Thomas Vaughan - the Loyal London Volunteers - and an account of the Volunteers c. 1800
Thomas Vaughan and the Volunteer Reviews
Form! Form! Riflemen form,
Ready, be ready to meet the storm;
Riflemen, Riflemen, Riflemen form!
Form, be ready to do or die!
Form in Freedom´s name and the King!
Lord Tennyson[1]
Fig. 1. Thomas Vaughan of the Loyal London Volunteers circa 1804.
(Courtesy of Christopher Clarke Antiques - https://campaignfurniture.com.)
A friend of mine knows
I have an interest in people, places and dates and passed on to me a book he
bought himself last year. It is a fascinating, if sometimes dry, account of Remarkable
Occurrences, Ancient and Modern.[2] Leafing through the first time (always from
back to front) I caught the word “Volunteers” and immediately glanced up
at the portrait on the wall over my desk (Fig. 1). There in a frame is a
small watercolour of my uncle, Thomas Vaughan, proudly wearing his uniform. He
sits facing the artist in his red coat with blue facings and would have been
wearing blue breeches.[3] Underneath
is a card, the size of a small postcard, with a view of The Royal Exchange in
Cornhill, London and the proud title (First Regt) LOYAL LONDON VOLUNTEERS.[4]
Reading the entry in
my new book I could see that there had been numerous additions to the new
formations of volunteers last year: our glorious Queen had reviewed her newly
reformed Volunteer army at least three times and I remembered the pictures I
had seen in the Illustrated London News. In March (1860) there had been
a presentation of some 2,500 officers to the Queen, followed by a dinner and a
ball chaired by the Duke of Clarence. I had been in Hyde Park on 23rd
June last year to watch her Majesty review over 18,000 Volunteers (Fig. 2)
and reading the Dictionary entry now I can just imagine how my Uncle Thomas,
had he still been alive, would have stood proudly next to Mr Tower of Wealdhall
of Essex, who at the age of 80 was presented to the Queen: just as both of those
men had been among the 12,000 troops presented to King George III on Wednesday
October 26th, 1803 and the 14,000 more volunteers two days later. Queen
Victoria also reviewed her Volunteers when she resided in Edinburgh last
August, reviewing more than 20,000 of them on one day. The entry also mentioned
a successful sham-fight in Bromley, Kent and 10,000 Lancashire Volunteers
reviewed by the Earl of Derby in September in Knowsley. It is estimated that
there are some 160,000 Volunteers available for defence of our realm at the
current time: once again, the danger of a possible invasion by the French has
put our defences on alert.
Fig. 2. Photograph of the Royal Review of the Volunteer Troops in Hyde
Park, London. Queen Victoria is in one of the two carriages in the foreground.
(Photo courtesy of the Royal Collection Trust.)[5]
Although our
Honourable Artillery Company in London can claim its roots to Henry VIII,[6] according
to the Dictionary of Dates the first volunteer corps in my uncle´s time was
formed as early as 1779, as a regiment of Irish. This was new to me. I was not
really aware that there had been the threat of an invasion by French troops so
early. Apparently, these volunteers were formed in Dublin under the Duke of
Leinster on October 12 while an embargo of goods between Britain and Ireland
was in force. An agreement for free trade was reached by the end of the year:
20,000 armed Irish volunteers can be a dangerous threat to home security. Then,
in 1794, the French once again threatened to invade our shores and more corps
of volunteers were formed.
Fig. 3. A PLAN of the
Review of the VOLUNTEERS of MIDDLESEX by John Cooke.
(Author´s Collection.)
However, I knew from
my uncle, that the real expansion in volunteers took place between 1799 and
1804: the crucial years in our long-protracted battle with Napoleon. There had
been some unrest in Ireland and a French force had attempted to land in Bantry
Bay in December, 1796: like the Armada, they were beaten back by the weather.[7] In
haste, volunteers were urged to sign up to help defend the country in the event
of an invasion or civil unrest and soon after they were reviewed by the King.
