Edward Richbell.
Appointed 14th June 1743.
This officer entered the army in the reign of Queen Anne, and served with reputation under the celebrated John Duke of Marlborough. He evinced a constant attention to the duties of his profession, and was promoted, on the 18th of May 1722, to the Lieut.-Colonelcy of the Thirty-seventh regiment, and was advanced to the rank of Colonel in the army on the 27th of March 1742. He was appointed Colonel of the Thirty-ninth regiment on the 14th of June 1743, and distinguished himself during the war of the Austrian Succession. On the 19th of April 1746 he was appointed Brigadier-General, in which year he commanded a brigade, under Lieut.-General St. Clair, in the expedition against Port l’Orient. In 1752, Brigadier-General Richbell was removed to the Seventeenth regiment, and on the 25th of March 1754 was promoted to the rank of Major-General. His decease occurred in 1757.
John Adlercron.
Appointed 14th March 1752.
Colonel John Adlercron was appointed by His Majesty King George II. to the Colonelcy of the Thirty-ninth regiment on the 14th of March 1752, upon Brigadier-General Edward Richbell being removed to the Seventeenth Foot. In the beginning of 1754, Colonel Adlercron embarked with his regiment for Madras; in October 1756, a portion of the Thirty-ninth proceeded to Bengal with other troops under Lieut.-Colonel Clive. Of this force Colonel Adlercron claimed the command, but it was determined that he should remain at Madras with the remainder of the regiment. In May 1757 Colonel Adlercron marched from Madras in command of the force destined for the relief of Trichinopoly, then threatened by the French, and was afterwards engaged in operations against Wandewash, and in the vicinity of that place. On the 16th of May 1758 Colonel Adlercron was advanced to the rank of Major-General, and to that of Lieut.-General on the 18th of December 1760. His decease occurred on the 31st of July 1766.
Sir Robert Boyd, K.B.
Appointed 6th August 1766.
Colonel Robert Boyd was appointed from the First Foot Guards to the Colonelcy of the Thirty-ninth regiment on the 6th of August 1766. In 1768 he was appointed Lieut.-Governor of Gibraltar, where his regiment was at that period stationed. On the 25th of May 1772, Colonel Boyd was promoted to the rank of Major-General, and on the 29th of August 1777, was advanced to that of Lieut.-General. He was constituted a Knight of the Order of the Bath in 1784, in consideration of his services during the celebrated siege of Gibraltar. It was, according to his suggestion, that red-hot shot were used, as stated at [page 32] of the Historical Record of the Thirty-ninth regiment. In 1790 Lieut.-General Sir Robert Boyd, K.B., was appointed Governor of that fortress, in succession to General Lord Heathfield, deceased. Sir Robert Boyd was appointed to the rank of General on the 12th of October 1793, and died in May of the following year, while holding the Governorship of Gibraltar.
Nisbett Balfour.