Horse Grenadier Guards
Encyclopedia
The Horse Grenadier Guards were a series of cavalry
troop
s in the British Household Cavalry
between 1687 and 1788, who used grenades and other explosives in battle. Originally attached to the Horse Guards
, they became independent for a century before being disbanded. However, the men of the troops formed the basis of the new troops of Life Guards
.
s, first appeared in the British Army
in 1677. Particularly tall and strong soldiers were usually picked to become grenadiers, because of the weight of extra equipment that they carried. Their use became general in the British Army in 1678, when a company
from each infantry
regiment
was picked and trained as grenadiers. It was at this time that the horse grenadiers were first raised.
Their intended role was to reinforce the troops of Horse Guards, which were composed of gentlemen volunteers. The horse grenadiers, however, were recruited as in the rest of the army
. John Evelyn
, in his Diary
entry for 5 December 1683, described the appearance of the horse grenadiers:
These grenadiers functioned as mounted infantry
, riding with the Horse Guards but fighting with grenade
s and musket
s on foot. (Contemporary dragoon
s fought in a similar manner, but without grenades.) To The King's Troop of Horse Guards
were attached 80 private
s, officered by one captain, two lieutenant
s, three sergeant
s, and three corporal
s, and accompanied by two drummer
s and two hautboys. The grenadiers attached to The Queen's Troop of Horse Guards
and The Duke of York's Troop of Horse Guards
had no drummers, two sergeants and two corporals, and only sixty privates per troop. Apparently no grenadiers were raised for the 4th Troop then extant. However, the The Earl of Dover's Troop of Horse Guards
, raised in May 1686, also received a grenadier contingent.
In November 1687, the horse grenadiers were separated from the Horse Guards as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Troop of Grenadiers, one for each of the four existing troops of Horse Guards. As with the Horse Guards, the captains commanding the troops ranked as Captain & Colonel. The 4th Troop was disbanded in 1689, together with the Horse Guards troop it accompanied, after the abdication of James II
.
The Horse Grenadier Guards fought at the Battle of the Boyne
, under the command of Hon. George Cholmondeley
, then a lieutenant-colonel in the 1st Horse Guards. One of the Guards was reportedly the first casualty of the battle. They then saw foreign service during the Nine Years' War, fighting dismounted at the Battle of Steenkerque
. In 1693, the three troops were amalgamated into one troop, known as the Horse Grenadier Guards, and Cholmondeley was made Captain and Colonel. Another troop, the Scots Troop of Grenadiers, was raised in 1702 as part of the Scottish Army, associated with the 4th or Scots Troop of Horse Guards. These became part of the British establishment in 1709, and the Scots grenadiers became the 2nd Troop of the Horse Grenadier Guards, the English troop becoming 1st Troop.
Since the Peace of Ryswick, the Horse Guards and Horse Grenadier Guards had been exclusively employed in Britain and saw little action. However, in 1742, the 3rd and 4th (Scots) Troops of Horse Guards were sent abroad for service in the Seven Years' War
, and the 2nd Troop of Horse Grenadier Guards went with them. These Household Cavalry units were brigaded under the command of the Earl of Crawford
. The brigade was engaged at the Battle of Dettingen
, where it guarded George II
on the field. The brigade also fought at the Battle of Fontenoy
and helped to cover the Allied retreat from the field. With the outbreak of the Jacobite rising
of 1745, the Household Cavalry was recalled from Europe.
Thereafter, the military service of the Horse Grenadier Guards was only employed in occasional actions against rioters. They were engaged to help suppress the Spitalfield Riots
in 1769. In 1775, the drummers and hautboys were replaced by four trumpeter
s. A party of Horse Grenadier Guards had to be called out to protect Sir George Savile's house in 1780 during the Gordon Riots
, their last significant action.
In 1788, army reforms broke up the "gentlemen's club" of the Horse Guards. The two extant troops of Horse Guards became the Life Guards, and the private gentlemen who had heretofore made up the ranks of the regiment were largely pensioned off. The Horse Grenadier Guards were disbanded at the same time, and many of the men transferred to the Life Guards, making up the bulk of the new regiment. The wholesale replacement of aristocrats by common troopers gave the Life Guards the derisory nickname of "Cheeses" or "Cheesemongers".