In a drawer downstairs
is a plan, nearly 12” x 17” cms: A PLAN of the Review of the VOLUNTEERS of
MIDDLESEX. It shows the arrangement of the troops presented to King George III
on his birthday, 4th June 1799, in Hyde Park (Fig. 3).[8]
Position 27, with their backs to the Grosvenor Gate and directly facing the
King, is taken by the Loyal London Volunteers with 300 men lead by Major
Atkinson on show that day.
When I showed the plan
to my uncle, he was not sure if it was exact: he remembered more soldiers and
thought that his regiment had been nearer to the Tyburn Turnpike and the gate
to the Oxford Road. The plan had been published only three weeks after the
review and could easily have been rather rushed.
Apparently, there were
a great number of volunteer corps of the London district who had indicated to
the Secretary of War, Henry Dundas (1st Viscount Melville) a wish to
parade in Hyde Park on the King´s birthday and when this was stated to the Duke
of York wheels began to turn. Consequently, the plan met with the King´s
most cordial approbation, and he signified his design to being present.[9]
After our glorious
Queen reviewed her volunteers last year the Illustrated London News
printed a plan of the review of 1799 (Fig. 4).[10] There
in the top corner of the park, almost opposite the gate onto Oxford St. are the
London Vols. I cut it out and kept it and it will be framed and put next to my
uncle´s portrait one day. As someone once wrote “our citizen soldiers are the
Real Gentlemen-at-Arms because the Volunteers are the Knights of Loyalty (and
Labour). They are men who swing the hammer in mighty foundries such as Vulcan
never dreamed of.”[11]
Fig. 4. Plan of a review of the Volunteers in Hyde Park by George III, 4 June 1799. Illustrated London News June 30, 1860. (Author´s Collection.)
When the King faced
his volunteer army on his birthday that June the Gentleman´s Magazine
recounted that: The whole number amounting to 15,000, of whom only 8,200 of
the association of London and Westminster, were on the parade yesterday,
serving without pay, in the vicinity of the metropolis only, gives the most
satisfactory assurance that this country would be perfectly defended against
any hostile attack, even by the volunteers only, since it is known that every
part of the kingdom is as well defended by such bodies as the metropolis.[12] Each
regiment had assembled at 5 o´clock and then proceeded to the park to begin
forming their respective lines between 7 and 8 o´clock. The King arrived at 9
accompanied in the field by their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales, and the
Dukes of Kent and Cumberland, in their respective uniforms (Fig. 5). The
ladies who attended including Her Majesty and the Princesses then viewed the
proceedings from the houses of Lady Holdernesse, in Park-lane, and that of Lord
Catheart.
Some 7352 infantry and
841 cavalry braved the rather wet and windy weather and only one poor woman was
injured - kicked by one of the horses on her head, and was taken to the
hospital, attended by the officer to whom the horse belonged – despite the review
being watched amid the joyous shouts and affectionate greetings of the
people who assembled on the occasion to the amount of near 150,000, including
all the beauty and fashion of the metropolis. After marching back to
Cornhill, the First Regiment imbibed of a beer or two at one of the many inns
in Exchange Alley or at the Cock and Lion in St Michael´s Alley as my
uncle recalls.
Fig. 5. His Majesty Reviewing the Volunteer Corps Assembled in Hyde Park in honor of his Birthday, June 4, 1799. (Courtesy Trustees of the British Museum.)[13]
When telling the story
of his days as a young recruit to defend our shores from “Old Boney” Thomas
would sometimes bemoan the fact that as soon as the parade was over the first
volunteer regiments all over London began to disband. Apparently, the government
had signed some sort of peace treaty and felt the threat of invasion was over.
He used to say, “How can you trust anyone who signs a piece of paper promising
not to march into another country and watch them do just that a few days
later”. Perhaps the rich are afraid of losing their imports of French wine if
they stay at war, he grumbled.[14]
He would have rather
liked the description Shirley Brooks used in last year´s article: Napoleon
was exceedingly arrogant just then, insulting the British Lion whenever he had
a chance, saying that England, single-handed, could do nothing against France,
and filling his newspapers with all kinds of anti-English matter. He had
magnificent armies and a powerful fleet, and he was always making additions to
both, though he persisted in saying that he was doing nothing of the kind, and
declaring that England wanted war, not he.[15]
Uncle Thomas was born,
as far as I can recollect, in Norwich in 1781 or 1782.[16]
As a young boy he was fond of singing and when the family visited church, he
longed to be one of the choirboys and was soon chosen to be a chorister by John
Beckwith. Uncle used to grin when saying the full name of his teacher, whose
middle name was Christmas – but he had been born on Christmas Day. When his
father died while Thomas was still young the family approached Canon Charles
Smith for advice and he encouraged him to enter the world of music. Early in
1799 he was already in London lodging near relatives who had a haberdasher´s in
Cornhill. When the volunteers formed, he was quick to sign up. As a strong
tenor he was more than useful when it came to helping the others to march in
step, he said.
