HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRD, OR THE KING'S OWN, REGIMENT OF LIGHT DRAGOONS
1685
James the Second ascended the throne of England on the 6th of February, 1685, and four months only had elapsed, when his nephew, James Duke of Monmouth, erected the standard of rebellion on the western coast, and, having been joined by upwards of three thousand men, proclaimed himself king. To oppose Monmouth and his rash adherents, the King obtained from Parliament a grant of four hundred thousand pounds, and augmented the strength of his army. Among the loyal yeomen and artisans who arrayed themselves under the banners of their sovereign, a number of young men from Berkshire, Middlesex, Herts, and Essex, were formed into five independent troops of Dragoons under Captains Richard Leveson, John Williams, Thomas Hussey, Edward Lea, and Francis Russel. These five troops, with an old independent troop of Dragoons, commanded by Colonel Strather, were attached to the Royal Dragoons under John Lord Churchill, (afterwards the great Duke of Marlborough,) whose regiment was thus augmented to nine hundred men, and from these additional troops the corps which now bears the distinguished title of the "Third, or King's Own Regiment of Light Dragoons," derives its origin.
Captain Russel's troop rendezvoused at Chelsea and Knightsbridge, and having been speedily mounted and equipped, it was attached to the three Scots regiments of foot which had arrived from Holland, and ordered to join the army; but the insurgent bands having been overthrown at Sedgemoor on the 6th of July, it halted at Bagshot; and proceeding to London on the 13th, was present at the execution of the Duke of Monmouth on the 15th of that month.
Although the insurrection was thus speedily suppressed, and the executions which followed were sufficiently numerous to intimidate the disaffected, and prevent a second appeal to arms of a similar character, yet the King resolved to retain a considerable number of the newly-raised forces in his service. On the 17th of July several troops of Dragoons were formed into a regiment, (now the fourth light dragoons,) under the command of Colonel John Berkeley; and in the beginning of August, four of the additional troops attached to the royal dragoons, with one troop from Berkeley's regiment, were incorporated; at the same time another troop was ordered to be raised, and the six were constituted a regiment of which His Grace the Duke of Somerset was appointed Colonel, and Alexander Cannon, from a regiment of foot in the Dutch service, Lieutenant-Colonel, by commission dated the 2nd of August, 1685. The regiment thus formed is the subject of this memoir; its Colonel being Lord-Lieutenant of Somersetshire, had commanded the militia of that county during the rebellion, and his regiment was honoured with the title of the "Queen Consort's Regiment of Dragoons;" and being composed of troops raised previously to those of Berkeley's regiment, it obtained precedence of the last-mentioned corps10.
1686
The establishment was fixed by warrant under the sign manual, bearing date the 1st of January, 1686, from which the following is an extract.
THE QUEEN CONSORT'S REGIMENT OF DRAGOONS.
NAMES of the OFFICERS of HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN CONSORT'S REGIMENT OF DRAGOONS.
1687
During the summer the regiment was encamped on Hounslow Heath, where it was reviewed by the King; it was also encamped on the same ground in the summer of 1687; and took part in several mock-engagements, which were exhibited by an army of upwards of ten thousand men, in presence of their Majesties, and a numerous concourse of people.
1688
The King, having openly declared himself a Roman Catholic, resolved to give public audience to a nuncio from the Pope, Ferdinand d'Adda, who had been consecrated Archbishop of Amasia in the King's Chapel at St. James's, and the Duke of Somerset, who was Lord of the Bedchamber in waiting, was directed to attend the legate into His Majesty's presence. This command his Grace refused to obey, with a laudable firmness which astonished the King, alleging the laws of England made such attendance treason; he was consequently deprived of his regiment and of his post at court. The King conferred the Colonelcy on the Lieutenant-Colonel, Alexander Cannon, under whom it was again encamped on Hounslow Heath.
While pursuing a course of tyrannical and ill-advised measures against the laws and religion of the country, the King learnt with astonishment and indignation, that the Prince of Orange was embarking an army for England to aid the noblemen and gentlemen who were opposed to papacy and arbitrary government; the Queen's Dragoons, with several other corps, were ordered to Ipswich, under the command of Major-General Sir John Lanier, to endeavour to preserve Landguard fort, and to oppose the Prince if he should attempt to land there. His Highness, however, landed at Torbay on the 5th of November, 1688, when the regiment was ordered to Salisbury, and from thence to Warminster, where the advance-post of the King's army was established.
While the regiment was stationed at Warminster, the Lieutenant-Colonel, Richard Leveson, Captain St. George, with several other officers and a number of men, being stanch Protestants and zealous advocates for their religion, and for the welfare of their country, quitted their post and joined the Prince of Orange. The remainder of the regiment continued with King James' army and retreated towards London. His Majesty having quitted England and retired to France, the regiment was re-united at Dunstable, and the Prince of Orange conferred the colonelcy on Lieutenant-Colonel Leveson, in succession to Colonel Cannon, who adhered to the interest, and followed the fortunes of King James.
1689
On the accession of King William III. and Queen Mary, the Regiment did not lose its title of "The Queen's," but that designation was not used, and numerical titles not having been then introduced, it was usually styled Leveson's regiment; it was, however, again called "The Queen's," after its return from Ireland in 1692.
Under its new sovereign the regiment was quickly employed in active service. King James proceeded from France to Ireland, and finding an army, levied by Earl Tyrconnel, ready to support the Roman Catholic interest, he soon reduced the greater part of that country to submission to his authority. King William sent the veteran Duke Schomberg with an army to Ireland, to rescue that country from the power of papacy; and Leveson's dragoons embarked at Highlake on the 21st of August, for the same destination. Having landed near Carrickfergus, they joined Duke Schomberg's camp a mile beyond Belfast, on the 30th of August, and were reviewed on the following day.
The army quitted Belfast on the 2nd of September, and advancing towards Newry on the 3rd, found the town in flames, and the enemy fled; Leveson's troopers and some Inniskilling horse, rode forward in pursuit, but were unable to overtake the rear of the fugitive army.
A camp was afterwards formed at Dundalk, and, on the 13th of September, as a party of the regiment was cutting forage in the fields, a detachment of the enemy appeared; the dragoons instantly threw down their forage and advanced to meet their opponents, who, though superior in numbers, faced about and retired. On the 21st of September the enemy appeared in force, displaying their royal standard, but retired without venturing to attack the camp; when a party of Leveson's Dragoons galloped forward in pursuit, and overtaking the enemy's rear, killed five men. On the 17th of October, as a detachment of the regiment and some Inniskilling horse, were reconnoitring, they advanced with great audacity to the immediate vicinity of King James' camp, and a party of Irish horse gained a pass in their rear to cut off their retreat; but the gallant dragoons, by a determined charge forced their way through the defile, killed four opponents, and brought off six prisoners.
These instances of bravery gave Duke Schomberg a high opinion of the regiment, and about midnight on the 27th of October, he sent out two hundred of Leveson's troopers with some Inniskilling horse and French protestants, who dashed across the country to the neighbourhood of Ardee, routed the enemy's out-guards, and captured a drove of oxen and some horses, with which they returned in triumph to the camp at Dundalk.
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