Historical Record of the Fifty-sixth, or the West Essex Regiment of Foot / Containing an account of the formation of the regiment in 1755, and of its subsequent services to 1844.

by Richard Cannon

Hunt Walsh.

Appointed 22nd May, 1766.

After a progressive service in the subordinate commissions, this officer was appointed major in the Twenty-eighth Foot, in August, 1753, and promoted to the lieutenant-colonelcy of the regiment on the 2nd of February, 1757. He commanded the 28th in America during the Seven years’ war, when that corps had the honor to serve at the capture of Louisburg, in 1758; at the reduction of Quebec, in 1759, under Major-General Wolfe; and at the conquest of Canada, in 1760. He was promoted to the rank of colonel in 1762, and in 1766 his services were rewarded with the colonelcy of the Fifty-sixth Regiment. He attained the rank of major-general in 1772; that of lieutenant-general in 1777; and of general in 1793. He died in 1795.

Samuel Hulse.

Appointed 7th March, 1795.

This officer was appointed ensign in the First Foot Guards in 1761, and rose to the commission of captain and lieutenant-colonel in 1776. In 1780 he was promoted to the lieutenant-colonelcy of his regiment, and was employed in suppressing the riots in London in that year. At the commencement of the French revolutionary war he was called into active service, and commanded the first battalion of his regiment in Flanders, in 1793. He served at the siege of Valenciennes; and distinguished himself on the 18th of August, in the action at Lincelles, for which he was thanked in orders by the Duke of York. He shared in the operations before Dunkirk, and in the subsequent movements until October, when he was promoted to the rank of major-general, and returned to England. In May of the following year he again proceeded to Flanders, and commanded a brigade in several partial actions near Tournay, and in the retreat to Holland. Returning to England early in 1795, he was appointed colonel of the Fifty-sixth Regiment, and placed on the home staff, where he continued three years; in 1797 he was removed to the Nineteenth Foot. On the 1st of January, 1798, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general; and during the troubles in Ireland, in the summer of that year, his services were extended to that part of the kingdom; but he returned to England in November, and resumed his command on the staff. He served in Holland under His Royal Highness the Duke of York, in 1799, and was at the several engagements from the 19th of September to the 6th of October. On returning to England he was appointed to the command of the southern district, in which he continued until the peace in 1802. He was advanced to the rank of general in 1803; appointed lieutenant-governor of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, in 1806, and removed to the Sixty-second Foot in 1810.

He was one of the earliest servants placed by King George III. on the establishment of the Prince of Wales; was many years His Royal Highness’s treasurer and receiver-general; and on the accession of the Prince to the throne, General Hulse was nominated treasurer of the household, and governor of Chelsea Hospital. In 1821 he was knighted. He was also appointed ranger of Windsor Home Park; a privy councillor; and knight grand cross of the royal Hanoverian Guelphic Order. On the accession of King William IV., General Hulse was promoted to the rank of field-marshal by commission, dated the 22nd of July, 1830. He died at his apartments in Chelsea Hospital, in 1837, at the advanced age of ninety years.

The Honorable Chapple Norton.

Appointed 24th January, 1797.

Chapple Norton, third son of Sir Fletcher Norton, who was many years Speaker of the House of Commons, and afterwards created Lord Grantley, entered the army in the reign of King George II., and was appointed captain in the Nineteenth Foot in June, 1763. He served with his regiment at Gibraltar; and, in 1769, purchased a majority in the First, the Royal Regiment of Foot, from which he was promoted to captain and lieutenant-colonel in the Second Foot Guards in 1774. He served with the brigade of Foot Guards in North America, and took part in most of the principal occurrences. He particularly distinguished himself in February, 1780, and was thanked in orders in the following terms:—“His Excellency Lieutenant-General Knyphausen desires his thanks may be given in public orders to Lieutenant-Colonel Norton of the Guards, for his good conduct and gallant behaviour in attacking and forcing a considerable body of rebels, advantageously posted at Young’s house, in the neighbourhood of White Plains.” In November following he was promoted to the rank of colonel; and, in 1786, he obtained a majority in his regiment; in 1787 he was advanced to the rank of major-general; in 1797 to that of lieutenant-general, and at the same time he received the colonelcy of the Fifty-sixth Regiment; in 1802 he was promoted to the rank of general, and he was afterwards appointed governor of Charlemont. He took great interest in everything connected with his regiment: having considerable influence in the county of Surrey, where the estates of his family were situated, his corps received many recruits from that part of the country; he represented Guildford in Parliament many years. He was a generous and good man, and was honored with the favor of the Duke of York. He died on the 19th of March, 1818, at Wonersh in Surrey, the seat of Lord Grantley.