59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot
Encyclopedia
The 59th Regiment of Foot was an infantry
regiment of the British Army
, formed in 1755 in response to the threat of renewed war with France. It was amalgamated with the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot
in 1881 to form The East Lancashire Regiment
as part of the Childers Reforms
.
, the size of the British Army was increased.
On 23 December 1755 Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Montagu raised the 61st Regiment of Foot in the counties of Leicestershire
and Northamptonshire
. Following the disbandment of two junior regiments, the 61st was renumbered as the 59th Regiment of Foot in the following year.
where they remained until 1772 when they stationed in Boston, Massachusetts. The 59th were in Boston when the American War of Independence broke out, and suffered severe casualties. The remains of the regiment returned to England in 1776 to reform.
, the 59th were assigned to the Gibraltar
garrison, remaining there for ten years. From 1792–1794 the regiment was based in England and the Channel Islands
. In 1782 all regiments of the line without a royal title were given a county designation and the regiment became the 59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot (the 45th Foot
being designated the 1st Nottinghamshire).
, arriving in 1794. The campaign was a major reverse for the British and their allies, and the regiment was evacuated back to England in 1795.
, where they suppressed uprisings by the Maroons
. They returned to England in 1802.
, while the 2nd Battalion was to remain on garrison duty in England, Ireland and the Channel Islands until 1808.
. On 7 January 1806 the 1st Battalion of the 59th was part of a brigade that landed on the cape, and within two days the Dutch forces had surrendered. Although the regiment suffered only light casualties (two dead and six wounded) this was to be the 59th's first battle honour
.
, a British tactical victory which allowed for the evacuation of their forces from the Iberian peninsula. From England, the battalion was dispatched to the Netherlands
in July 1809, taking part in the fruitless Walcheren Campaign
. The unit was to remain in England and Ireland until 1812.
. In the following year they invaded Java
. They remained in Java until 1815, when they returned to India.
(July – August 1813), the Battle of the Bidassoa
(October 1813), the Battle of Nivelle
(November 1813) and the Battle of the Nive
(December 1813).
", the battalion was part of the British force dispatched to Belgium
. While they were present in the Waterloo area, they did not take part in the hostilities. Having formed part of the army of occupation in France, the 2nd Battalion returned to England in 1816, where they were disbanded.
in 1817, returning to India in the following year, where it fought in the Third Anglo-Maratha War
. In 1825–1826 they took part in the siege and capture of the Jat fortress of Bharatpur
(awarded as the honour "Bhurtpore"). The regiment returned to England in 1829.
and the West Indies. In 1849 they sailed to China to become part of a small force enforcing the terms imposed on China following the First Opium War
. In 1856 Britain deemed the terms of the treaty to have been broken, and the Second Opium War
commenced. In January 1858 the 59th Foot, along with members of the Royal Marine Light Infantry and the Royal Navy
occupied the city of Canton
.
, subsequently returning to the United Kingdom
in 1861. From 1867 – 1878 the regiment again served in India and Ceylon. From India the 59th crossed into Afghanistan
in November 1878 as part of an invasion force, seeking to stem Russian
influence in the region. In April 1880 they fought in the Battle of Ahmed Khel
. Later in 1880 the 59th Foot returned to England.
in 1873, the 59th foot had been paired (or "brigaded") with the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot
. The two regiments recruited in a single "Brigade District" forming part of Lancashire
and shared a depot at Burnley
.
On 1 July 1881 the process of amalgamation was completed when the Childers Reforms
came into effect. The 30th and 59th Foot became the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the East Lancashire Regiment
. Following a series of amalgamations, the lineage of the 59th is now continued by the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment of the British Army
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...
, formed in 1755 in response to the threat of renewed war with France. It was amalgamated with the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot
30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot
The 30th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1702 and amalgamated into The East Lancashire Regiment in 1881.-Predecessor regiment:...
in 1881 to form The East Lancashire Regiment
East Lancashire Regiment
The East Lancashire Regiment was, from 1881 to 1958, an infantry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of two 30th and 59th Regiments of Foot with the militia and rifle volunteer units of eastern Lancashire...
as part of the Childers Reforms
Childers Reforms
The Childers Reforms restructured the infantry regiments of the British army. The reforms were undertaken by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers in 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell reforms....
.
Formation and numbering
In 1754 war broke out between Great Britain and France. As a consequence of what would eventually become the Seven Years' WarSeven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
, the size of the British Army was increased.
On 23 December 1755 Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Montagu raised the 61st Regiment of Foot in the counties of Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
and Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
. Following the disbandment of two junior regiments, the 61st was renumbered as the 59th Regiment of Foot in the following year.
Early service in North America
Shortly after its formation, the regiment moved from England to Ireland, where it performed garrison duty until 1763. In that year the 59th Foot sailed to Nova ScotiaNova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
where they remained until 1772 when they stationed in Boston, Massachusetts. The 59th were in Boston when the American War of Independence broke out, and suffered severe casualties. The remains of the regiment returned to England in 1776 to reform.