When he saw King
George on that blustery summer´s day it was not the first time he had seen him.
He had already visited St. George´s Chapel in Windsor Castle and seen the
figure from afar. He would see him a number of times later after he was elected
lay-clerk there. From his election in the June of 1799 until 1803 he was often too
busy to think of his volunteering. But in 1803 the threat of invasion once
again raised its ugly head; Bonaparte had not had enough. When Prime Minister Henry Addington called
for volunteer assistance in 1803 he promised exemption from serving in the army
as well as offering 85 days paid training a year.[17]
Thomas was quick to sign up again. He could never recall exactly when the
picture was drawn but it was in 1803 or 1804. He received the letter below it in
the third week of October 1803 at his address at St Michael´s Alley in Cornhill
(Fig. 6).
SIR,
HIS MAJESTY having signified his pleasure to review the London
Volunteers on Wednesday next, in Hyde Park, you are particularly requested to
attend a General Muster of the First Regiment of Loyal London Volunteers, on
Wednesday Morning next, at Half past Six o´Clock precisely, at the Royal
Exchange, completely armed and accoutred, with your Hair dressed and powdered,
with Tails Fourteen Inches long.
…..
Signed by his Captain
and Adjutant, James Bate, Jun., it went on to explain the procedure. Properly
dressed and on time, he would be given the all-important Line Certificate.
Without the small card he could not join his colleagues in their formation.
When Thomas joined James Bate was the Ensign in the corps, having been promoted
when Isaac Currie became Lieutenant under Robert Williams jun. as Major
Commandant and Captain of the first company when the Commissions for the
Volunteer Association of the Ward of Cornhill were signed by his Majesty on May
17th 1798.[18] By
August (21st) the principal officers were still Robert Williams who
had helped found the corps on 10th June, 1797, Captain of the First
Company was Samuel Birch, at that time deputy of the Cornhill ward (and later
Mayor of London), and Lieutenant Richard Turner with Ensign Bates.[19]
Fig. 6. Letter to
Thomas Vaughan signed by James Bate, Jun.
(Photo courtesy of
Christopher Clarke Antiques, Stow-on-the-Wold.)
That day proceeded
much like the day in 1799. Report to the meeting grounds at 5 o´clock. Captain
Bates´ careful inspection of the uniforms and drawing up a list of those who
required helmets. Coats and facings buttoned up, breeches clean, ironed and
pulled up to the correct point. The all-important issue of the Line of Duty
card allowing permission to take part. Then the march to Hyde Park, and then
proceeding to their positions before the King arrived at 9. But also with last
minute changes to the arrangement of the different volunteer groups, and
officers on horseback riding up and down the lines of men (Fig. 7).[20]
However, there were far more of them. That October there had to be two reviews;
along with Thomas there were some 27,000 other men in uniform showing their
allegiance to the Crown. My Dictionary recounts that on that Wednesday,
October 26th some 12,401 London volunteers were reviewed by George
III, and on October 28th 14,676 more. It is calculated that on 1st
January the following year there were 341,600 volunteers; although it also
states that at its height the force was 410,000 in number of which 70,000 were
Irish.[21]
Fig. 7. Line of Duty
card for Thomas Vaughan.
(Photo courtesy of
Christopher Clarke Antiques.)