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
troop
Troop
A troop is a military unit, originally a small force of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron and headed by the troop leader. In many armies a troop is the equivalent unit to the infantry section or platoon...
s in the British Household Cavalry
Household Cavalry
The term Household Cavalry is used across the Commonwealth to describe the cavalry of the Household Divisions, a country’s most elite or historically senior military groupings or those military groupings that provide functions associated directly with the Head of state.Canada's Governor General's...
between 1687 and 1788, who used grenades and other explosives in battle. Originally attached to the Horse Guards
Horse Guards Regiment
The Horse Guards Regiment was a regiment only in name: it actually consisted of several independent troops raised initially on the three different establishments...
, they became independent for a century before being disbanded. However, the men of the troops formed the basis of the new troops of Life Guards
Life Guards (British Army)
The Life Guards is the senior regiment of the British Army and with the Blues and Royals, they make up the Household Cavalry.They originated in the four troops of Horse Guards raised by Charles II around the time of his restoration, plus two troops of Horse Grenadier Guards which were raised some...
.
History
Grenadiers, soldiers specially trained to carry and use hand grenadeHand grenade
A hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
s, first appeared in 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...
in 1677. Particularly tall and strong soldiers were usually picked to become grenadiers, because of the weight of extra equipment that they carried. Their use became general in the British Army in 1678, when a company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
from each infantry
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
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
was picked and trained as grenadiers. It was at this time that the horse grenadiers were first raised.
Their intended role was to reinforce the troops of Horse Guards, which were composed of gentlemen volunteers. The horse grenadiers, however, were recruited as in the rest of the army
Recruitment in the British Army
The British Army came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland...
. John Evelyn
John Evelyn
John Evelyn was an English writer, gardener and diarist.Evelyn's diaries or Memoirs are largely contemporaneous with those of the other noted diarist of the time, Samuel Pepys, and cast considerable light on the art, culture and politics of the time John Evelyn (31 October 1620 – 27 February...
, in his Diary
John Evelyn's Diary
The Diary of John Evelyn, a gentlemanly Royalist and virtuoso of the seventeenth century, was first published in 1818 under the title Memoirs Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, in an edition by William Bray. Bray was assisted by William Upcott, who had access to the Evelyn family...
entry for 5 December 1683, described the appearance of the horse grenadiers:
The King had now augmented his guards with a new sort of dragoons, who carried also granados, and were habited after the Polish manner, with long picked caps, very fierce and fantastical.
These grenadiers functioned as mounted infantry
Mounted infantry
Mounted infantry were soldiers who rode horses instead of marching, but actually fought on foot . The original dragoons were essentially mounted infantry...
, riding with the Horse Guards but fighting with grenade
Grenade
A grenade is a small explosive device that is projected a safe distance away by its user. Soldiers called grenadiers specialize in the use of grenades. The term hand grenade refers any grenade designed to be hand thrown. Grenade Launchers are firearms designed to fire explosive projectile grenades...
s and musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
s on foot. (Contemporary dragoon
Dragoon
The word dragoon originally meant mounted infantry, who were trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. However, usage altered over time and during the 18th century, dragoons evolved into conventional light cavalry units and personnel...
s fought in a similar manner, but without grenades.) To The King's Troop of Horse Guards
1st Troop of Horse Guards
The 1st Troop of Horse Guards was formed from King Charles II's exiled followers in the Netherlands ....
were attached 80 private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
s, officered by one captain, two lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
s, three sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
s, and three corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
s, and accompanied by two drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
s and two hautboys. The grenadiers attached to The Queen's Troop of Horse Guards
2nd Troop of Horse Guards
The 2nd Troop of Horse Guards was originally formed in 1659 for Spanish service as Monck's Life Guards. It was successively renamed 3rd, or The Duke of Albemarle's Troop of Horse Guards , 3rd, or The Lord General's Troop of Horse Guards and, finally, 2nd, or The Queen's Troop of Horse Guards...
