz
——Sailed to Gibraltar on the design of the expedition being relinquished
——Proceeded again to Minorca
——Sailed to Malta, and joined the armament under Lieut.-General Sir Ralph Abercromby[56]
——Sailed to Marmorice Bay
——Proceeded to Alexandria, and anchored in the Bay of Aboukir
1801Landed at Aboukir[56]
——Advanced to Alexandria[57]
——Battle of Alexandria on the 21st of March[58]
——Death of Sir Ralph Abercromby
——Proceeded to Rosetta
——Captured Fort St. Julian
——Advanced up the banks of the Nile
——Engaged in operations at El Aft and Rahmanie[59]
——Siege and capture of the city of Cairo
——Surrender of Alexandria, and expulsion of the French from Egypt
——Authorized to bear the Sphinx with the word Egypt
——Proceeded to Malta[60]
1802Treaty of Peace concluded at Amiens
——Embarked for Ireland
1803War with France recommenced
——Augmented to two battalions
——Two battalions embarked for Scotland
——Received a complimentary letter from the magistrates and clergy of Haddington
1804Proceeded to England
——Landed at Ramsgate and encamped on Barham Downs[61]
——Second battalion embarked for Jersey
1805First battalion embarked for Jamaica
1807Second battalion embarked for Curaçao
1809First battalion embarked for St. Domingo
——St. Domingo surrendered by the French[62]
——First battalion returned to Jamaica
1810Second battalion embarked for England
1811—————— proceeded to Jersey
——General Lord Hutchinson, afterwards Earl of Donoughmore, appointed to the Colonelcy in succession to General Sir James Pulteney, Bart., deceased
1814Termination of the war with France
——Disbandment of the second battalion
1817Returned to England from Jamaica[63]
1817Proceeded to Brighton
——Furnished the guard of H. R. H. the Prince Regent at the Pavilion
1818Marched to Gosport
——Embarked for Ireland
——Received the thanks and approbation of the public authorities of several of the principal places in Ireland
1820Marched to Cork
1821Embarked for Malta
1824Embarked for the Ionian Islands[64]
——Received the testimonial of General the Marquis of Hastings
1832Embarked at Corfu for England[65]
——Appointment of General Lord Aylmer to the Colonelcy in succession to General the Earl of Donoughmore, deceased
1834Embarked for Ireland
1837Formed into Six Service and Four Depôt Companies preparatory to embarkation for Foreign Service
——Service companies embarked for Ceylon
1838Depôt companies embarked from Dublin for England
1839Removed from Colombo to Trincomalee
——Three companies embarked from Portsmouth
1840War commenced with China
——Six companies embarked from Ceylon for China[66]
——Capture of the Island of Chusan[67]
———————— city of Ting-hae-hien
1841Possession taken of Hong-Kong
——Regiment sailed up the Canton river, and the City of Canton surrendered[69]
——Capture of the Island and City of Amoy[70]
———————— Island of Koolangsoo
——Island of Chusan again taken possession of[71]
——Capture of the City of Chinhae
1841Capture of the City of Ningpo[72]
1842Four companies stationed at Ningpo, and five companies at Koolangsoo
——Defeat of the Tartars and Chinese in an attack upon Ningpo
——Capture of Tsekee, and heights of Segaon[73]
——Forced the Chankee Pass
——Attack and capture of the city of Chapoo
——Employed on an expedition up the Yangtse-Keang river[74]
——Capture of Woosung, Poonshau, and the city of Shanghae
——Capture of the city of Chin Keang-foo by storm
——Embarked for Nankin, the ancient Capital of China[75]
——Conditions of Peace agreed
——The word "China" and the device of the "Dragon" authorized to be borne on the colours and appointments
——Proceeded from Nankin to Chusan
1843Head-quarters at Koolangsoo[76]
———————— removed to Chusan
1845————————— to Hong-Kong
1847Embarked at Hong-Kong, and engaged in operations on the Canton River
——Returned to Hong-Kong
——Embarked for Calcutta
1848Arrived at Fort William, Bengal
——The Conclusion[77]

1848.


PLATES.

Colours of the Eighteenth, Royal Irish Regiment,to face[1]
Representation of the Battle of Blenheim, on the 13th August, 1704[28]
Costume of the Regiment[80]