Thursday, August 22, 2013

Nativity of the Royal Irish, 1767 & 1776

One may think that the Royal  Irish Regiment would be plum full of O'Briens, O'Roukes and McFaddens. However, in fact the Royal Irish was about 30% Irish when it was inspected in April 1767 at Dublin. The drafts to the four regiments embarking for America from Cork that May were also about a third Irish, so the regiment most likely retained a similar character to that it had when inspected at Phoenix Park, Dublin on 11 April 1767. The return of the men by "Nativity" is below for the 1767 and the 1777 Inspection Returns. Only a return for Johnson's Coy, stationed at Ft. Pitt, has been found for the intervening period.

Dublin,  April 11, 1767 WO 27/11

Countrys
Companies


Col.
Lt.C.
Maj.
Gren.
I.H.
H. A.
J.S.
G.S.
Shee
Total
English
17
20
21
17
24
18
22
21
17
177
Scotch


2
4
3
5


3
15
Irish
15
10
8
11
6
9
10
11
12
92
Foreigners

2
1





1
4
Totals
32
32
32
32
32
32
32
32
32
288



Dover Castle, May 15, 1777 WO 27/36


Countrys
Companies


Col.
Lt.C.
Maj.
Lord
B.C.
B.P.
R.H.
W.R
W.B.
H.F.
Total
English
29
35
25
30
35
32
29
32
33
27
307
Scotch
2
1
2
2
3
2
2
2
1
1
18
Irish
12
9
18
13
19
10
14
11
23
15
144
Foreigners
2







2
1
5
Totals
45
45
45
45
57
44
45
45
59
44
474













For those wondering, there were two O'Haras, an O'Neill and and an O'Kane who served in the Royal Irish between 1767 and 1775.