and The Duke of York's Troop of Horse Guards
3rd Troop of Horse Guards
The 3rd Troop of Horse Guards was formed in 1658 as the 2nd, or The Duke of York's Troop of Horse Guards from followers of Charles II in exile in Holland. In 1670, it became the 3rd Troop of Horse Guards and was absorbed by the 1st Troop of Horse Guards in 1746.-Colonels of the 3rd Troop of Horse...
had no drummers, two sergeants and two corporals, and only sixty privates per troop. Apparently no grenadiers were raised for the 4th Troop then extant. However, the The Earl of Dover's Troop of Horse Guards
4th Troop of Horse Guards
The 4th Troop of Horse Guards was the Scottish unit within the Horse Guards Regiment. It was part of the United Kingdom military establishment from 1709 to 1746, but before the Union of the Parliaments, it had been an independent unit in Scotland, sometimes referred to in modern works as the Scots...
, raised in May 1686, also received a grenadier contingent.
In November 1687, the horse grenadiers were separated from the Horse Guards as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Troop of Grenadiers, one for each of the four existing troops of Horse Guards. As with the Horse Guards, the captains commanding the troops ranked as Captain & Colonel. The 4th Troop was disbanded in 1689, together with the Horse Guards troop it accompanied, after the abdication of James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
.
The Horse Grenadier Guards fought at the Battle of the Boyne
Battle of the Boyne
The Battle of the Boyne was fought in 1690 between two rival claimants of the English, Scottish and Irish thronesthe Catholic King James and the Protestant King William across the River Boyne near Drogheda on the east coast of Ireland...
, under the command of Hon. George Cholmondeley
George Cholmondeley, 2nd Earl of Cholmondeley
George Cholmondeley, 2nd Earl of Cholmondeley, PC, FRS , styled The Honourable from birth until 1715 and then known as Lord Newborough to 1725, was an English soldier....
, then a lieutenant-colonel in the 1st Horse Guards. One of the Guards was reportedly the first casualty of the battle. They then saw foreign service during the Nine Years' War, fighting dismounted at the Battle of Steenkerque
Battle of Steenkerque
The Battle of Steenkerque was fought on August 3, 1692, as a part of the Nine Years' War. It resulted in the victory of the French under Marshal François-Henri de Montmorency, duc de Luxembourg against a joint English-Scottish-Dutch-German army under Prince William of Orange...
. In 1693, the three troops were amalgamated into one troop, known as the Horse Grenadier Guards, and Cholmondeley was made Captain and Colonel. Another troop, the Scots Troop of Grenadiers, was raised in 1702 as part of the Scottish Army, associated with the 4th or Scots Troop of Horse Guards. These became part of the British establishment in 1709, and the Scots grenadiers became the 2nd Troop of the Horse Grenadier Guards, the English troop becoming 1st Troop.
Since the Peace of Ryswick, the Horse Guards and Horse Grenadier Guards had been exclusively employed in Britain and saw little action. However, in 1742, the 3rd and 4th (Scots) Troops of Horse Guards were sent abroad for service in the Seven Years' War
Seven 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...
, and the 2nd Troop of Horse Grenadier Guards went with them. These Household Cavalry units were brigaded under the command of the Earl of Crawford
John Lindsay, 20th Earl of Crawford
Lieutenant-General John Lindsay, 20th Earl of Crawford was a Scottish peer and the first colonel of the Black Watch on its formation in 1739.He was the son of Lt.-Gen...
. The brigade was engaged at the Battle of Dettingen
Battle of Dettingen
The Battle of Dettingen took place on 27 June 1743 at Dettingen in Bavaria during the War of the Austrian Succession. It was the last time that a British monarch personally led his troops into battle...
, where it guarded George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
on the field. The brigade also fought at the Battle of Fontenoy
Battle of Fontenoy
The Battle of Fontenoy, 11 May 1745, was a major engagement of the War of the Austrian Succession, fought between the forces of the Pragmatic Allies – comprising mainly Dutch, British, and Hanoverian troops under the nominal command of the Duke of Cumberland – and a French army under Maurice de...
and helped to cover the Allied retreat from the field. With the outbreak of the Jacobite rising
Jacobite rising
The Jacobite Risings were a series of uprisings, rebellions, and wars in Great Britain and Ireland occurring between 1688 and 1746. The uprisings were aimed at returning James VII of Scotland and II of England, and later his descendants of the House of Stuart, to the throne after he was deposed by...
of 1745, the Household Cavalry was recalled from Europe.