Garrison duties 1782–1794
In 1782, the closing stages of the Anglo Spanish WarSpain in the American Revolutionary War
Spain actively supported the Thirteen Colonies throughout the American Revolutionary War, beginning in 1776 by jointly funding Roderigue Hortalez and Company, a trading company that provided critical military supplies, through financing the final Siege of Yorktown in 1781 with a collection of gold...
, the 59th were assigned to the Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
garrison, remaining there for ten years. From 1792–1794 the regiment was based in England and the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
. In 1782 all regiments of the line without a royal title were given a county designation and the regiment became the 59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot (the 45th Foot
45th (Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot
The 45th Regiment of Foot was a British Army line infantry regiment. During the Childers Reforms it was united with the 95th Regiment of Foot to form the The Sherwood Foresters ....
being designated the 1st Nottinghamshire).
Flanders campaign
With the outbreak of war with revolutionary France, the 59th formed part of the British force dispatched to FlandersFlanders Campaign
This feature refers to the conflict that took place during the Wars of the French Revolution 1792–1801.For the Low Countries campaigns of the War of the Grand Alliance 1688–97 see Nine Years' War...
, arriving in 1794. The campaign was a major reverse for the British and their allies, and the regiment was evacuated back to England in 1795.
West Indies
Later in 1795 the 59th Foot sailed to the West Indies, where they were to remain for seven years. They were stationed in Saint VincentSaint Vincent (island)
Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. It is the largest island of the chain called Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, between Saint Lucia and Grenada. It is composed of partially submerged volcanic mountains...
, where they suppressed uprisings by the Maroons
Maroon (people)
Maroons were runaway slaves in the West Indies, Central America, South America, and North America, who formed independent settlements together...
. They returned to England in 1802.
Formation of second battalion
In August 1804, while stationed in England, a second battalion of the 59th Foot was raised. The 1st Battalion sailed in the following year for the Cape of Good HopeCape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
, while the 2nd Battalion was to remain on garrison duty in England, Ireland and the Channel Islands until 1808.
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope, which had been captured by the British in 1795, had been returned to the Dutch under the Treaty of AmiensTreaty of Amiens
The Treaty of Amiens temporarily ended hostilities between the French Republic and the United Kingdom during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was signed in the city of Amiens on 25 March 1802 , by Joseph Bonaparte and the Marquess Cornwallis as a "Definitive Treaty of Peace"...
. On 7 January 1806 the 1st Battalion of the 59th was part of a brigade that landed on the cape, and within two days the Dutch forces had surrendered. Although the regiment suffered only light casualties (two dead and six wounded) this was to be the 59th's first battle honour
Battle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....
.
Corunna and Walcheren
The 2nd Battalion, meanwhile, sailed for Spain in 1808. On 16 January 1809 it took part in the Battle of CorunnaBattle of Corunna
The Battle of Corunna refers to a battle of the Peninsular War. On January 16, 1809, a French army under Marshal Soult attacked the British under Sir John Moore...
, a British tactical victory which allowed for the evacuation of their forces from the Iberian peninsula. From England, the battalion was dispatched to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
in July 1809, taking part in the fruitless Walcheren Campaign
Walcheren Campaign
The Walcheren Campaign was an unsuccessful British expedition to the Netherlands in 1809 intended to open another front in the Austrian Empire's struggle with France during the War of the Fifth Coalition. Around 40,000 soldiers, 15,000 horses together with field artillery and two siege trains...
. The unit was to remain in England and Ireland until 1812.
Mauritius and Java
From the Cape, the 1st Battalion sailed to India. In November 1810 the battalion took part in the invasion of MauritiusInvasion of Île de France
The Invasion of Île de France was a complicated but successful amphibious operation in the Indian Ocean, launched in November 1810 during the Napoleonic Wars. During the operation, a substantial British military force was landed by the Royal Navy at Grand Baie on Île de France...
. In the following year they invaded Java
Anglo-Dutch Java War
The Anglo-Dutch Java War in 1810–1811 was a war between Britain and the Netherlands , fought entirely on the Island of Java in colonial Indonesia.-Background:...
. They remained in Java until 1815, when they returned to India.
Peninsular War
In 1812 the 2nd Battalion returned to Spain. They took part in the Battle of Vittoria (June 1813), the Siege of San SebastiánSiege of San Sebastian
In the Siege of San Sebastián Allied forces under the command of General Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington captured the city of San Sebastián in northern Spain from its French garrison under Brigadier-General Louis Rey...
(July – August 1813), the Battle of the Bidassoa
Battle of the Bidassoa (1813)
In the Battle of the Bidassoa on 7 October 1813 the Allied army of Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington wrested a foothold on French soil from Nicolas Soult's French army. The Allied troops overran the French lines behind the Bidassoa River on the coast and along the Pyrenees crest between the...
(October 1813), the Battle of Nivelle
Battle of Nivelle
The Battle of Nivelle took place in front of the River Nivelle near the end of the Peninsular War . After the Allied siege of San Sebastian, Wellington's 80,000 British, Portuguese and Spanish troops were in hot pursuit of Marshal Soult who only had 60,000 men to place in a 20-mile perimeter...
