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1772—1779.
Origin of Corps—Its establishment and pay—Engineers to command it—Its
designation—Working pay—Recruiting—Dismissal of civil artificers—Names
of officers—Non-commissioned officers—First augmentation—Consequent
promotions—Names of other officers joined—King’s Bastion—Second
augmentation.
Before the year 1772, the works at Gibraltar were mainly executed by
civil mechanics from the Continent and England, who were not engaged for
any term of years, but were hired like ordinary artificers, and could
leave the Rock whenever they felt disposed. Not being amenable to
military discipline, they were indolent and disorderly, and wholly
regardless of authority. The only means of punishing them was by
reprimand, suspension, or dismissal, and these means were quite
ineffectual to check irregularities. The dismissal of mechanics and
replacing them by others was always attended with considerable
inconvenience and expense, and often failed to secure an equivalent
advantage. Consequently, the works progressed very slowly, imposing much
additional trouble and anxiety upon the officers. Even the better class
of artificers—locally termed “guinea men” from their high wages—who had
something at stake in their situations, could not be relied upon. It
therefore became necessary that steps should be taken to put a stop to
the evil, and to secure the services of a sufficient number of steady,
obedient mechanics, upon whom dependence could, at all times, be placed,
for the proper execution of the works.
With this view, Lieutenant-Colonel William Green, the chief engineer at
the fortress, suggested the formation of a company of _military_
artificers as the only expedient. Of the value of this suggestion some
experience had been derived, from the occasional occupation on the
works, of mechanics belonging to the different regiments in garrison.
Indeed, ever since the taking of Gibraltar, in 1704, soldiers had so
been employed, particularly artillerymen, whose services to the fortress
were always found to be beneficial. There was every reason, therefore,
to expect that, when the department became entirely military in its
character, corresponding results on a large scale would ensue. Besides
which it was considered, that the employment of a military company on
the works, organized expressly for the purpose, would produce a great
saving of expense to the public; and also, that the men would be ready
to participate in any military operation for the defence of the place,
either as artificers or soldiers, should our relations with other
countries render it desirable.
Influenced by these considerations, Colonel Green submitted the
suggestion to the Governor and Lieutenant-Governor of Gibraltar. Too
well aware themselves of the disadvantages of the system of _civil_
labour in carrying on the works of The fortress, they were favourable to
the trial of any experiment that promised success; and in recommending
the plan to the attention of the Secretary of State, they expressed
their decided opinion that many advantages would certainly arise to the
service and the fortress by its adoption. The royal consent was
accordingly given to the measure in a Warrant, under the sign manual,
dated 6th March, 1772; and thus originated the corps, whose history is
attempted to be traced in these pages.
The Warrant authorized the raising and forming of a company of
artificers to consist of the following numbers and ranks, with the
regimental pay annexed to each rank:—
s. d.
1 Sergeant and as adjutant[1] 3 0 a-day.
3 Sergeants, each 1 6 ”
3 Corporals 1 2 ”
60 Privates, or working men skilled in the ”
following trades:—Stone-cutters,
masons, miners, lime-burners,
carpenters, smiths, gardeners, or
wheelers, each 0 10
1 Drummer 0 10 ”
——
68 Total.
And officers of the corps of engineers were appointed to command this
new body, to which was given the name of “The Soldier-Artificer
Company.”[2]
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Footnote 1:
The rank of sergeant and adjutant—an odd combination certainly—was not
adopted. The senior non-commissioned officer was styled
sergeant-major. The authority for this are the muster rolls and
returns of the company. But it is not a little remarkable that, in
opposition to the fact, evidence should exist of the best kind for
veracity, to oppose the averment. The error appears on a tablet built
in Charles the Fifth’s wall adjoining Hargrave’s parade at Gibraltar,
to the memory of the widow of the first sergeant-major of the corps.
Thus runs the epitaph:—
To the Memory of MARTHA, wife of
THOMAS BRIDGES, Sergeant, and as Adjutant
to His Majesty’s Artificers' Company.
She departed this life, 4th February, 1773,
Aged 38 years.
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A more loving wife or friend sincere
Never will be buried here—
Charitable she was to all,
Altho' her income it was small.
