raising of this company are not to be found; and whether the usual
public meetings were held and the neighbourhood asked for subscriptions
as a preliminary business, with the subsequent formation of committees
of management and drawing up rules, &c., as was customary generally,
is not shown. On the Groves, of Zeals House (whose estates, including
the town of Mere, bordered on those of the Duke of Somerset), appears
to have fallen almost all, if not quite all, of the trouble and
expense of raising and equipping this corps. The heir to the dukedom
of Somerset had raised and equipped a very fine body of men from his
father's properties at Maiden Bradley and Silton, and not improbably
this led the young squire of the adjacent property to attempt the same
thing, more especially as knowing that he could get advice and valuable
assistance from his neighbour and friend, Lord Seymour, the captain of
the newly-raised corps of rifle volunteers, with their headquarters at
Maiden Bradley.
It is very clever now in people to discover that in a neighbourhood
such as Mere and Bradley there was too sparse a population from which
to form and keep up two rifle corps, and that to have always sixty
efficients on your roll entailed the necessity for very many more
useless appendages being within hail. The young squire of Zeals House,
at that time just obtaining a commission in the Guards as ensign and
lieutenant, managed, without much difficulty, from among his tenants
and the tradesmen and mechanics of the small town of Mere, to get
together the required number wherewith a company or corps could be
formed; and, as is shown by letters, asked Lord Seymour to advise him
on what next was to be done, as he was anxious that all should be
performed well and quickly. At the time the possibility of invasion
was never doubted, and those knowing the horrors of being invaded, or
after thought and consultation, saw how exposed and really unprotected
we were, dreaded losing the time necessary for the proper training and
equipping of the new force through the red-tapeism and prejudices of
War Office subordinates. Then, as now, the navy was our great stand-by,
and was our first, and with the regulars abroad, our only line of
defence; the militia being, generally speaking, too ill-trained to be
quite reliable. We have now improved our regulars, militia, and added
a huge multitude of fairly-instructed volunteers. We have, too, a navy
more powerful than any other single nation, but other peoples have
increased and improved their armies, and as regards their navies and
mercantile marine have advanced as much if not more than ourselves,
and things which were doubtfully possible thirty years ago may now be,
comparatively speaking, not a very difficult matter to realize.
In 1859 we were pushed hard by the mutinies in India, had scarcely
recovered from the effects of the Crimean War, and the reduction
of our forces to a peace establishment, and knowing our unprepared
condition, the nation then, through the voice of Parliament, insisted
on information from the Government of the day as to how we really
stood, and in the event of prevailing reports becoming true, in what
manner they were prepared to meet the emergency; the stereotyped answer
being received, "that in due course of time all would be arranged, and
that the departments were in perfect order, having worked hard, and
were working most judiciously and economically," the country took upon
itself to see things in their proper light, and knowing that invasion
was possible, raised the Volunteer Force.
That Volunteer Force we still retain. They have become a well-trained,
reliable, and very valuable body of men, but fitted only for garrison
duties. The infantry are clothed and equipped but for the day--having
neither boots nor underclothing, and in too many cases stamina, such as
would enable them to undergo one week's exposure in bad weather or in
winter before an active and terribly resolute enemy. The artillery are
without guns, and ignorant of the use of field guns, nor have they the
means of moving light guns or guns of position, even had they all been
instructed in their use. The broken reed of trusting to neighbouring
farmers, brewers, omnibus proprietors, &c., for horseflesh is sure to
fail. It cannot be otherwise. On a sudden call all would be brought
together, new to their work and new to each other. Men, drivers,
horses, with harness and equipments probably obsolete, not unlikely
rotten, and fitting so badly as to produce nothing but pain and galls.
One day's march means two days' halt under such circumstances. If the
fleet were badly beaten in the Mediterranean, or even in the eastern
seas, the demand for assistance would be made on the home authorities
and the number of vessels guarding the Channel considerably diminished,
weakened, or rendered powerless by a call for their services elsewhere;
in other words, the _complete_ command of the Channel lost, and this
being so, invasion is not only possible, but most probably would occur.
