Historical Record of the Eighteenth, or the Royal Irish Regiment of Foot / Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1684, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1848.

by Richard Cannon

Richard Ingoldsby.

Appointed 1st April, 1705.

Richard Ingoldsby entered the army in the reign of King Charles II., his first commission being dated the 13th of June, 1667. He adhered to the Protestant interest at the Revolution in 1688, and served under King William III., who promoted him to the Colonelcy of the Twenty-third Regiment in February, 1693. He commanded the Twenty-third at the siege of Namur, in 1695, and in June, 1696, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General. On the breaking out of the war in 1701, he was sent to Holland with a body of British troops, and he highly distinguished himself during several campaigns under the great Duke of Marlborough. He was promoted to the rank of Major-General on the 9th of March, 1702, and served in that capacity during the campaigns of that and the following year. In January, 1704, he was promoted to the rank of Lieut.-General, and his name is found among the officers who distinguished themselves at the battles of Schellenberg and Blenheim. After acquiring a high reputation in the field, he was honoured with the appointments of one of Her Majesty's Lords Justices, and Master of the Horse for Ireland. He died on the 29th of January, 1712.

Richard Stearne.

Appointed 18th February, 1712.

This officer commences a journal of his services in the following words:—"In the year 1678 I got a commission from King Charles II. to be Ensign to Captain John St. Ledger's company, then one of the independent companies of Ireland; and in the following year I was made Lieutenant to the same company. In the year 1684 all the independent troops and companies in Ireland were incorporated into regiments; Captain St. Ledger's company being one of those that composed the regiment commanded by the Earl of Granard"—now the EIGHTEENTH, or ROYAL IRISH regiment of foot. He accompanied his regiment to England at the Revolution in 1688, and on the 1st of March, 1689, he was appointed Captain of the company to which he belonged. He served with his regiment in Ireland, at the siege of Carrickfergus, the battle of the Boyne, the sieges of Limerick and Athlone, the battle of Aghrim, and the second siege of Limerick, besides several detached services. In 1692 he was promoted to the majority of his regiment. He served in the expedition under the Duke of Leinster; and afterwards joining the army in Flanders, was at the siege of Namur, where his regiment distinguished itself and acquired the title of the ROYAL IRISH regiment: Lieut.-Colonel Ormsby being killed on this occasion, King William promoted Major Stearne to the lieut.-colonelcy of the regiment. He served in the Netherlands and Germany during the whole of the wars of Queen Anne, was at the battles of Schellenberg, Blenheim, Ramilies, Oudenarde, and Malplaquet, and also at the forcing of the French lines in 1705, 1710, and 1711, and took part in numerous sieges, at which the EIGHTEENTH distinguished themselves. Lieut.-Colonel Stearne was promoted to the rank of Colonel in 1707, and to that of Brigadier-General in 1711; in 1712 he was rewarded with the colonelcy of his regiment; he was also nominated Governor of the Royal Hospital at Dublin. He concludes the journal of his numerous, distinguished, and meritorious services in the following words:—

"In the month of May, 1717, the regiment received orders to march to Portsmouth, and there I take my leave of them, for, in the month of January following, His Majesty gave me leave to resign my regiment to Colonel William Cosby, after having served six crowned heads of England, and been forty years attached to one company without ever being removed from it; having made twenty-one campaigns; having been in seven field-battles—fifteen sieges—seven grand attacks on counterscarps and breaches—two remarkable retreats—at the passing of four of the enemy's lines—besides several other petty actions; and, through God's assistance, never had one drop of blood drawn from me in all those actions. After I had disposed of my regiment, I went to my government in Ireland." Brigadier-General Stearne died on the 1st of November, 1732.

William Cosby.