Historical Record of the First, or the Royal Regiment of Dragoons / Containing an Account of Its Formation in the Reign of King Charles the Second, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1839

by Richard Cannon

Major Wentworth served with the life guards in the subsequent campaigns in the Netherlands, and rose to the rank of lieutenant, and lieutenant-colonel. He succeeded, on the decease of William Earl of Strafford, to the title of Lord Raby; was appointed colonel of the Royal Dragoons in May, 1697; and attended the Earl of Portland in the interviews with Marshal Boufflers, which preceded the conclusion of peace at Ryswick. In 1698 his lordship accompanied King William to Holland, and, on one occasion, when hunting with His Majesty, he went alone and attacked a wild boar; the animal, however, threw him down, and had already torn his clothes and lacerated his flesh, when the King sent two huntsmen to his aid, who speared the boar.

In the first year of the reign of Queen Anne, Lord Raby served with his regiment on the Continent, and in January, 1703, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general. In the spring of the same year he was appointed envoy extraordinary to the King of Prussia, and subsequently ambassador extraordinary at the same court; and on the first of January, 1705, was advanced to the rank of major-general. His lordship served in the army under the Duke of Marlborough, during the brilliant campaign of 1706; and, on the 1st of January following, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general. In 1711 he was sworn of the privy council, and appointed ambassador extraordinary to the States-General of Holland; and in September of the same year he was advanced to the dignity of Earl of Strafford. His Lordship took an active part in negociating the treaty of peace at Utrecht; but after the accession of George I., he was removed from his public employments. The Earl of Strafford died on the 15th of November, 1739.

Richard Lord Cobham.

Appointed 13th June, 1715.

Sir Richard Temple served under King William in the Netherlands; and, on the breaking out of the war of the Spanish succession, he was promoted to the colonelcy of a newly-raised regiment of foot, which was disbanded at the peace of Utrecht. He served under the great Duke of Marlborough, and was conspicuous for a noble bearing, a greatness of soul, and a contempt of danger, which he exhibited in a signal manner at the sieges of Venloo and Ruremonde, at the battle of Oudenarde, and at the siege of the important fortress of Lisle. In January, 1709, he was promoted to the rank of major-general, and his conduct at the siege of Tournay, the sanguinary battle of Malplaquet, and siege of Mons, was rewarded, in the following year, with the rank of lieutenant-general and the colonelcy of the fourth dragoons. He served under the Duke of Marlborough in 1711, and had the honour of taking part in the forcing of the French lines at Arleux, and the capture of the strong fortress of Bouchain. After the change in the ministry, and the adoption of a new system of policy by the court, the well-known attachment of this officer to the Protestant succession, occasioned him to be removed from his regiment; but on the accession of King George I. he was elevated to the peerage by the title of Baron of Cobham, and in 1715 he was appointed colonel of the Royal Dragoons. In 1717 he was appointed governor of Windsor Castle; in 1718 he was advanced to the dignity of Viscount Cobham; and in 1721 he was removed to the King's horse, now first dragoon guards. He was also one of the privy council, and governor of the island of Jersey; but resigned his appointments in 1733. On the change of the ministry in 1742 he was promoted to the rank of field-marshal, and in December of the same year King George II. conferred upon him the colonelcy of the first troop of horse grenadier guards. In 1744 he was removed to the sixth horse, and in 1745 to the tenth dragoons, the colonelcy of which corps he retained until his decease in 1749.

Sir Charles Hotham, Baronet.

Appointed 10th April, 1721.

Charles Hotham, eldest son of the Rev. Charles Hotham, Rector of Wigan, succeeded to the dignity of baronet on the decease of his uncle in 1691. He served with distinction in the wars of King William III., and also under the great Duke of Marlborough in the reign of Queen Anne; and in 1705 he obtained the colonelcy of a regiment of foot, with which he proceeded to Spain in 1706, and was in garrison at Alicant when the unfortunate battle of Almanza was fought. Sir Charles served with reputation during the remainder of the war; but his regiment, having suffered severely in the defence of several fortified towns, was disbanded in Catalonia in 1708. He was appointed brigadier-general in 1710; and shortly after the accession of King George I., he was commissioned to raise a regiment of foot, which, after the suppression of the rebellion of the Earl of Mar, was sent to Ireland, and disbanded in the following year, when Sir Charles was appointed colonel of a newly-raised regiment of dragoons, which was, however, disbanded in November, 1718.

On the 7th of July, 1719, the colonelcy of the thirty-sixth regiment of foot was conferred on Sir Charles Hotham; he was removed to the eighth foot in December 1720; and in April following to the Royal Dragoons. His decease occurred on the 8th of January, 1723.