A few heavily-armed vessels as guard-ships, and with less than two
hundred thousand tons of shipping at the enemy's disposal, one hundred
thousand men could be landed with ease, perfectly equipped and ready
for action on very many parts of our shores. The voyage is short, large
steamers, probably of low power but adapted for troops, and various
other vessels would be obtained without difficulty; and, as before
observed, with the command of the Channel no longer in English power,
would again and again repeat the voyage, not improbably with impunity,
or at best with feeble opposition.
To oppose these, what have we? Literally nothing. The attack on our
shores or the defeat of our fleet is not likely to occur at the onset
of the war. It would be later on, when all of our regulars have been
despatched to India, Egypt, and perhaps the Colonies, and when the
best of the militia, both artillery and infantry, have been detailed
for garrison duty at Gibraltar, Malta, &c., leaving this country to be
defended by the rawest of recruits raising for the regular army, a few
militiamen, terribly out at elbows in every way, and the volunteers,
without commissariat, without hospital arrangements, without
fully-trained officers, without a sufficiency of good and useful
clothing from boots upwards, and not improbably without repeating
rifles and a sufficiency of ammunition. Add to this, artillerymen
without guns, or knowledge of how such are used in the field, horsed
from the plough, cabs, carts, omnibuses, &c., and it is not too much
to say that to oppose the advance of an enemy, once landed, on London
or elsewhere, we have nothing to bring. Brave men enough, but mere
bravery is foolery in modern warfare. Skill and perfect arrangements
are now necessary to secure victory, and as the demand for the service
of our volunteers would be sudden, so would they be unprepared for
the task before them. All, all, sick or well, well skilled or badly
drilled, shod in slippers or serviceable boots, would be hurriedly
summoned, and not improbably, without test or examination of any sort,
time not allowing it, would be confronted with the enemy; and after one
week's exposure to fighting constantly, picket duties, and camping out,
die off like flies. However, this is a digression, and we will return
to the raising and training of the 8th or Mere Corps of Wiltshire
Rifle Volunteers. The excuse for having left the path must be that our
present time strangely resembles that of 1859, when we, the people,
were left to our own resources, and by prompt action staved off or, as
far as we know, absolutely knocked the idea of a successful invasion on
the head. It is our duty now, as then, to look matters boldly in the
face; to calculate all the pros and cons of the case, and not be led
astray from what we in our hearts believe to be necessary, and should
be done, regardless of the money it may cost, or of giving umbrage
either to political parties or neighbouring nations.
So far then as can be gathered, the greater part of the difficulty of
raising the 8th Corps fell upon its future commander, Chafyn Grove,
Esq., of Zeals House. His friend and neighbour, Lord Seymour, had got
together an excellent body of men from the tenants of his father's
property on the Maiden Bradley and Silton estates; and, with the
experience of Lord Seymour to guide him, it is not surprising that
Mr. Grove should have resolved to try and raise an equally useful and
good corps from Zeals. It only required men and money, and these being
obtainable, Mr. Grove addressed his neighbour with regard to what was
next to be done. The advice and guidance asked for was promptly given,
and right sensible advice was it that emanated from the future heir
to the dukedom of Somerset. Lord Seymour foresaw events, and told the
young squire of Zeals how his wishes could be carried out. He let him
see plainly, that it was and probably would be an expensive experiment,
and that so far from the Government of the day giving assistance, they
would offer obstructions. At Mere were a goodly number of recruits to
be found, and also from the men employed on the property and among the
tenants; but the majority of these were too poor to be able to afford
the expense incidental to the loss of time in attending drills, or
finding anything for themselves. Patriotism they had plenty of, but it
required to be supported by anybody's purse excepting their own, and
patriotism, like other valuable articles, diminishes under difficulties.
In a letter, dated 2nd January, 1860, addressed by Mr. Grove to Lord
Seymour, we find that the young squire of Zeals is just in the first
throes of volunteer corps raising. He has got the men, and asks advice
regarding colour and prices of uniform and accoutrements, and in reply,
is not only warned against being misled by cheap advertisements of
these articles, but is let into the secret that before his recruits
can be accepted, he must satisfy the Government that he has provided
all that is necessary for their future efficiency; which now no longer
entailed finding a rifle or gun of some sort or another for each man,
as rifles and bayonets would be found by the War Office; but included
a practice-ground, with targets, &c., of at least two hundred yards in
extent, an armoury, safe from attack, and an armourer to look after
the arms, a magazine safe and secure, and various other matters, all
of which would cause delay and be most vexatious. Lord Seymour says:
"You have told me nothing about your rules, excepting about entrance
fees. I am improving my first set, and I strongly urge this as a rule:
'That all gentlemen wishing to join as volunteers send in their names
and the amount they intend to subscribe to the funds,' their becoming
members being left to the committee's approval."--Adding, after some
explanations, "Unless the committee keeps the power of admittance or
non-admittance into the corps in their own hands, it is, in fact,
pledged to dress and equip any number of men who may pay two shillings
and six-pence, and obtain for it three or four pound's worth of
clothing."