Thereafter, the military service of the Horse Grenadier Guards was only employed in occasional actions against rioters. They were engaged to help suppress the Spitalfield Riots
Spitalfield Riots
The Spitalfield Riots occurred in 1769, during a downturn in the silk weaving industry, centred on Spitalfields in the East End of London. The weavers organised to attempt to ensure that the rates of pay paid for their piece work was not cut beneath the level at which they could feed themselves,...
in 1769. In 1775, the drummers and hautboys were replaced by four trumpeter
Trumpeter (rank)
A Trumpeter is a regiment specific, descriptive name given to Privates in the British Army. It is used for trumpeters in the Household Cavalry and was formerly used in all other cavalry regiments.-See also:...
s. A party of Horse Grenadier Guards had to be called out to protect Sir George Savile's house in 1780 during the Gordon Riots
Gordon Riots
The Gordon Riots of 1780 were an anti-Catholic protest against the Papists Act 1778.The Popery Act 1698 had imposed a number of penalties and disabilities on Roman Catholics in England; the 1778 act eliminated some of these. An initial peaceful protest led on to widespread rioting and looting and...
, their last significant action.
In 1788, army reforms broke up the "gentlemen's club" of the Horse Guards. The two extant troops of Horse Guards became the Life Guards, and the private gentlemen who had heretofore made up the ranks of the regiment were largely pensioned off. The Horse Grenadier Guards were disbanded at the same time, and many of the men transferred to the Life Guards, making up the bulk of the new regiment. The wholesale replacement of aristocrats by common troopers gave the Life Guards the derisory nickname of "Cheeses" or "Cheesemongers".
Captains & Colonels, 1st Troop, Horse Grenadier Guards
- Hon. George CholmondeleyGeorge Cholmondeley, 2nd Earl of CholmondeleyGeorge Cholmondeley, 2nd Earl of Cholmondeley, PC, FRS , styled The Honourable from birth until 1715 and then known as Lord Newborough to 1725, was an English soldier....
(4 October 1693 – 2 February 1715) - Richard Lumley, Lord LumleyRichard Lumley, 2nd Earl of ScarbroughRichard Lumley, 2nd Earl of Scarbrough, KG, PC was a British, Whig politician, known as Lord Lumley from 1710-21....
(2 February 1715 – 11 December 1717) - Hon. John FaneJohn Fane, 7th Earl of WestmorlandJohn Fane, 7th Earl of Westmorland was an English nobleman, styled The Honourable John Fane from 1691 to 1736....
(11 December 1717 – 7 August 1733) - Sir Robert Rich, 4th BaronetSir Robert Rich, 4th BaronetField Marshal Sir Robert Rich, 4th Baronet was a British cavalry officer.-Career:Rich was commissioned into the 1st Foot Guards in 1700...
(7 August 1733 – 13 May 1735) - Sir Charles Hotham, 5th Baronet (13 May 1735 – 10 February 1738)
- James Dormer (10 February 1738 – 25 December 1742)
- Richard Temple, 1st Viscount CobhamRichard Temple, 1st Viscount CobhamField Marshal Richard Temple, 1st Viscount Cobham PC was a British soldier and Whig politician. He was known for his ownership of and modifications to the estate at Stowe and for serving as a political mentor to the young William Pitt.-Early life:Temple was the son of Sir Richard Temple, 3rd...
(25 December 1742 – 25 April 1745) - Richard OnslowRichard Onslow (British Army officer)Lieutenant-General Richard Onslow was a British army officer and politician.He was the second son of Foot Onslow and the younger brother of Arthur Onslow, Speaker of the House of Commons. On 9 December 1726, he married his brother's sister-in-law, Rose Bridges, daughter of John Bridges of Thames...
(25 April 1745 – 16 March 1760) - Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of EffinghamThomas Howard, 2nd Earl of EffinghamLieutenant-General Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of Effingham , styled Lord Howard from 1731 to 1743, was a British nobleman and Army officer, the son of Francis Howard, 1st Earl of Effingham....
