Next in this series on Colonial Records the Colony of Rhode Island. A small province, with the much larger Connecticut and Massachusetts Bay on its West and North, respectively. Nevertheless, quite extensive material exist published as the Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations in New England.
Volume 1: 1636 - 1663
Volume 2: 1664 - 1677
Volume 3: 1678 - 1706
Volume 4: 1707 - 1740
Volume 5: 1741 - 1756
Volume 6: 1757 - 1769
Volume 7: 1770 - 1776
Wednesday, 19 March 2014
Friday, 14 March 2014
Colonial Records ~~ New Hampshire
Second in this series of Colonial Records is the province of New Hampshire, for which there are several volumes called Documents and Records related to the Province of New-Hampshire from the earliest period of its settlement: 1623 - 1776. This is a sub-serie of the State and Provincial Papers of New Hampshire, which has up to 40 volumes (see here for an overview). Those deemed of interested for the period before the Revolution include:
Volume 1: 1623 - 1686
Volume 2: 1686 - 1722 (mostly Council records)
Volume 3: 1692 - 1722 (containing the journal of the Council and Assembly from 1692 - 1722)
Volume 4: 1722 - 1737
Volume 5: 1738 - 1749
Volume 6: 1749 - 1763
Volume 7: 1764 - 1776
Volume 14: Rolls of the Soldiers in the Revolutionary War, volume 1 (contains some rolls related to Queen Anne's War)
Volume 17: Rolls of the Soldiers in the Revolutionary War, volume 4 (contains several Provincial Papers 1629 - 1725)
Volume 19: Provincial Papers of New Hampshire (roughly 1679 - 1764)
Volume 23: A list of documents in the PRO in London England relating to the Province of New Hampshire
Another interesting publication is from the New Hampshire Historical Society:
Volume 8: Collections of the New Hampshire Historical Society:
Volume 1: 1623 - 1686
Volume 2: 1686 - 1722 (mostly Council records)
Volume 3: 1692 - 1722 (containing the journal of the Council and Assembly from 1692 - 1722)
Volume 4: 1722 - 1737
Volume 5: 1738 - 1749
Volume 6: 1749 - 1763
Volume 7: 1764 - 1776
Volume 14: Rolls of the Soldiers in the Revolutionary War, volume 1 (contains some rolls related to Queen Anne's War)
Volume 17: Rolls of the Soldiers in the Revolutionary War, volume 4 (contains several Provincial Papers 1629 - 1725)
Volume 19: Provincial Papers of New Hampshire (roughly 1679 - 1764)
Volume 23: A list of documents in the PRO in London England relating to the Province of New Hampshire
Another interesting publication is from the New Hampshire Historical Society:
Volume 8: Collections of the New Hampshire Historical Society:
Colonial Records ~~ Connecticut
The ubiquitous Archive.org holds tons of digitized volumes related to the colonial history of the English colonies in North America. Important amongst those for the student of colonial administration (see also the Colonial soldiers project) are the records from the colonial administrators. This post, and following, are to summarize links those records for ease of access, as an online bookmark.
First colony is Connecticut, for which we have a series of 15 volumes called the Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut 1636 - 1776. These volumes cover the years when the colony was founded, until the American Revolution.
Volume 1: April 1636 - April 1665
Volume 2: May 1665 - November 1677
Volume 3: May 1678 - June 1689
Volume 4: August 1689 - May 1706
Volume 5: October 1706 - October 1716
Volume 6: May 1717 - October 1725
Volume 7: May 1726 - October 1735
Volume 8: October 1735 - October 1743
Volume 9: May 1744 - November 1750
Volume 10: May 1751 - February 1757
Volume 11: May 1757 - March 1762
Volume 12: May 1762 - October 1767
Volume 13: May 1768 - May 1772
Volume 14: October 1772 - April 1775
Volume 15: May 1775 - June 1776
First colony is Connecticut, for which we have a series of 15 volumes called the Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut 1636 - 1776. These volumes cover the years when the colony was founded, until the American Revolution.