Again Lord Seymour observes: "The demands on the general fund will be
very heavy. In Devonshire, I am told, the ammunition alone costs 10_s._
per man a year. Believe me, a small number of men, well equipped, is
the most promising beginning for a company. You say your uniform will
only cost 48_s._ per man, including belts. Certain outfitters offer
these things, but somehow they manage to make the price higher later
on. Lord Elcho's 28_s._ suit may have been made as an advertisement.
Neither he nor anyone else will get a serviceable suit for that money.
10_s._ belts are bad. All I have seen allow the cartridges to rattle
about in the front pouch."
A few days after this, certain rules were sent to the Lord Lieutenant
of the County by Mr. Grove for approval, and were sanctioned, as
"nearly approaching those recommended by the Government," and at the
same time the sender was informed, that the commission of Captain would
be given to him, and eventually an inspector sent down to see that the
place selected is "eligible for exercise, and to ascertain the fitness
of the man appointed for the custody of the arms."
As the inspector was long in coming, and the _Gazette_ silent as to
his promotion, Mr. Grove again addressed his lordship on the cause;
but the reply, dated the 20th April, gave him to understand that there
had been no unnecessary delay in his being gazetted, in the acceptance
officially of the corps, or of the despatch of the inspecting officer;
but there had been much extra work in the departments, and "the
acceptance of the services of No. 8 Corps of Wiltshire Rifle Volunteers
was only communicated to the Lord Lieutenant 'on the 16th of this
month.'"
Captain Chafyn Grove was told to select two gentlemen for the
commissions of Lieutenant and Ensign, and after various further
delays, the _Gazette_ informed the public that William Chafyn Grove,
Esquire, was to be Captain, E.A. Card, gentleman, to be Lieutenant,
and John White, gentleman, to be Ensign, in the 8th Corps Wilts Rifle
Volunteers--Head quarters, Mere. Among the earliest to join as members
of the corps were, Messrs. Alford, Barnes, Baker, Burpitt, Cards,
Careys, Cowards, Cole, Dowding, Farthing, Foot, Green, Glover, Jupes,
Keates, Landers, Larkam, Maidments, Mitchells, Markey, Merriman,
Meaden, Perrett, Pillinger, Randall, Read, Roberts, Rogers, Seymour,
Sharp, Tilt, Toogood, Topp, Waters, White, Wickham. The corps was
formed, drilled, and had attended one or two neighbouring assemblies
before its officers appeared in the _Gazette_, and was in good order
and strength when called upon as one of the corps or companies to make
up the 1st Administrative Battalion Wilts Rifle Volunteers. The musters
for company-drill, held at least once a week at the head quarters,
Mere, were well attended, and the target practice not neglected: but
it was with Mere, as with the company at Bradley, a difficult matter
for all to attend regularly at drills, as the distances of men's homes
from Mere, the head quarters, was often great, and entailed no little
expenditure of time, trouble, and only too often absolute money out of
pocket on the volunteer himself.
It was these ever-increasing expenses in attending home drills,
battalion drills, general assemblies, and camps which ultimately caused
many corps to die out. The initial expenses of an individual or of a
committee, in raising such a body of men, finding practice-grounds,
targets, ammunition, clothing, accoutrements, &c., were heavy, and
were willingly met; but when it came to men being away from their work
for a week at a time in camp, or autumn manœuvres, or hiring wagons,
and paying very large railway fares five or six times in the year,
the scattered corps began to get few recruits, and gradually fell
off in efficiency and numbers. Owing to the death of its founder and
captain, W. Chafyn Grove, Esq., much of the needful support was gone,
and notwithstanding every exertion was made by his family to revive
the company, yet little was the success. The addition of the Silton
estates to the Zeals properties added a few more men, but they served
unwillingly. Their hearts were with their first love, the corps which
they had helped to raise, the 6th, with its head quarters at Maiden
Bradley, and so, after a while, their advent was of little account, and
No. 8 Corps resumed its fading aspect.