The number of volunteers had been boosted considerably. The first influx of patriotic volunteers in early 1803 had been seen with disappointment (fourteen counties including Cambridge, Leicester and even Middlesex had not had formed any corps) and the government had brought in more measures to increase the number. The Levy en Masse Act allowed the government to drill every able-bodied man in the Kingdom if necessary and the August Allowance allowed only 20 days paid training. Thomas had signed up early and the regulations at that time meant he was signing up to serve in his own area of London only: but those who joined later were expected to serve anywhere in the Kingdom. Some of the corps who formed waived all stipulations and offered to serve anywhere, home or abroad, to keep Napoleon at bay.[22] Other “perks” included an exemption from military duty and exemption from wig powder tax!
Fig. 8. Plan of the
Review of 28th October, 1803. (Courtesy of the Royal Collection
Trust.)[23]
According to my uncle,
he was happy to “do his bit” for the King. George was well-liked and Thomas was
bitterly sad when he learned the King was ill; his madness being reported on
almost daily in the newspapers of the time. He often talked about some of his
friends from volunteer days: most had joined, like him, for purely patriotic
reasons, others had other ideas; one was Irish and hoped eventually to improve
the situation there; another was a cobbler and felt that by serving he might
one day be allowed to vote freely; there was an ex-Militia man; and a few were
willing to help the police in suppressing radicals but the volunteers were not
called to assistance[24];
and one had served a different group six years earlier but it had been
disbanded.[25]
However, on training
days they all pulled together, and although it was sometimes strenuous there
was a sense of camaraderie and a drink and a good deal of banter in the midday
break. Some days would be spent training together on a Grand Field Day.[26] There
were also evenings when they elected their officers.[27]
Occasionally they would parade at the ground before St Helens Church for a
General Inspection and wives, family and the public were invited to attend.[28] There
were even volunteer marches: the First Regiment LLV had their own Royal
Exchange March written for them by Joseph Dale[29] or
they could march along to music for other of the London corps (Fig. 9) and
they could always sing “Tho´ weak my strains away my fears” written for them by
Thomas Jones & Co.[30] “The
Volunteer Boys” was sold throughout the country in 1801: The toast that I give
is the Volunteer Boys / The toast that I give is the brave Volunteer.[31]
Fig. 9. Music written
for the 3rd Regiment of the LLV in 1809. (Courtesy of NotAmos
Performing Editions.)[32]
Even before Nelson´s
famous victory at Trafalgar, Thomas had noticed there was less for the Loyal
London Volunteers to do. The fear of an invasion decreased correlating with an
increase in Britain´s victories on land and at sea. It was not long before some
corps of the Loyal London Volunteers were again disbanded, or men lost heart
and left and each had more time for their jobs, families and political
pursuits.[33]
Uncle Thomas could
concentrate fully on his work. In 1803 he had been admitted a Gentleman of the
Chapel Royal as well as vicar-choral at St. Paul´s Cathedral and lay vicar at
Westminster Abbey. Although he married in 1806, he did not talk about this part
of his life too much. His wife was also a leading singer of the day. He never
told me her first name, he always referred to her as Mrs Tennant. I did find a
reference to her once in an old theatre magazine: She was one
of the new singers engaged by the Drury Lane Theatre in 1821 for their season
of farces and comic songs. Mrs. Tennant was a Mrs. Vaughan, formerly a
great singer now on the way down. The British Stage and Literary
Cabinet commented: "Mrs. Vaughan has appeared ... under the name
of Tennant; [she] looks as pretty as ever, though her singing does not seem to
be so excellent as it formerly was" (December 1820, p. 346).[34]
Apparently, they separated after about ten years together. She was called
Eliza.[35]
Perhaps Uncle was just
too busy. He was certainly well-known, one of the best-known singers of the
English school for some 25 years. I believe he worked with Charles Knyvett and took
over from Samuel Harrison as singer at the so-called vocal subscription concerts.
He was proud to have sung at the popular Three Choirs Festival until 1836.
And now our Queen is
calling up the volunteers once more. The “nephew of the uncle” (Shirley Brooks)
is threatening invasion as his notorious uncle did before him. The “volunteer
of providence” (his own words) who had the cheek to reside here only a few
years ago, taking walks in Hyde Park itself. The student of Ham who
broke out of jail as a labourer. I am rather glad uncle could not see where the
impudent man is today. He has supported the pope and his church, he has rounded
up his critics and exiled many, he has taken away freedom of speech and freedom
of the press, his troops have marched into Italy, Savoy and Nice and his land
is making aggressive noises in the direction of Mexico and even Vietnam.[36] I am sure uncle would have joined the Rifle
Volunteer Corps.
