4th Regiment of Marines (British Army)
Encyclopedia
The 4th Regiment of Marines was a British Army
regiment that saw service between 1739 and 1748. The regiment served during the War of Jenkins' Ear
and fought at the Battle of Cartagena
. N.B. This was an army
regiment serving as marines; this was not a Royal Marines
unit.
. The regiment ranked as the 47th regiment of the line and were also known as 4th Marines and 47th Foot.
The regiment embarked from Portsmouth
on 4 November 1740 en route for the West Indies. The regiment saw active service during the War of Jenkins' Ear
and fought at the Battle of Cartagena
and at Cumberland Haven, Cuba
. The regiment transferred to Jamaica
as garrison troops in September 1741.
The regiment was disbanded on 8 November 1748 when the British Army disbanded its marine regiments. The final commander of the 4th Marines was Colonel James Long
. On disbandment of the 4th Marines, the old 58th Regiment Foot was then renumbered as the new 47th Regiment of Foot
.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
regiment that saw service between 1739 and 1748. The regiment served during the War of Jenkins' Ear
War of Jenkins' Ear
The War of Jenkins' Ear was a conflict between Great Britain and Spain that lasted from 1739 to 1748, with major operations largely ended by 1742. Its unusual name, coined by Thomas Carlyle in 1858, relates to Robert Jenkins, captain of a British merchant ship, who exhibited his severed ear in...
and fought at the Battle of Cartagena
Battle of Cartagena de Indias
The Battle of Cartagena de Indias was an amphibious military engagement between the forces of Britain under Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon and those of Spain under Admiral Blas de Lezo. It took place at the city of Cartagena de Indias in March 1741, in present-day Colombia...
. N.B. This was an army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
regiment serving as marines; this was not a Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
unit.
Service
The 4th Regiment of Marines was raised on 17 November 1739 as John Wynyard's Regiment of Marines. From 1742 the regiment was known as Byng's Regiment of Marines. This followed the 18th Century tradition of naming British regiments for their ColonelColonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
. The regiment ranked as the 47th regiment of the line and were also known as 4th Marines and 47th Foot.
The regiment embarked from Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
on 4 November 1740 en route for the West Indies. The regiment saw active service during the War of Jenkins' Ear
War of Jenkins' Ear
The War of Jenkins' Ear was a conflict between Great Britain and Spain that lasted from 1739 to 1748, with major operations largely ended by 1742. Its unusual name, coined by Thomas Carlyle in 1858, relates to Robert Jenkins, captain of a British merchant ship, who exhibited his severed ear in...
and fought at the Battle of Cartagena
Battle of Cartagena de Indias
The Battle of Cartagena de Indias was an amphibious military engagement between the forces of Britain under Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon and those of Spain under Admiral Blas de Lezo. It took place at the city of Cartagena de Indias in March 1741, in present-day Colombia...
and at Cumberland Haven, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. The regiment transferred to Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
as garrison troops in September 1741.
The regiment was disbanded on 8 November 1748 when the British Army disbanded its marine regiments. The final commander of the 4th Marines was Colonel James Long
James Long (soldier)
James Long was a British Army officer during the 18th century.Long began his military career as an officer in the 1st Foot Guards. In 1741 he was given a royal warrant to raise a new infantry regiment from "any county or part of Great Britain". The new regiment, named "Long's Regiment" for its...
. On disbandment of the 4th Marines, the old 58th Regiment Foot was then renumbered as the new 47th Regiment of Foot
47th Regiment of Foot
The 47th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army. First raised in 1741 in Scotland, the regiment saw service over a period of 140 years, before it was amalgamated with another regiment to become The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment in 1881...
.