Volume 1: April 1636 - April 1665
Volume 2: May 1665 - November 1677
Volume 3: May 1678 - June 1689
Volume 4: August 1689 - May 1706
Volume 5: October 1706 - October 1716
Volume 6: May 1717 - October 1725
Volume 7: May 1726 - October 1735
Volume 8: October 1735 - October 1743
Volume 9: May 1744 - November 1750
Volume 10: May 1751 - February 1757
Volume 11: May 1757 - March 1762
Volume 12: May 1762 - October 1767
Volume 13: May 1768 - May 1772
Volume 14: October 1772 - April 1775
Volume 15: May 1775 - June 1776
Thursday, 21 November 2013
Pending projects ~~ The First Colonial Soldiers
After the relative success of my '1699' and '1714' half-pay lists, the last of which good pretty nice reviews in The Irish Sword and the Journal of the Society of Army Historical Research, a number of new projects were started.
One of these projects will be written together with an Englishman of name, and with a good deal more experience in writing. Apart from the topic, on which more shortly, this cooperation is already very inspiring and instructive.
The topic of this project focusses on colonial soldiering in the 17th and early part of the 18th centuries. Whereas this topic is pretty well covered in literature for the period of the later 18th century (King George's War, the French and Indian Wars), this is much less true for the preceding period.
Thus, the scope of the project is related to the early years of settlement and colonisation of New England, the West Indies and, to a lesser degree, West Africa and the East Indies, and more in particular to the garrisons of these colonies: The First Colonial Soldiers. Also dealt with are 'European' overseas possessions like Gibraltar, Dunkirk and the Channel Islands.
For each colony, or overseas possession, an introductory narrative is provided with the relevant background information on the genesis of that colony. More important, and the main topic of the project, are the 'colonial soldiers', the garrisons in those colonies. Lists of troops are provided, regulars and militia, with dates of commissions and organisational / regimental details. Whereas information on regular troops is - relatively - well known and available, the parts on the various colonial militias are often the result of new research and compilation of information from various sources.
Furthermore, the militia had, almost by definition of being the local form of defence, strong bindings to the local community and administration of the colonies. Reading the history of these militias, and their officers, reads like a history of the colonies.
The First Colonial Soldiers is expected to be published by July 2014. Visit this blog for updates, or check the publisher's site.
One of these projects will be written together with an Englishman of name, and with a good deal more experience in writing. Apart from the topic, on which more shortly, this cooperation is already very inspiring and instructive.
The topic of this project focusses on colonial soldiering in the 17th and early part of the 18th centuries. Whereas this topic is pretty well covered in literature for the period of the later 18th century (King George's War, the French and Indian Wars), this is much less true for the preceding period.
Thus, the scope of the project is related to the early years of settlement and colonisation of New England, the West Indies and, to a lesser degree, West Africa and the East Indies, and more in particular to the garrisons of these colonies: The First Colonial Soldiers. Also dealt with are 'European' overseas possessions like Gibraltar, Dunkirk and the Channel Islands.
For each colony, or overseas possession, an introductory narrative is provided with the relevant background information on the genesis of that colony. More important, and the main topic of the project, are the 'colonial soldiers', the garrisons in those colonies. Lists of troops are provided, regulars and militia, with dates of commissions and organisational / regimental details. Whereas information on regular troops is - relatively - well known and available, the parts on the various colonial militias are often the result of new research and compilation of information from various sources.
Furthermore, the militia had, almost by definition of being the local form of defence, strong bindings to the local community and administration of the colonies. Reading the history of these militias, and their officers, reads like a history of the colonies.
The First Colonial Soldiers is expected to be published by July 2014. Visit this blog for updates, or check the publisher's site.