(November 1813) and the Battle of the Nive
Battle of the Nive
The Battles of the Nive were fought towards the end of the Peninsular War. Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese and Spanish army defeated Marshal Nicolas Soult's French army in a series of battles near the city of Bayonne.Unusually, for most of the battle, Wellington...
(December 1813).
Waterloo campaign
From France the 2/59th had sailed to Ireland. When Napoleon returned to France, triggering the "Hundred DaysHundred Days
The Hundred Days, sometimes known as the Hundred Days of Napoleon or Napoleon's Hundred Days for specificity, marked the period between Emperor Napoleon I of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815...
", the battalion was part of the British force dispatched to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. While they were present in the Waterloo area, they did not take part in the hostilities. Having formed part of the army of occupation in France, the 2nd Battalion returned to England in 1816, where they were disbanded.
Indian subcontinent 1816–1829
On the disbandment of the 2nd Battalion, the 1st was redesignated simply as the 59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot. The unit moved from India to CeylonSri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
in 1817, returning to India in the following year, where it fought in the Third Anglo-Maratha War
Third Anglo-Maratha War
The Third Anglo-Maratha War was the final and decisive conflict between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire in India. The war left the Company in control of most of India. It began with an invasion of Maratha territory by 110,400 British East India Company troops, the largest...
. In 1825–1826 they took part in the siege and capture of the Jat fortress of Bharatpur
Bharatpur, India
Bharatpur is a city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It was founded by Maharaja Suraj Mal in 1733. Located in the Brij region, Bharatpur was once an impregnable, well-planned and well-fortified city, and the capital of Jat kingdom ruled by Sinsinwar Maharajas.The trio of Bharatpur, Deeg and...
(awarded as the honour "Bhurtpore"). The regiment returned to England in 1829.
China
For the next twenty years the 59th was engaged in garrison duties in England, Ireland, MaltaMalta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
and the West Indies. In 1849 they sailed to China to become part of a small force enforcing the terms imposed on China following the First Opium War
First Opium War
The First Anglo-Chinese War , known popularly as the First Opium War or simply the Opium War, was fought between the United Kingdom and the Qing Dynasty of China over their conflicting viewpoints on diplomatic relations, trade, and the administration of justice...
. In 1856 Britain deemed the terms of the treaty to have been broken, and the Second Opium War
Second Opium War
The Second Opium War, the Second Anglo-Chinese War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a war pitting the British Empire and the Second French Empire against the Qing Dynasty of China, lasting from 1856 to 1860...
commenced. In January 1858 the 59th Foot, along with members of the Royal Marine Light Infantry and the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
occupied the city of Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
.
Second Anglo-Afghan War
In 1858 the 59th Foot moved to South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, subsequently returning to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1861. From 1867 – 1878 the regiment again served in India and Ceylon. From India the 59th crossed into Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in November 1878 as part of an invasion force, seeking to stem Russian
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
influence in the region. In April 1880 they fought in the Battle of Ahmed Khel
Battle of Ahmed Khel
The Battle of Ahmed Khel was fought in April 1880 and ended in a British victory. This battle occurred during General Donald Stewart's march from Kandahar to Ghazni, then on to Kabul.-Order of battle:*Royal Horse Artillery*Royal Artillery...
. Later in 1880 the 59th Foot returned to England.
Amalgamation
Under the "localisation scheme" of the infantry carried out by Edward CardwellCardwell Reforms
The Cardwell Reforms refer to a series of reforms of the British Army undertaken by Secretary of State for War Edward Cardwell between 1868 and 1874.-Background:...
in 1873, the 59th foot had been paired (or "brigaded") with the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot
30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot
The 30th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1702 and amalgamated into The East Lancashire Regiment in 1881.-Predecessor regiment:...
. The two regiments recruited in a single "Brigade District" forming part of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
and shared a depot at Burnley
Burnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
.
On 1 July 1881 the process of amalgamation was completed when the Childers Reforms
Childers Reforms
The Childers Reforms restructured the infantry regiments of the British army. The reforms were undertaken by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers in 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell reforms....
came into effect. The 30th and 59th Foot became the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the East Lancashire Regiment
East Lancashire Regiment
The East Lancashire Regiment was, from 1881 to 1958, an infantry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of two 30th and 59th Regiments of Foot with the militia and rifle volunteer units of eastern Lancashire...
. Following a series of amalgamations, the lineage of the 59th is now continued by the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.
Battle honours
The 59th Foot was awarded the following battle honours to be borne on the regimental colours. The year in brackets is the year of the award of the honour, not of the action it commemorates.- Cape of Good Hope 1806 (1836)
- Corunna (1812)
- Java (1820)
- Vittoria (1818)
- San Sebastian (1818)
- Nive (1818)
- Peninsula (1815 to 2nd battalion; to whole regiment 1816)
- Bhurtpore (1826)
- Canton (1861)
- Ahmed Khel (1861)
- Afghanistan 1878–80 (1881)