(WO 27/35, Public Records Office, Kew) Crown copyright is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationary Office.

General Returns -- 55th Regiment of Foot
Commanded by Richard [Lambart, 6th], Earl of Cavan, Colonel
Reviewed at Charles Fort, [31st] May 1775
by Lieutenant General Lord Blayney

Officers/Rank & Name Country Age Service Ensign (or 1st Commission)
Colonel Richard Earl of Cavan Irish 43 30 5/7/45
Lt. Col Alexander Duncan Scotch 42 29 17/2/46
Major Mungo Campbell Scotch 43 30 18/7/45
Major Robert Gray Scotch 43 30 7/55
Captain Valentine Gardner English 35 19 4/1/56
Captain John Luke English 39 19 4/1/56
Captain John Gillian Scotch 35 19 5/1/56
Captain Benjamin N. Stratford Irish 24 12 10/8/63
Captain Gerrit Fisher English 29 18 18/9/61
Captain Henry Downing Irish 34 13 4/9/62
Capt. Lieut. James T. Trevor Irish 20 9 8/4/67
Lieut. Decimus Reynolds English 30 14 2/8/64
Lieut. Robert Lucas Irish 28 6 18/4/69
Lieut. Michael Hammerton Irish 23 6 23/9/69
Lieut. Honbl. Colin Lindsay Scotch 20 4 14/11/71
Lieut. Melbore Ellis Doyle Irish 21 5 12/12/70
Lieut. Henry Babington Irish 24 5 14/3/71
Lieut. Robert Stotsbury Irish 26 3 23/4/72
Lieut. Christopher Forster Irish 21 3 12/1/73
Lieut. Rupert Vallency Irish 18 2 12/7/73
Lieut. Henry O'Hara Irish 18 2 12/7/73
Lieut. Colin Campbell Scotch 21 4 14/3/71
Ensign John Waring Irish 17 -
Ensign Donald McDonald English 19 -
Ensign Edwin Thomas Stanley Irish 20 -
Ensign Matthew Anketell Irish 18 -
Ensign David Dulton Irish 20 -
Ensign Robert Gervis Straton Irish 17 -
Ensign Robert Power Irish 21 - 16/3/75
Chaplain Joseph Barnes Irish 30 -
Adjutant Thomas Gillfillan Scotch 37 -
Quartermaster Rupert Vallancy Irish 23 -
Surgeon Hamilton Achinson Irish 21 -
Mate Barrt Boorback English 27 -

Description of the Uniforms of The Officers of said Regiment Coats with Cuffs and Lapels of deep Green, according to His Majesty's Regulation dated at Dublin the 13th January 1769, a Falling Collar of the same, Gold epaulets & Cross Pockets. Button holes Looped with narrow Gold Lace, Buttons Numbered, Waistcoats & Breeches of White Cloth, Coats & Waistcoats Lined with White, Hats laced with Gold, Uniform Swords Gilt and knots Crimson & Gold.

Country, Size, Age and time of service

Cavan's Duncan's Campbell's Gray's Gardener's Luke's Gillian's Stratford's Fisher's Downing's Total
English 7 10 15 13 19 9 16 14 14 16 133
Scotch 24 24 18 23 13 25 23 18 20 15 203
Irish 8 6 6 7 8 5 4 7 5 8 64
Foreign - - - - - - - - - - -
Total 39 40 39 43 40 39 43 39 39 39 400
Cavan's Duncan's Campbell's Gray's Gardener's Luke's Gillian's Stratford's Fisher's Downing's
6-2 - - - - - - 2 - -
6-1 1/2 - - - - - - - - -
6-1 - - - - - - 1 - -
6 - - - - - - 1 - -
5-11 1/2 - - - - 1 - 4 - -
5-11 - - - - - - 3 - -
5-10 1/2 - 2 - - 2 - 11 1 1
5-10 2 - 1 1 4 - 8 - 1
5-9 1/2 - 1 2 1 1 2 6 - 3
5-9 3 2 4 1 2 4 5 10 4
5-8 1/2 3 4 3 6 3 3 - 5 5
5-8 3 3 6 3 3 - - 5 5
5-7 1/2 10 1 4 9 4 2 - 5 3
5-7 2 7 2 6 3 5 - 2 6
5-6 1/2 6 8 3 6 2 2 - 7 5
5-6 7 8 9 8 16 8 - 5 7
Under 5-6 3 4 5 2 3 2 2 4 3
Total 39 40 39 43 40 39 43 39 39