Monday, 21 October 2013
Some regimental establishments
Following the earlier post on the size of the regiment of foot, and the various (official) establishment listed, this post will actually detail some of these establishments. This post will look at the regiments in the Low Countries.
As stated previously, regiments in the Low Countries numbered 867, 876 (no typo) or 938 men. How does these numbers translate in companies, sergeants and privates.
Let's start with the largest. This establishment was authorised already in the conflict for regiments serving in the Low Countries. The regiments were composed of thirteen companies: twelve battalion companies and one of grenadiers. Besides the private men, each company consisted of three officers - captain, lieutenant and ensign, or a captain and two lieutenants for the grenadiers, three sergeants, three corporals, and two drummers. The battalion companies had 60 private men, the grenadier companies were slightly larger with 70 men. Together with 5 staff officers - chaplain, adjutant, quarter-master, and the surgeon and his mate - this adds up to 938 men.
The smallest is a big odd, but it existed. This regiment had only twelve companies, 11 battalion and one of grenadiers, at the same establishment as the large regiments, with also five staff officers. This was the regiment of William Evans. It was raised in April 1703, and went to the Low Countries the same year. Though at first established with 938 men, and thirteen companies, part of the regiment was drafted in 1704 to regiment that went to Portugal. The result was this 12 company establishment.
The middle sized regiments, there were four of them in the Low Countries, were all part of the augmentation of 20,000 men to the Confederate forces agreed upon in 1703. Four of the regiments of this augmentation were English, and established with 876 men. These regiments also had thirteen companies, and five staff, and had the same number of officers, non-commissioned officers and drummers. However, the difference was in a somewhat lower establishment of the companies: each company had 56 men.
The estimates for the forces show these establishment until the end of the conflict, and it is interesting to know why the regiments of the augmentation were somewhat smaller than those of the earlier British contingent.
As stated previously, regiments in the Low Countries numbered 867, 876 (no typo) or 938 men. How does these numbers translate in companies, sergeants and privates.
Let's start with the largest. This establishment was authorised already in the conflict for regiments serving in the Low Countries. The regiments were composed of thirteen companies: twelve battalion companies and one of grenadiers. Besides the private men, each company consisted of three officers - captain, lieutenant and ensign, or a captain and two lieutenants for the grenadiers, three sergeants, three corporals, and two drummers. The battalion companies had 60 private men, the grenadier companies were slightly larger with 70 men. Together with 5 staff officers - chaplain, adjutant, quarter-master, and the surgeon and his mate - this adds up to 938 men.
The smallest is a big odd, but it existed. This regiment had only twelve companies, 11 battalion and one of grenadiers, at the same establishment as the large regiments, with also five staff officers. This was the regiment of William Evans. It was raised in April 1703, and went to the Low Countries the same year. Though at first established with 938 men, and thirteen companies, part of the regiment was drafted in 1704 to regiment that went to Portugal. The result was this 12 company establishment.
The middle sized regiments, there were four of them in the Low Countries, were all part of the augmentation of 20,000 men to the Confederate forces agreed upon in 1703. Four of the regiments of this augmentation were English, and established with 876 men. These regiments also had thirteen companies, and five staff, and had the same number of officers, non-commissioned officers and drummers. However, the difference was in a somewhat lower establishment of the companies: each company had 56 men.
The estimates for the forces show these establishment until the end of the conflict, and it is interesting to know why the regiments of the augmentation were somewhat smaller than those of the earlier British contingent.
Sunday, 13 October 2013
What was the size of a regiment of foot?
After a couple of months of research for other projects, I returned to the reductions after the War of the Spanish Succession (see also my Half-Pay officers for 1714). Here I looked into the question on the size of a regiment. More in particular, and do keep it simple, the size of a regiment of foot.
Anyone, including me, with some knowledge of the British army, and the Marlburian period, would probably answer that a regiment numbered 13 companies with one of grenadiers.
However, a careful look at the establishment lists of the armies between 1701 and 1712 reveals a variation that must have given contemporary quartermasters severe headaches. And it gives some nice number-crunching.
