MILITARY HISTORY 



Lord Onslow resigned. In June 1759 there were 147 men short of the 

 800 required. There were ten companies raised at Croydon, Southwark, 

 Kingston, Camberwell, Reigate, Chertsey, Clapham, Guildford, Putney, 

 Godalming, and of these only Croydon was at the full strength of eighty 

 rank and file. The forty sergeants and twenty drummers were, however, 

 complete, and the numbers were quickly filled up by voluntary enlistment 

 and the ballot. There were supposed to be three officers to a company, 

 including the colonel commanding and the major, who were at the head 

 of the Croydon and Southwark companies respectively, but the officers 

 were six short of the required number.' On 3 November 1759 the 

 regiment was divided into two battalions of East and West Surrey. The 

 former comprised the companies from Croydon, Southwark, Reigate, 

 Kingston and Clapham ; the latter those from Guildford, Godalming, 

 Chertsey, Camberwell and Putney. The adjutant to this battalion was 

 Lieutenant Francis Grose, the author of the work on military antiquities 

 and other books, whose commission is dated 3 November 1759. Grose 

 was subsequently adjutant to the Hampshire Militia, in which Gibbon 

 the historian was a captain. The service was now distinctly popular. 

 Foreign service was not thought of, and the chances of invasion had 

 disappeared. The military spirit of the country was high as the news of 

 victory after victory in America, Germany and on the sea poured in. 

 The militia, arrayed in red coats with white facings, red waistcoats and 

 breeches, white gaiters and cocked hats, armed with musket, bayonet and 

 sword, marched up and down Surrey, Kent and Sussex, quartered in 

 public houses on the march, drew a shilling a day and had no more 

 onerous duty to perform than the guarding of French prisoners. Once 

 the second battalion went as far north as Northampton and the first 

 battalion as far west as Salisbury, but they were seldom so far from home. 

 In December 1762 they were sent to the neighbourhoods where they had 

 been raised preparatory to being disembodied, which was effected by Sign 

 Manual Warrant dated 22 December 1762. On 26 February 1763 the 

 two battalions were reformed into one regiment, and Francis Grose 

 received a new commission as adjutant on 3 March following. He was 

 promoted to be captain on i January 1766. 



In 1780, during the Gordon riots, the Surrey Militia was marched 

 up to St. George's Fields, but the irresolution of the authorities kept 

 it there while the mob demolished the Surrey prisons and wrecked 

 private houses. When at last the courage of the king enabled the 

 military forces to be employed freely, they took part in the fighting on the 

 night of 7 June, and were probably among the militia who cleared 

 Blackfriars Bridge.* 



The breaking out of the French Revolutionary War was the occasion 

 for a revived military activity in Surrey as elsewhere. The militia was 

 embodied on i December 1792, before war had begun. The Surrey 



1 Davis, Historical Records, ' Second Royal West Surrey Regiment of Militia,' p. 80. Under the 

 law a property qualification existed for officers according to their rank. 

 " Annual Reg. xxiii. 260 seq. 

 II 145 19 



