To the Editor of the Hampuhire Chronicle.
The FIFTY-SIX YEARS AGO
SIR,— The ‟piping times of peace” having for the present passed away, and as England has again buckled on her armour, I am led to place before your readers some particulars relating to the military establishment in Hampshire in 1798, which I have gleaned from the pages of the Hampshire Repository for that year.
The North Hants Regiment of Militia, which was then stationed at Lymington, under the command of Colonel Hans Sloane, comprised 480 privates; the South Hants Militia, of which Sir Richard Worsley was the Colonel, and was doing duty at Portsmouth, comprised 420 privates; and the Isle of Wight Militia, commanded by Major Popham, comprised 60 privates, besides which there was a Supplementary Militia of 930 men.
The Hampshire Provisional Cavalry, of which Sir Henry Mildmay was the Colonel, but which had not been called out, consisted of 378 men and horses; and the Hampshire Fencible Cavalry (numbers not given), commanded by Col. T. C. Everitt, was stationed at Brighton and Lewes. Besides the above, there were 50 corps of Volunteer Corps on the mainland, and 26 Provisional or Volunteer Corps in the Isle of Wight; whilst the soldiers of every kind, stationed at the several barracks in the county, amounted to 19,756.
The following are the designations of the several Volunteer Corps of the mainland, the names of their commanders, and the number of privates where given : —
| 1. | Basingstoke Yeomanry Cavalry | Chas. Shaw Lefevre (a), Major | 50 |
| 2. | New Forest ditto | Wyndham Harbin, Major | 83 |
| 3. | Christchurch ditto | Geo. Henry Rose (b), Major | 85 |
| 4. | Portsdown ditto | George Henry Rose, Major | 50 |
| 5. | Alton Petersfield ditto | Lord Stawell (c) Maj. | 78 |
| 6. | Southampton ditto | William Smith, Captain | 54 |
| 7. | Fawley ditto | Gorges Lowther, Captain | 54 |
| 8. | Minstead Volunteer Riflemen | E. P. Buckley, Captain | 52 |
| 9. | Bramdean Yeomanry Cavalry | Admiral Calmady, Captain | 22 |
| 10. | Fordingbridge ditto | Charles Hulse, Captain | 49 |
| 11. | Bere Forest ditto | John Teckall, Captain | 39 |
| 12. | Ringwood Light Dragoon Volunteers | Robert Hicks, Captain | 45 |
| 13. | Portsdown Light Dragoons | Jos. Carter, Captain | 76 |
| 14. | Christchurch Volunteer Infantry | Edmund Walcot, Lieutenant-Colonel | 267 |
| 15. | Havant ditto | John Butler, Captain | 74 |
| 16. | Gosport ditto | Thomas Whitcomb, Captain | 95 |
| 17. | Portsmouth ditto | E. B. Arnaud, Major | 161 |
| 18. | Portsea Loyal Independent Infantry | James Grigg, Major | 161 |
| 19. | Portchestcr Volunteer Infantry | John Holmwood, Captain | 53 |
| 20. | New Forest Rangers, or Lyndhurst Rifle Volunteers | W. S. Rose, Captain | 67 |
| 21. | Alverstoke Infantry Association | J. Witear, Captain | |
| 22. | Winchester ditto | Sir H. P. St. John Mildmay (d). Captain Commandant | 75 |
| 23. | Finchdean Volunteer Infantry | S. Wood, Major | |
| 24. | Wickham ditto | T. Garnier (e), Captain | 62 |
| 25. | Southampton Loyal Volunteer Infantry | W. Tinling, Captain | 89 |
| 26. | Southampton Loyal Associated Householders (f) | Sir Y. Peyton | 60 |
| 27. | Gosport Loyal Volunteer Infantry | Thomas Curry, Captain | |
| 28. | Hambledon Volunteer Infantry | T. M. Palmer, Major | 164 |
| 29. | Portswood Infantry Association | S. S. Taylor, Captain | 110 |
| 30. | Avington ditto | John Hayward (g) Captain | |
| 31. | Fawley Volunteer Infantry | F. Perry, Captain | 69 |
| 32. | Basingstoke ditto | ||
| 33. | Lymington ditto | Percival Lewis, Captain | 85 |
| 34. | Ringwood ditto | Stephen Tunks, Major | 146 |
| 35. | Andover ditto | Ralph Etwall, Captain | 71 |
| 36. | Hordel ditto | R. Budden, Captain | |
| 37. | Romsey ditto | William Seward, Major | 92 |
| 38. | Petersfield ditto | Thomas Bonham | |
| 39. | Emsworth Volunteers | Robt. Harfield, Captain | 65 |
| 40. | Dibden Volunteer Infantry | Geo. Tate, Captain | 55 |
| 41. | Milford & Milford ditto | Sir J. D’Oyley, Capt. | 116 |
| 42. | Brockenhurst ditto | E. Morant Gale, Captain | 62 |
| 43. | Portsmouth Artillery | J. C. Mottley, Captain | 128 |
| 44. | Gosport Volunteer Fusiliers | J. Whitcomb, Capt. | 87 |
| 45. | Stockbridge Infantry Association | J. F. Barham, Captain | 60 |
| 46. | Beaulieu Volunteer Infantry | B. Adams, Major | 196 |
| 47. | Lyndhurst Volunteers | C. W. Mitchell, Captain | |
| 48. | Gosport Volunteer Artillery | R. Forbes, Capt. | 104 |
| 49. | Gosport Riflemen | Mathias March, Captain | |
| 50. | Portsmouth Loyal Garrison Volun. | W. Garret, Major |
In the autumn there was a general review on Portsdown Hill, of all the Volunteer Corps at Portsmouth and within reach, to the number of nearly 10,000.
H. MOODY
The Museum, April 15, 1854.
(a) The father of the present speaker of the House of Commons.
(b) The present Sir George Henry Rose.
(c) June 4. In consequence of a military disagreement, Lord Stawell and Mr. Cathery, a Captain of the Petersfield, met by appointment near Liphook. The former attended by Mr. Clement, and the latter by Mr. Blunt, both Lieutenants of the same corps, when, on an explanation and mutual apologies, the matter was adjusted to the satisfaction of the principals and seconds.
(d) The grandfather of the present baronet. The other officers of the corps were Dr. Littlehales, captain; W. N. Wickham and R. Serle, lieutenants; A. V. Wilson and Nicholas Waller, ensigns
(e) The present Very Rev. Dean of Winchester
(f) Aug 24. The Southampton Loyal Associated Householders commanded by Sir Yelverton Peyton, were presented with a pair of colours, the gift of Miss Barnouin, and embroidered by the young ladies of her school.
(g) The then Rector of the parish of Avington.