Let's use the estimate for the armed forces for 1711 as an example (see the Calendar of Treasury Books):
In the Guard & Garrisons, i.e., the regiments serving in England or in garrison on the colonies we have regiments of 760, 809, 834, 876, and 951 men. Judging from the reductions, the regiments were all established with 12 companies.
In the army in Flanders we find regiments of 938 and 876 men. The ones with 938 men were definitely established with 13 companies, the ones with 876 men most likely.
When we move to the Iberian Peninsula, the situation was as worse as at home: regiments of 725, 785, 834, 845 and 876 men. All regiments appear to have been established with 12 companies.
After the reductions of 1712-14 we find the following establishments:
at Dunkirk, 669 men to a regiment of foot with 12 companies
in Flanders 613 to a regiment with 12 companies
at Minorca 625 men with 12 companies
at Gibraltar 500 with 12 companies
In England/Scotland, including the West Indies, 445 men with 10 companies
in Ireland, 444 men, also in 10 companies
(the one man difference between England and Scotland was the Quarter-Master, for whom was no room on the Irish Establishment).
Anyone, including me, with some knowledge of the British army, and the Marlburian period, would probably answer that a regiment numbered 13 companies with one of grenadiers.
However, a careful look at the establishment lists of the armies between 1701 and 1712 reveals a variation that must have given contemporary quartermasters severe headaches. And it gives some nice number-crunching.
Let's use the estimate for the armed forces for 1711 as an example (see the Calendar of Treasury Books):
In the Guard & Garrisons, i.e., the regiments serving in England or in garrison on the colonies we have regiments of 760, 809, 834, 876, and 951 men. Judging from the reductions, the regiments were all established with 12 companies.
In the army in Flanders we find regiments of 938 and 876 men. The ones with 938 men were definitely established with 13 companies, the ones with 876 men most likely.
When we move to the Iberian Peninsula, the situation was as worse as at home: regiments of 725, 785, 834, 845 and 876 men. All regiments appear to have been established with 12 companies.
After the reductions of 1712-14 we find the following establishments:
at Dunkirk, 669 men to a regiment of foot with 12 companies
in Flanders 613 to a regiment with 12 companies
at Minorca 625 men with 12 companies
at Gibraltar 500 with 12 companies
In England/Scotland, including the West Indies, 445 men with 10 companies
in Ireland, 444 men, also in 10 companies
(the one man difference between England and Scotland was the Quarter-Master, for whom was no room on the Irish Establishment).
Thursday, 26 September 2013
Podcast on the War of the Spanish Succession
Andrew Tumath contributed a nice article in the latest issue of the Journal of the Society of Army Historical Research on the British army in Spain after the Brihuega disaster. In the note about the author, it was mentioned that mr Tumath hosts a history podcast called A New History Podcast.
One of the series (or should this be podcasts?) is on the War of the Spanish Succession, neatly divided into yearly or half-yearly episodes. Well worth checking out, and listening to. Mr Tumath has a pleasant voice, and narrates eloquently and packs a lot of detail in his lectures. Yet, whilst taking the listeners from Northern Italy to London and then to Portugal, it remains clear and comprehensive.
Highly recommended, though his appreciation of the dreaded and evil Dutch Deputies keeping the Duke from picking his fruits from his victories seems a bit influenced by Chandler et al .......
One of the series (or should this be podcasts?) is on the War of the Spanish Succession, neatly divided into yearly or half-yearly episodes. Well worth checking out, and listening to. Mr Tumath has a pleasant voice, and narrates eloquently and packs a lot of detail in his lectures. Yet, whilst taking the listeners from Northern Italy to London and then to Portugal, it remains clear and comprehensive.
Highly recommended, though his appreciation of the dreaded and evil Dutch Deputies keeping the Duke from picking his fruits from his victories seems a bit influenced by Chandler et al .......
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