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The 86th, having been stationed at the Cape of Good Hope from 1797-98, embarked for India in February 1799, landing at Madras on 10 May. The Regiment's strength on disembarkation was some 1,300.
However, the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War had effectively been concluded when earlier in May, at the siege of Seringapatam, Sultan Tipu of Mysore's force was defeated and Tipu killed. Therefore, the 86th Regiment remained in Madras for only one month before embarking for Bombay.
Following the decision by Flanders and Holland to ally with republican France, the British moved to seize the Dutch settlement of the Cape of Good Hope. The Dutch governor surrendered to General Sir Alured Clarke's force on 16 September, before the arrival of the 86th Regiment on 22 September 1796.
The Regiment remained in the Cape for over two years and continued to receive reinforcements until by January 1799, its strength was some 1,300 when it embarked bound for Madras in the East Indies (India).
The 86th Regiment of Foot's first active service was at sea, acting as Marines. There was a Corps of Royal Marines at the time but it was unable to provide all the sea-going detachments required to provide the guards and security duties in ships of war. These duties were necessary, because the Royal Navy seamen were mostly pressed men and too often prone to ill discipline, occasionally to the point of mutiny. It was for that reason that the Marines' quarters on the ships' decks were between the ratings and the officers.
Six companies of the 86th Regiment of Foot are sent from India to Egypt to fight against French
*The exact date of this event is not known.
A notice confirming the retitling of the 86th Regiment was gazetted by the War Office entry dated 27 October in the London Gazette of 24 - 28 October 1809. It stated:
'HIS MAJESTY has been pleased to order, that the 86th Regiment of Foot shall in future be styled,
"the 86th (or Leinster) Regiment of Foot".'
During the early 1800s a number of Indian rulers opposed the British attempts to pacify the country in order to consolidate Britain's control of the sub-continent. The Mahratta (or Anglo-Maratha) Wars were the result.
Serving with the British force was the 86th Regiment. On 10 February 1804, as the 86th approached the fortress of Bhurtpore, large numbers of enemy cavalry attacked the column but were beaten off. On the following day the siege commenced.
A notice confirming the style of the title for the 86th Regiment was gazetted by the War Office entry dated 18 May in the London Gazette of 16 - 19 May 1812. It stated:
'His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, in the
name and on the behalf of His Majesty, has been
pleased to approve of the 86th Regiment being in
future styled, " The 86th (or the Royal County
Down) Regiment," and bear the Irish harp and
crown upon the button'.
Lieutenant General the Earl of Moira commanded a corps of some 5,000 infantry that sailed to reinforce the Duke of York's Army in Holland. Both the 87th and 89th Regiment of Foot were in the force that landed at Ostend on 26 June 1794. Following a rapid march, Moira's force reached Ghent between 28 - 30 June 1794.
The portrait (right) is in the Royal Collection.
The Childers Reforms of 1881 were an evolution or continuation of the Cardwell Reforms of 1868-74. Hugh Childers, the Secretary of State for War, restructured the infantry regiments of the British Army. He divided the country into districts and each district was allocated two infantry battalions, one of which would usually be serving overseas. There would also be a recruiting depot, two militia battalions and volunteer units.
The Chartists were a worker's movement which sought democratic reform of the British political system. It pursued its aims through national protest and was particularly strong in the north of England. On 15 August 1842, all available men in the 87th Depot were rushed by train from Hull to Leeds where they remained for two weeks until the situation calmed and returned to normal.