Fig. 10. Plaque in
West Cloister of at Westminster Abbey.
(Courtesy of
Westminster Abbey.)[37]
Uncle Thomas died 18 years ago
now, at a friend's house near Birmingham, on 9 January 1843, and was buried on
17 January in the west cloister of Westminster Abbey. I have often visited
and read the small tablet which was erected for him; it reads: "Thomas
Vaughan. For 40 years member of this Choir and Her Majesty's Chapel. Obit.
January 9th 1843 aged 63."
[1] Adapted (King replacing Queen): lines written by Tennyson and quoted in the Times on May 9th 1859. Quoted in The Story of the Volunteers by J M Bulloch. In The Illustrated English Magazine; Vol. XXI; April to September 1899; pages 335-343.
[2] A Dictionary of Dates relating to all ages and nations: for Universal Reference; comprehending Remarkable Occurrences, Ancient and Modern; written by Joseph Haydn with the Tenth Edition revised and greatly revised by Benjamin Vincent; published Edward Moxon and Co., Dover Street, London; 1861. Available on-line under Google Books from which this text is taken.
[3] The Marquess of Cambridge described the uniforms of The Volunteer Reviews in Hyde Park in 1799, 1800 & 1803 in his article for the Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. Vol 40 No. 163. September 1962. The Loyal London would have worn white breeches in 1799 and 1800 but blue in 1803. The facings were black only in 1800. Before 1799 they must have changed from blue to red coats. See also his article on uniforms shown in Ackermann (1799) for the Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. Vol 40 No. 161, March 1962, page 6.
[4] I am indebted to Christopher Clarke Antiques for supplying copies of the 3 images related to the invitation to Thomas Vaughan to attend the Review. They also spotted the address of this Thomas Vaughan as being in Cornhill, only 100 meters from the Royal Exchange building. Their web address is https://campaignfurniture.com where there is also a short video of the collection.
[5] The photo is freely available on-line at: www.rct.uk/collection/293516.
[6] J M Bulloch; ibid. p. 337.
[7] See for example the article `Close enough to toss a ship’s biscuit ashore’—the French fleet at Bantry Bay, 1796 at www.historyireland.com.
[8] Engraved by John Cooke for the publisher, William Walker of Old Bond Street and dated June 25th 1799. See Kit Batten; 2022; John Cooke Engraver and Publisher Second Edition; entry 11 and illustrated at https://john-cooke-cartographer.blogspot.com/2020/09/map-11.html.
[9] The History of the Honourable Artillery Company by Anthony Highmore; pub. R Wilks; London; 1804, p. 515.
[10] This was probably based on a second plan, executed by Charles Random, illustrated at the Royal Collection Trust web pages under military maps at rct.uk/french-revolutionary-wars-1792-1802/hyde-park-1799. Charles Random later took the name Baron de Bérenger de Beaufain on his marriage to the widow, Baroness de Béranger. He volunteered in 1803 as one of the Duke of Cumberland's Sharpshooters. He was also jailed for his part in the great Stock Exchange scandal of 1814.
[11] J M Bulloch; ibid. p. 335. He might have been thinking of one of the Welsh corps, made up of 863 iron workers from the Cyfarthfa plant; see https://www.wikiwand.com/en/British_Volunteer_Corps.
[12] The Gentleman´s Magazine and Historical Chronicle. HathiTrust has a copy from Ohio State University available on-line under Nichols, John, 1745-1826. The Gentleman's Magazine. London: E. Cave.
[13] Courtesy Trustees of the British Museum: available on-line www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1880-1113-1917
[14] See for example Wikipedia entry on George III. The peace treaty was the Treaty of Amiens. Partly as a consequence of the French threat, the Act of Union was signed, and the United Kingdom created.
[15] (Charles William) Shirley Brooks in Once a Week. An Illustrated Miscellany of Literature, Art, Science, & Popular Information. Vol. III. July to December 1860. London; Bradbury & Evans. June 30 edition; pages 20-23.