(30 October 1760 – 19 November 1763) - John West, Viscount CantelupeJohn West, 2nd Earl De La WarrJohn West, 2nd Earl De La Warr was a British peer, politician and army officer.Born The Honourable John West, he was the son of John West, 6th Baron De La Warr and his first wife, the former Lady Charlotte McCarthy...
(21 November 1763 – 21 March 1766) - John Whitwell, 4th Baron Howard de Walden (21 March 1766 – 8 June 1788)
Captains & Colonels, 2nd Troop (Scots), Horse Grenadier Guards
- William Forbes, 13th Lord Forbes (12 May 1702 – 4 May 1704)
- John Lindsay, 19th Earl of CrawfordJohn Lindsay, 19th Earl of CrawfordJohn Lindsay, 19th Earl of Crawford and 3rd Earl of Lindsay was a Scottish peer and politician. He succeeded to the earldoms in 1698 on the death of his father William Lindsay, 18th Earl of Crawford. He was elected as one of the first representative peers in February of 1707, and so served until...
(4 May 1704 – December 1713) - George Keith, 10th Earl MarischalGeorge Keith, 10th Earl MarischalGeorge Keith, 10th Earl Marischal was a Scottish and Prussian army officer and diplomat...
(5 January 1714 – 1 June 1715) - Henry Scott, 1st Earl of DeloraineHenry Scott, 1st Earl of DeloraineMajor-General Henry Scott, 1st Earl of Deloraine KB was a Scottish peer and army officer.Scott was the second surviving son of James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth and his wife, Anne. In 1693, he married Anne Duncombe , the daughter of William Duncombe of Batthesden, Lord Chief Justice of Ireland...
(1 June 1715 – 17 July 1717) - George Forrester, 5th Lord Forrester (17 July 1717 – 21 April 1719)
- Hon. Henry Berkeley (21 April 1719 – May 1736)
- Francis Howard, 1st Earl of EffinghamFrancis Howard, 1st Earl of EffinghamBrigadier-General Francis Howard, 1st Earl of Effingham was an English peer and army officer....
(21 June 1737 – 25 December 1740) - John Lindsay, 20th Earl of CrawfordJohn Lindsay, 20th Earl of CrawfordLieutenant-General John Lindsay, 20th Earl of Crawford was a Scottish peer and the first colonel of the Black Watch on its formation in 1739.He was the son of Lt.-Gen...
(25 December 1740 – 1 April 1743) - James O'Hara, 2nd Baron Tyrawley (1 April 1743 – 25 April 1745)
- John Leslie, 10th Earl of RothesJohn Leslie, 10th Earl of RothesGeneral John Leslie, 10th Earl of Rothes KT was a senior British Army officer who became Commander-in-Chief, Ireland.-Military career:Born the son of the 9th Earl, Leslie was commissioned into the 9th Regiment of Dragoons in 1715...
(25 April 1745 – 5 June 1745) - William Stanhope, 2nd Earl of HarringtonWilliam Stanhope, 2nd Earl of HarringtonGeneral William Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Harrington was a British politician and soldier.The son of William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington, he took up a military career and joined the Foot Guards in 1741, and was also returned for Aylesbury...
(5 June 1745 – 1 April 1779) - Jeffrey Amherst, 1st Baron AmherstJeffrey Amherst, 1st Baron AmherstField Marshal Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst KCB served as an officer in the British Army and as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces.Amherst is best known as one of the victors of the French and Indian War, when he conquered Louisbourg, Quebec City and...
(21 April 1779 – 23 March 1782) - Prince Frederick AugustusPrince Frederick, Duke of York and AlbanyThe Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany was a member of the Hanoverian and British Royal Family, the second eldest child, and second son, of King George III...
(23 March 1782 – 1 November 1784) - Hugh Percy, 2nd Duke of NorthumberlandHugh Percy, 2nd Duke of NorthumberlandLieutenant-General Hugh Percy, 2nd Duke of Northumberland, FRS was an officer in the British army and later a British peer...
(1 November 1784 – 8 June 1788)