Age Cavan's Duncan's Campbell's Gray's Gardener's Luke's Gillian's Stratford's Fisher's Downing's
55 - - - - - - - - - -
50 - 1 - - - - - - 1 1
45 - - 1 1 2 2 - - - -
40 6 1 6 1 1 4 2 1 1 1
35 4 4 4 7 2 2 3 7 4 1
30 5 4 6 11 6 6 5 9 21 4
25 18 16 13 13 14 10 16 14 6 17
20 3 13 7 10 11 13 14 6 4 7
18 3 1 2 - 4 2 3 2 2 8
Halberts Drums Firelocks Bayonets Cartridge Boxes
Good 4 1 389 389 -
Bad 16 12 - - 390
Wanting - 1 1 1 -

16 of the halberts in 1775, 2 in 1770 and 2 in 1772. The drums in 1770.

39 stand of arms in 1772 and 351 in 1774.

351 of the cartridge boxes in 1756 & 39 in 1772.

No[te]: The stand of arms returned as wanting was lost by desertion.

Colours Serjeant Sashes Grenadier Swords Waist Belts Pouches with Shoulder Belts Slings Match Cases Axes Aprons Saws
Good 2 - 39 67 339 - - - - -
Bad - 20 32 323 51 390 - 9 9 9
Wanting - - - - - - 39 1 1 1
The Colours in 1767, the Serjeants Sashes and Grenadier Swords in 1770.
225 of the waist belts in 1756, 126 in 1770.
351 of the slings in 1756 and 39 in 1772 and the pioneer appointments in 1767.

Return of the Clothing Delivered in 1774

Serjeants: 20 Coats, 20 Serjeants Hats or Caps, 20 Breeches

Drummer/Fifers: 12 Coats, 12 Breeches, 12 Hats or Caps

Rank and File: 390 Coats, 390 Breeches, 390 Hats or Caps

[Left blank = shirts, rollers, shoes, stockings] No[te]: The Colonel allows the Non-Commissioned Officers and Men full half mounting money to supply them with shirts, shoes, stockings and rollers.

Observations on the 55th Regiment of Foot as reviewed at Charles Fort on the 31st of May 1775.

Officers -- Saluted pretty well made a good appearance. Uniforms agreeable to His Majesty's regulations.

Non Commissioned Officers -- Made a good appearance. Hats well cocked and a good size agreeable to order.

Drummers & Fifers -- Beat and played pretty well.

Privates -- A very good body of men, not very highly dressed nor well appointed.

Clothing -- Very good. Of a very good length and not cut away in the length as most regiments are.

Arms -- Pretty Good

Accouterments -- Very bad. Pouches are not fit for service. Drums are old & very bad.

Recruits -- Pretty Good

Complaints -- none

Accounts -- Properly settled [Regimental Agent Cox & Mair]

Orderly Books -- Well Kept

Manual of exercise -- Performed with the 3 Reg't according to His Majesty's regulation in pretty good time.

Firings and Maneuvers -- Fired by companies from flanks to center. Ditto by Grand divisions twice each. Faced to the right about and fired by companies and by grand divisions as above. Marched to the rear in quick time, came to the right about, halted and fired by grand divisions from center to flanks. Advanced to front, halted, fired by battalions and advanced in quick time. Came to the right about and marched to rear. Came to right about and halted. Formed a column on the two center companies to front in quick time, came to the right about, marched to the rear and formed the battalion. Fired by companies from the center to flanks. Retired in column from the flanks by files and formed battalion. Fired by companies from center to flanks. Battalion faced to the right about, changed front on the light company, came to the right about, fired by grand divisions, chequered fired by wings once and battalion once. Charged bayonets in double-quick time, halted [and] loaded and fired by companies to [the] center. Obligingly retired in confusion, rallied and formed. Fired a volley [as a] general salute.

[Written comments at bottom of return in a different penmanship] This regiment are a very good body of men, not very [steady, although they] level well. Their buff accouterments and pouches very bad and scarce fit for service.

[Signed] Lieutenant General Lord Blayney.


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