[16] See for example www.wikitree.com/wiki/Vaughan-5973, where 1871 and 1872 are given as date of birth.
[17] Taken from The Volunteer Force, 1803-04 by Philip J Haythornthwaite, to be found in the pages of the Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. Vol 64 No. 260. Winter 1986. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44226492.
[18] The London Chronicle No. 3617 for 1798; June 30-July 5; Volume 84 for the Year 1798. He may have enlisted with the Nottingham Militia in 1805 when he was also commissioned as Ensign. See page 510 of The London Gazette, April 13-16, 1805.
[19] Loyal Volunteers of London & Environs, Infantry & Cavalry, in their respective Uniforms. Representing the whole of the Manual, Platoon, & Funeral Exercise in 87 plates Designed & Etch'd by T. Rowlandson. [London]: Rudolph Ackermann, [1798-99]. Entry XIII – a print shows blue coats.
[20] A handwritten letter accompanying the plan of the 2nd October review states that “The numbers first given in by the Corps have prov´n to be so incorrect, that the small engravings of the intended Review that were prepared have been obliged to be alter´d and cannot be finish´d till a late hour tonight” (written on the eve of the second October review).
[21] A Dictionary of Dates, ibid.
[22] Haythornthwaite (1986) pps. 193 and 198. This meant that within one corps there could be some men (June Allowance) who would only be obliged to fight in their own district and others (August Allowance) who could be asked to fight anywhere in Great Britain. After the initial appeal London mustered 33 Infantry corps and 6 Cavalry (Middlesex had none) and after August London had raised 114 Infantry (Middlesex 101); see page 203.
[23] The map can be viewed on-line at militarymaps.rct.uk/napoleonic-wars-1803-15/.
[24] The Cornhill (London) Military Association was formed to aid and assist the Chief Magistrate, in case of commotion or other danger, within the City of London, Ackermann (1799), but was probably never called upon to serve. See for example Austin Gee´s doctoral thesis on The British Volunteer Movement, 1793-1807. On-line publication through Oxford University https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:7080ac7d-f829-42b4-a7bf-68b86e3ae495.
[25] The last mentioned may have joined one of Reeve´s band of loyalists. See Gee ibid. p. vii.
[26] See image at the Getty Images website: Loyal London Volunteers, 1804. A handwriting broadsheet.
[27] The men elected the officers from amongst themselves
[28] London County Council has an engraving drawn by E Dayes and engraved by C Grignion (1798) of a “General´s Inspection” illustrated in “87. THE CORNHILL [LONDON] MILITARY ASSOCIATION.” Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research, vol. 4, no. 18, 1925, pp. 206–08. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44227519. Accessed 26 May 2022.
[29] Music Entries at Stationer´s Hall, 1710-1818 compiled by Michael Kassler and published by Routledge in 2016. This march was dedicated to Lieutenant Birch and the other officers of the Royal Exchange or First Regiment of the Loyal London Volunteers.
[30] Music Entries at Stationer´s Hall, 1710-1818 has a reference to this song possibly by Thomas Jones & Co., and dated July 1799 and a march written for the 6th Regiment of the LLV in 1804 written by Thomas Adams. The National Library of Ireland has a march for the 2nd Regiment written 1808.
[31] J M Bulloch; ibid. p. 338. The full text is given.
[32] See the NotAmos Performing Editions website where the music for the 3rd Regiment of LLV is shown and can be heard. www.notamos.co.uk/detail.php?scoreid=146809.
[33] Not all the units disbanded at the same time and many continued until 1814, when the movement was finally disbanded. Some joined the Militia, formed more along military lines and more professional.
[34] The entry can be found in The Adelphi Theatre Calendar Project, Book Two, page 35; https://www.umass.edu/AdelphiTheatreCalendar/.
[35] WikiTree. www.wikitree.com/wiki/Vaughan-5973.
[36] References to events in the life of Napoleon III up to 1861; Ham was the prison he escaped from after one of his unsuccessful coups, he escaped disguised as a labourer.
[37] The plaque is shown at www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/commemorations/thomas-vaughan. The age as given, 63, must be incorrect.
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