Excuse the stanza. Perhaps the sergeant-major was a tetchy man,
obstinate in maintaining his rights, and took this private opportunity
of asserting his warranted rank and publishing the military anomaly in
imperishable marble.
Footnote 2:
The Warrant does not designate the company by such a title. It is
there called “The Military Company of Artificers.” How the change took
place, does not appear.
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Each non-commissioned officer and man was to receive as a remuneration
for his labour a sum not exceeding two reals[3] a day in addition to his
regimental pay; but this extra allowance was only to be given for such
days as he was actually employed on the works.
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Footnote 3:
A real is equal to 4½_d._ English.
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The recruiting for the company was a service of but little difficulty,
as permission was granted to fill it with men from the regiments then
serving in the garrison; and although the company was restricted to the
taking of properly qualified mechanics of good character, yet, at the
end of the year, after supplying the places occasioned by casualties,
there were only eighteen rank and file wanting to complete. As vacancies
occurred, such of the soldiers of the garrison as came up to the
established criteria, and wished to be transferred into the company,
were allowed the indulgence; and this mode was the only one followed,
for filling up the soldier-artificers, for many years after their
formation.
The whole of the civil mechanics were not discharged from the department
on account of this measure. Such of them were retained as were
considered, from their qualifications and conduct, to be useful in the
fortress, and they were placed under the superintendence of the
non-commissioned officers of the company, who were appointed foremen of
the different trades. The foreign artificers were, with few exceptions,
dismissed; and twenty English “contracted artificers,” or “guinea men,”
were sent home. Previously, however, such of the good men of the number
as were willing to be “entertained” in the company were permitted the
option of enlisting, but none availed themselves of the offer.
The officers of engineers who were first attached to the company were
the following:—
Lieutenant-Colonel William Green, captain.
Captain John Phipps, Esq.
Capt.-Lieut. and Captain Theophilus Lefance, Esq.
Lieutenant John Evelegh.
And they were desired to take under their command and inspection the
non-commissioned officers and private men of the company, and to pay
particular attention to their good conduct and regular behaviour.[4]
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Footnote 4:
The order upon this subject is given at length, as it touches upon
other matters besides the discipline of the company.
_Chief Engineer’s Orders, Gibraltar, 31st May, 1772._
“By the Governor’s orders of the 20th May, the company of
soldier-artificers now raising and forming under the command of the
Chief Engineer as captain, Captain Phipps, Captain-Lieutenant Lefance,
and Lieutenant Evelegh, are appointed officers to the said company,
and are, therefore, conformable to their respective ranks, henceforth
to take under their command the conduct and inspection of the
non-commissioned officers and private men of the said company, and to
pay all sort of military attentions to their good order and regular
behaviour, according to the rules and discipline of war;[4a] also to
the particular standing orders, as well as to the accustomary
regulations of the garrison relative to all the required and expected
duties of a soldier and an artificer, both when on, as well as when
off, duty. Captain Phipps is also appointed to keep the accounts and
to see the company duly paid their full military subsistence. The
company to be paid conformable to His Majesty’s Warrant dated March
6th, 1772, upon the same footing as the rest of the troops in
garrison, viz., at seventy pence sterling the Mexico or Cobb,
agreeable to which, the non-commissioned officers and men are to be
paid weekly as follows, the deduction for the surgeon excepted:—
Sergeant-major 5 dollars, 3 reals, 3-1/7 quarts.
Sergeants—each 2 ” 5 ” 9-3/7 ”
Corporals—each 2 ” 0 ” 12-4/7 ”
Privates and drummer—each. 1 ” 4 ” 0
One-halfpenny sterling a-week to be stopped from each private and
drummer for the surgeon, and the non-commissioned officers to be
stopped in proportion to their respective pays.”
Footnote 4a:
No provision was made this year for extending the Mutiny Act to the
company; nor, indeed, was it noticed in any subsequent Act till 1788,
when its introduction gave rise to much discussion in the House of
Commons. The idea of subjecting artificers to martial law was attacked
with satirical bitterness by the eloquent Sheridan.
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On the 30th June, the date on which the company was first mustered, the
non-commissioned officers were—
Sergeant-major Thomas Bridges.[5]
Sergeant David Young, _Carpenter_.
Sergeant Henry Ince, _Miner_.