Lieutenant Card and Ensign White did their best to keep the company
together, and, at no little expense to themselves and others, succeeded
in bringing a fair number of men to battalion drills and local reviews.
Troyte Bullock, Esq., accepted the vacant commission of Captain, and
attached himself to the Guards with a view of acquiring a knowledge of
the various drills and practices recently introduced, and commanded
the company on the occasion of its last attendance at camp, and
such portions of it as proceeded to the autumn manœuvres, held on
the borders of Wilts and Dorset, taking part in the various defeats
and victories, and being left ingloriously with his men to guard a
haystack, whilst the divisions pushed on to complete the victory over
the northern army at the battle of Wishford.
It was useless to contend against fate, and the 8th Corps, with its
head quarters at Mere, ceased to exist in 1878, just two years later
than that which witnessed the same disaster in the 6th Corps, with its
head quarters at Maiden Bradley.
9TH CORPS. BRADFORD-ON-AVON.
The rifle movement, now general throughout Great Britain, was showing
itself in the quaint old town of Bradford-on-Avon. Some towns and
cities in the county, and indeed some villages in the country, had
advanced further in corps-making than had the men of Bradford; but
perhaps nothing beyond a low number in the county rifle volunteers
was lost by it, but very much experience gained, and needless expense
avoided. Doubtless, in 1859, there was no time to be lost in putting
the country into a state of defence, and making some arrangements by
which an advance of an enemy into the heart of the land should be
stayed, even if a landing on the shores could not be prevented. It
was plain, very plain, and all the more from becoming so suddenly,
that if the vapouring of the French turned into a reality, and war was
declared, the country was quite unprepared for such. Her army at home
reduced to a handful, with the greater portion of it in India crushing
out mutiny; the militia, where not embodied, weak, badly officered,
and really untrained; and the navy in a transition state, between
wood and iron, sailing and steam. It was no good shutting one's eyes
to the fact: the country was terribly open to invasion; and as the
invaders were not likely to send any but their best and most efficient
soldiers to attempt the subjugation of that country whose word was law
to almost the whole world, it behoved every citizen to aid, either in
means or person, in the defence of his home. It was no time to tax the
Government or Governments with having thrown dust in the eyes of the
people, and said all was well when things were very far from being
so, and that not only were the army, navy, fortifications, and all
appertaining thereunto, amply sufficient to meet any demands made upon
them, but that economies ought to be practised. The people of Great
Britain had to do then what they have to do now, to take things as they
find them, and, liking it or disliking it, set about putting their
house in order.
It was harder in 1859 to say what was best to be done than it is now.
Money and labour can overcome much of the present difficulties, but
then the only thing to do was to raise an army, and that army on the
very shortest notice to be such as not only could be trusted with
the national defence, but be able to co-operate with the regulars
in the defence of their native land. Some advocated the training
of gamekeepers, and sportsmen generally, with, we suppose, a small
sprinkling of poachers to keep up _esprit de corps_, others were
for arming every old pensioner, and not a few for purchasing the
services of foreigners, as was done in the early wars with Napoleon,
and more recently in the Crimea. Danger was at the door: for years
prognosticated, and for as many pooh-poohed, or denied altogether;
and now that it was so near, it found none so weak and wavering, none
so helpless and unwilling to meet the emergency, as the individuals
causing it. They simply stood by, wringing their hands, and left each
and all to arrange as they best could, provided it cost the State
nothing.
Notwithstanding the backwardness of the Government and their inability
to see the absolute necessity of immediate action by raising some
force less long in making efficient, and of a different class in
life to regulars or militia, the country commenced with the greatest
activity; and as rifle corps had been decided upon as both useful and
dependable, few towns of any size but had such forming. In Wiltshire
some progress had been made in the movement at Salisbury, Trowbridge,
Malmesbury, Devizes, &c., and now Bradford followed suit by calling a
public meeting on 19th December, 1859, "for the purpose of promoting
the formation of a local volunteer rifle corps."
