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Thread: 95th rifles

  1. #1

    Default 95th rifles

    hi one and all,
    I am seeking some clarification regarding the Experimental Corps of Riflemen and there transistion into the Rifle Brigade, my understanding:-

    1800 1st April
    Coote-Manningham’s, 95th Rifles "Experimental Corps of Riflemen" 9th Battalion are first paraded @ Horsham Barracks, recruits voluntered or where chosen by recomendation and were recruited from all other regiments, battalions etc.

    1803
    Sir John Moore incorporates other regiments to into the 95 Rifles to form the Rifle Brigade Shorncliffe Redoubt in use and Riflemen are trained the “Shorncliffe way".

    1803 Battle of Copenhagen
    95th Rifles on ships with Nelson.

    1805 Battle of Trafalgar
    HMS Victory Samuel Green 95th Rifles on board victory muster.

    Is this a resonable timeline and fairly accurate with the info ?

    many thanks...xxx
    Last edited by sqWarkbox; 21-10-2019 at 9:17 PM. Reason: i will get a new keypoard

  2. #2
    Famous for offering help & advice peter nicholl's Avatar
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    Hi,
    Have you tried "The history of the Rifle Brigade (the Prince Consort's Own) formerly the 95th
    by Cope, William Henry, Sir, bart., 1811-1892" ? It's available on line here
    https://archive.org/details/historyo...00cope/page/n8
    Peter Nicholl
    Researching:Nicholl,Boater, Haselgrove & Vaughan

  3. #3

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    Hello Peter,
    Excellent book and thanks for thanks. Sadley this highlights my problem because even this tome seems not to mention the 95th Rifles on Victory or even Trafagar. It does confirm my reasoning about maintaining their original reg number. I believe there were around a 1000 originally selected or put forward and they had the first issue Baker Rifle, the next batch of recruits had the same kit essentially but were issued with modifications to the weaponary...Once the the numbers increased significantly then they were all rebranded with Brigade.

    Or so I belive......

    thanks
    Last edited by sqWarkbox; 24-10-2019 at 12:37 AM. Reason: maybe its the glasses...

  4. #4
    Famous for offering help & advice peter nicholl's Avatar
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    The Trafalgar Roll shows two Samuel Greens, both are Royal Marines and only one on HMS Victory. The Samuel on HMS Victory is shown as 27 years old and born in Bilston, Staffs. So I have ask where the evidence is that the 95th were serving on HMS Victory, especially as the Marines were well established at the time?
    Peter Nicholl
    Researching:Nicholl,Boater, Haselgrove & Vaughan

  5. #5

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    Prior to the Horse Guards Circular of 17 Jan 1800 the newspapers were reporting -.

    Bath Chronicle & Weekly Gazette, 9 Jan 1800
    "Three regiments of riflemen are immediately to be formed. Colonel Macdonald, of the 55th, is to have one, and Lord Craven** another.

    ** - one report has Lord Craven already appointed.

    The Times, 27 Mar 1800/Reading Mercury 31 Mar 1800
    "Two battalions of riflemen, selected from different corps of infantry, are at present stationed at Horsham. They are under arms six hours every day, practising their manoeuvres and firing at targets".

    Not relevant to your search but intrigued to read -
    The Times, May 23 1801
    "There is a refinement on the art of war lately introduced by the French, in establishing corps of riflemen, or sharp-shooters, who aim at the officers.- We have suffered a heavy loss, beyond former experience, both in the expedition against Holland, as well as that now pursuing in Egypt. The Austrians, we are sold, to prevent the ill effects of this cruel warfare, in time of action, wear the same cloathing (sic) as the Privates, who are taught to know their Officers by their voices".

    Struggling to find anything re. Trafalgar. 150 of the rifle corps, commanded by Colonel Manningham, boarded Nelson's flagship St. George (98 gun)for the Baltic (11 March 1801) but at the Battle of Copenhagen Nelson transferred his flag to the Elephant (74 gun). Newspaper casualty reports of the battle mention 1 aboard the Isis and 1 aboard the Elephant.

    Thanks for the post. Have enjoyed parts of Cope's history and many newspaper references to this fledgling body.
    regards
    "dyfal donc a dyr y garreg"

  6. #6

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    There's an item in the Bath Chronicle & Weekly Gazette, 1 May 1800 that is partly illegible. I can make out -

    "were compelled to serve in our _____ corps(?) of riflemen, one of which at Horsham ____, and under the command(?) of the Hon. Col. Stewart, comprises 800 _____, perhaps equal to any corps ____"
    "dyfal donc a dyr y garreg"

  7. #7

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    Trying to pin down whereabouts of the 95th Rifles at 21 October 1805 -

    Kentish Weekly or Canterbury Journal, 8 Oct 1805
    "MILITARY MOVEMENTS
    The two battalions of the 95th Rifle Regiment remove from Brabourne Leese to be stationed in equal proportions at Hythe, Windsor, Chelmsford and Bristol".
    "dyfal donc a dyr y garreg"

  8. #8

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    Royal Cornwall Gazette, 21 Sep 1805
    "PLYMOUTH JOURNAL
    Fri Morning, Sep 20.
    The Victory, Admiral Lord Nelson, past (sic) by this port on Tuesday to the westward., and was joined by the Thunderer and Ajax 74's from Cawsand-Bay. When his Lordship arrives off Cadiz ...".

    The Victory was off Cadiz by 6th October.
    "dyfal donc a dyr y garreg"

  9. #9
    Famous for offering help & advice peter nicholl's Avatar
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    It is possible that the Royal Marine and the Rifleman is the same person, but if so, it does contradict the dates in the initial post.
    There were two Battles of Copenhagen, 1801 and 1807. Victory was not involved in either. If the Royal Marine private, Samuel Green, who had joined the Victory from HMS Winchelsea on 18 April 1803, is the right man, he was at the Battle of Trafalgar, as per the Roll. The Roll shows that he was discharged from Victory at Chatham on 15 January 1806. The date would allow him to leave the Marines and enlist in the Rifles, well before 30 July 1807. It was on that date that five Companys of 1/95th Rifles embarked for Copenhagen under Brigadier General Stewart, as part of Major General Sir Arthur Wellesley’s Reserve.
    Peter Nicholl
    Researching:Nicholl,Boater, Haselgrove & Vaughan

  10. #10

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    hello peter & helechau,
    Wow thanks chaps, I was begining to doubt my own self. The problem I have is that trying to connect Coote Manningham 800 to trafalgar. When Peter questioned the 95th on Victory I went to check my notes and sods law cannot curently locate where I saw this. To cut a loong story short, I have personal connections to both Victory and to one of the 800 and I am trying to connect the dots. It is a bit of a long shot but i have a feeling that Samuel Green was one of these chaps. Forces war records, ( and for the sake of fairness, other sites are availble) shows a Samuel green in the 95th rifles. they were called this after around 1802 I think. prior to this the Experimantal rifle corps. I have over the last 20 imns, seen a didgital image of the muster based at the museum but this does not indicate that samuel was killed, however I have seen other lists of killed and wounded that suggest both samuel green and drummer James green were both killed. So much ambiguity.
    I will keep looking for the evidence that I have tucked away somewhere
    thanks
    Last edited by sqWarkbox; 25-10-2019 at 10:25 PM. Reason: to excited to check spelling ..sorry

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