Army regiment from Woolwich at Sheffield c 1831

[Gen List Lass]

Does anyone know whether an Army regiment possibly the 15th Battalion, Royal Horse Artillery was stationed at Sheffield about 1830-1831?

If so, why were they there?

Gen in NBL England

[findem]

Hi,

I'm wondering if it might have been a legacy of the Peterloo Massacre which was in Sheffield 1819, after that horrific event the government apparently were concerned there might be an insurrection.

Just a thought! 

Regards.

[philipsearching]

The "LOCAL REGISTER AND CHRONOLOGICAL ACCOUNT OF OCCURRENCES AND FACTS CONNECTED WITH THE TOWN AND NEIGHBOURHOOD OF SHEFFIELD" has the following entry for 1830:

Apr. 5. Third regiment of Dragoons removed from the barracks in Sheffield to York, and their place taken by the 10th Hussars.

http://home.us.archive.org/stream/localregisterchr00shef/localregisterchr00shef_djvu.txt

There may well have been other regiments stationed at the Hillfoot barracks or elsewhere in or around Sheffield at the same time - I would expect there to be infantry (regular army or militia) in addition to the mounted regiment.

In the late 1820s and into the 1830s the population was increasing in Sheffield, industrialisation was affecting employment and there were various social issues on which public meetings were held, including Catholic emancipation, the abolition of slavery, voting rights, food prices, and unemployment.

Before the formation of the Police, the army were routinely used to maintain public order and most towns would have had troops stationed in them (often from different counties in case local troops sympathised with local complaints!)

[BumbleB]

findem:  Peterloo was in St Peter's Field, Manchester on 16 August 1819!   

[macintosh]

Royal Horse Artillery had troops rather than battalions, so perhaps 15th troop Royal Horse Artillery.


James

[findem]

Hi BumbleB,

Oh dear another seniors moment 

Thanks for refreshing my memory regarding the place, I heard and read about that massacre  donkey's years ago, I was so horrified to think that it could have happened in England it's stayed with me.  Additional I was aware of of other social issues as philipsearching mentioned which made me wonder if sending artillery to or nearby other likely hot spots was a legacy of the Peterloo Massacre, just imagine how many more people they could kill with a battery of guns! 

Well at least my memory got the year and county right so perhaps I'm not loosing losing my marbles 

Regards

[sallyyorks]

You are right Findem about "insurrection". There was a very real threat of revolution at this time . There had been riots , food shortages. The government was afraid and had spies everywhere . In 1830 The Sheffield Anti Bread Tax Society was formed and would  be seen by government as a very real and serious threat  . This was at the start of The Chartist movement . By 1840 some Sheffield Chartists (as in other areas of England and Wales) had become armed and would be "drilling" and  preparing to use "physical force" (see The Sheffield Chartist Plot 1840)  , they even wore the colours of the  French Republic  at some meetings/riots  (Bingley for example) . "Drilling" (secretly by civilians) had been outlawed to deal with this  . So the date does fit with riot and drilling by the poor who were pretty much desperate and starving  . My latest topic is about this time in British history and i am hoping soon to post some links there related to it when i get some time off work to sort it out  , all the best everyone 

[Gen List Lass]

I've been watching all these replies with great interest, thank you to all contributors.

The reason for my original posting is that my ancestor married in Sheffield 1831.

I've just been rereading his discharge papers from the Royal horse Artillery:

In the year 1827, when stationed at Sheffield, and whilst on riding Drill, he was thrown from his horse and fell on his head."

He remained in the Artillery until 1846 but by 1832 he was in Athlone, Ireland.

I didn't know anything about this Peterloo Massacre or the Sheffield unrest. I knew about the revolutionary fever that was sweeping Europe and the fear that Bastille-like proceedings would happen in England.

If he was stationed at Sheffield would he be barracked or under canvas?

Gen in NBL England

[philipsearching]

If he was stationed at Sheffield would he be barracked or under canvas?

Hillfoot barracks was a permanent building from 1794 until it was replaced by a new building, the Hillsborough barracks, in 1848.  If there was a shortage of accommodation it would be likely that mounted regiments and those with heavy equipment would be quartered in barracks and infantry would either be billeted on the local population or in tents.  I think it is a fairly safe assumption that the RHA would have been stationed in Hillfoot barracks.

All the best
Philip