E. Edmonds, Esq., was unanimously called to the chair, and was
supported by most of the influential gentlemen of the neighbourhood
and others residing in the town. On the platform were the Right Hon.
T. Sotheron Estcourt, M.P., R.P. Long, Esq., M.P., Rev. W.H. Jones,
Vicar, Rev. J. Wilkinson, Rev. W. Popham, Rev. E.D. Whigfield, Captain
Rook, Captain Pickwick, Dr. W. Adye, A. Adye, Esq., G. Forster, Esq.,
W. Beavan, Esq., J. Gee, Esq., T. Taylor, Esq., Mr. Neal, and others.
After a very enthusiastic speech from the chairman, Captain Rook moved
that the rifle movement of the country he supported, and Mr. Forster,
of Holt, in seconding the motion, offered his services in any way by
which they could be rendered most useful. Mr. Sotheron Estcourt, Mr.
A. Adye, Captain Pickwick, and Mr. Richard Long, of Road Ashton, spoke
on the occasion, and finally a committee of management to collect
subscriptions and to make the necessary arrangements was appointed, and
the following subscriptions were announced: The Earl Manvers, £50; the
Right Hon. T. Sotheron Estcourt, M.P., £10 and the equipment of five
men; Walter Long, Esq., M.P., Road Ashton, £10; the Rev. Edward Brown,
of Farley, £5.
Subscription books were issued, and gentlemen undertook to canvass
the town, special books being kept for ladies willing to assist in
raising the rifle corps. These prove, as indeed was exhibited all over
the country, that ladies were most earnest in the matter, and their
five-pound notes, guineas, and lesser subscriptions helped not a little
to start the good cause. In one of the Bradford collectors' books,
in which the ladies are asked to subscribe towards the purchase of
uniforms, a sum of nearly £20 is put down; and in another, where it is
pointed out that a certain band requires uniforms to enable it to join
the rifle corps, no less a sum than £43 12_s._ is entered.
There was another meeting held on the last day of December, 1859, and
there, as was generally done elsewhere, after finding that sufficient
names had been enrolled to form a company, they proceeded to elect
the officers of the company--not being aware that the election of
officers to command men is contrary to certain rules and regulations.
The committee could recommend for the position of captain a gentleman
to the Lord Lieutenant, and this gentleman, if appointed captain,
could again recommend certain gentlemen as subalterns. The result of
this electing officers was, that Mr. Edmonds, of Berryfield House,
was selected as captain, with Captain Pickwick and Mr. Forster, of
Holt, as subalterns. Captain Pickwick having been in the regular army
and having seen service at the Cape, besides knowing a soldier's work
well, at once refused to serve in a subordinate capacity, and that
under a civilian; so Mr. Edmonds resigned, and ultimately Captain
Pickwick was appointed to the command of the company, with Mr. Forster
as lieutenant, and Mr. A. Beavan ensign. Among the first appointed
non-commissioned officers were, as sergeants, E. Neale, Cursen,
E. Scrine, J. Poole, with D. Hole, T. Butterworth, G. Hallet, as
corporals. However, changes had to be made; and whilst Wm. Adye, Esq.,
M.D., was appointed hon. assist.-surgeon, and the Rev. J. Jones, M.A.,
chaplain to the corps, Messrs. Applegate and Geo. Adye were promoted
sergeants to fill existing vacancies.
The first meeting of the corps for drill purposes was on the 24th
January, 1860, at Mr. Spackman's dyehouse, and as every man thought
it necessary to come armed with a gun of some sort, and also as with
this gun (perhaps an old flint musket of the Georges' time, or a flimsy
single-barrel sparrow-killer) he was to go through the manœuvres and
platoon, and appear in the ranks generally, the teaching of musketry
must have been utter foolery, and the movements of our Bradford
volunteers somewhat ludicrous. However, these like other volunteers
survived the ridicule, and notwithstanding _Punch's_ "Who shot the
dog?" and the wondrous wit displayed by street boys, or by those
disliking the movement, but whose position and education should have
taught them better, drilled steadily on, and on the 17th May made their
first appearance before the public in full uniform, doubtless to the
gratification and admiration of themselves and relatives.