This Foldout collects the entries for some of the Regiments and Military Groups which are – or were – to be found in the district
Please email me if ...
you can add any other local military groups, relevant websites, or details to any entry
or ... you spot any incorrect names, any duplicates or any other errors
See
1st West York Militia and
John Wilson
See
1st West Riding Militia and
2nd West Yorkshire Militia
See
1st West York Militia and
William Kershaw
The group was formed on 3rd August 1842 by local mill
owners – including Sir Henry Edwards – to protect themselves
against civil unrest and demonstrations by the Chartists and the
Plug Riots of 1842.
It covered Halifax and Huddersfield, with the headquarters at the
Orderly Room, Halifax.
There were 2 troops at Halifax and 1 at Huddersfield.
It was originally called The Morley & Agbrigg Yeomanry Cavalry.
However, it was felt that this did not identify with the county of
York, so Lord Wharncliffe, who assisted in the formation of
regiment changed the name of his own regiment to the 1st West
Yorkshire Yeomanry Cavalry, and the Morley & Agbrigg
became the 2nd West Yorkshire Yeomanry Cavalry.
It was effectively the family regiment of the Edwards family.
Their first permanent duty was at Harrogate on 27th September 1843.
They remained there for 8 days.
They were known as the Blue Jackets and were disbanded in 1893/1894.
They used the Halifax Riding School in Portland Place as a drill
hall.
Members of the Cavalry included
Thomas Blackburn,
William Cronhelm,
Edward Fairburn,
Major Johnston Jonas Foster,
Dr James Holroyd,
Captain Joshua Thomas Horton,
John William Johnson,
Thomas George Johnson,
Lt-Col T. H. Morris,
Sergeant Benjamin Burton Nagle,
Lieutenant-Colonel George Pollard,
Christopher Tate Rhodes and
Major Samuel Waterhouse
Volunteers included
William Trubee Burrow
Other volunteers included
On
3rd August 1863,
a group of the Volunteers formed a bodyguard for the Prince of Wales when he visited the district and opened Halifax
Town Hall.
They subsequently became the 1st Volunteer Battalion.
See
Prescott Street Drill Hall and
Volunteer Rifle Barracks, Halifax
Halifax was the headquarters.
This was the first Militia Regiment in Halifax.
Captain Godfrey Armytage was appointed Adjutant of the Regiment
[October 1858].
In 1868, the old Hanson Lane gaol was appropriated for use by the
regiment.
In 1874, the West Yorkshire Militia Store (6th) is recorded at
Trafalgar, Halifax.
See
David Stead and
Wellesley Barracks
From 1751, the practice of calling Regiments of Foot by the
names of their Colonels ceased, numbers were used instead;
the Earl of Bath's Regiment became the 10th Regiment of
Foot.
In 1751, it became the 33rd Regiment of Foot
Lord Cornwallis was Colonel of the Regiment [1766-1805].
Under his control, the regiment was described as the best trained in
the Army.
In 1702, the regiment became known as the 33rd [or 1st Yorkshire West
Riding] Regiment, and was first formally linked with the West Riding
of Yorkshire, in recognition of its long-established tradition of
recruiting soldiers from this part of the country.
The soldiers were known as the Havercake lads.
In 1793, Arthur Wellesley bought his post as Major and
then as Lieutenant Colonel in the Regiment.
In 1806, he succeeded Cornwallis as Colonel.
He held the post until 1813 when he became Colonel of the
Horse Guards.
In 1815, at the Battle of Waterloo, the 33rd Regiment of
Foot had again been commanded by the Duke of Wellington, then a
Colonel, and played a crucial role in defeating Napoleon when
they routed the French tyrant's much feared Imperial Guard.
In December 1879, the old colours were placed in Halifax Parish Church.
In July 1881,
the regiment merged with the 76th Regiment of Foot to become the
Duke of Wellington's Regiment, the only Regiment to be named after
a person not of the Royal Blood.
In 1898, a Cycle Corps was established and used the Flying Dutchman bicycle.
See
Priestley Alderson,
Lieutenant J. B. H. Carmichael,
Duke of Wellington's Chapel,
Duke of Wellington's Regiment West Riding Museum,
Frank Whitworth Eagar,
Henry John Ellis,
Flying Dutchman,
Joseph Kershaw,
Lieutenant R. S. P. Robinson,
Mark Saltonstall,
Captain E. S. Wason,
Major A. J. Weeding and
Wellesley Barracks
In 1888, it became the
King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
In 1758, it became the 51st Regiment of Foot.
In 1888, it became the
King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
The regiment was raised in 1787 for service in India.
It performed distinguished service in the Indian wars, and was
awarded honorary colours by the East India Company and adopted its
badge showing an elephant circumscribed by the word Hindoostan.
In July 1881, the regiment merged with the 33rd Regiment of Foot to
become the 2nd Battalion of Duke of Wellington's Regiment.
See
Duke of Wellington's Regiment West Riding Museum and
Wellesley Barracks
The barracks were gutted by fire on
6th December 1910.
See
Arden Road Drill Hall and
Territorial Army
See
Territorial Army
Members included
Michael Payton
See
Drill Hall, Arden Road,
Drill Hall, Brighouse,
Drill Hall, Halifax,
Drill Hall, Sowerby Bridge and
Drill Hall, Todmorden
This is the only regiment to be named after a commoner.
The regiment was formed when the 33rd Regiment of Foot and the
76th Regiment of Foot merged in 1881.
The name was taken because the Duke of Wellington had been Colonel
of the 33rd Regiment of Foot.
See
Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)
See
Territorial Army
