Ensign in Newfoundland

[Eyesee]

According to his father John Clapham's loyalty claims in the mid 1780s, his fourth son was an Ensign in Newfoundland.

Believe this to be William CLAPHAM, born 1764 in Annapolis, Maryland. The family had returned to England from NYC in 1780.

Have not found anything else about him other than a possible promotion for an Ensign William CLAPHAM in the 35th Regiment of Foot in 1790 to Lieutenant. This was found in a newspaper notice listing a number of military promotions - Caledonian Mercury Thursday, Sep 2, 1790.

Can anyone please point me to where I could find out where the 35th was about 1790, or if they were ever in Newfoundland.

Thanks
Ian C

[Andy J2022]

According to Regiments.org (via the Internet Archive) the 1st battalion of the 35th were in the following locations during the last quarter of the 18th century:
1775    American revolution (see below)
1778.12    West Indies: St. Lucia    
1779.01    St. Lucia    garrison duty
1783    St. Lucia    
1785    England    
1791    Ireland    
1794    West Indies    
1795    Gibraltar    
1796    England

For more detail on their involvement in the American Revolution / American War of Independence this extract from Wikipedia is based on the 1873 book by Richard Trimen, entitled An Historical Memoir of the 35th Royal Sussex Regiment of Foot. Southampton: The Southampton Times Newspaper and Printing and Publishing Co. (pp 48-61)

The regiment returned to America arriving at Boston in April 1775 for service in the American Revolutionary War. It suffered tremendous casualties at the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775: of the Light Infantry, all officers and non-commissioned officers were killed or wounded and of the Grenadier Company only five soldiers were alive and unscathed. The regiment suffered the hardships of the siege of Boston in spring 1776 before sailing to New York and taking part in the Battle of Long Island in July 1776 and the Battle of Harlem Heights in September 1776. The commanding officer of the regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Carr, was killed at the Battle of White Plains in October 1776 and, under fresh command, the regiment fought again at the Battle of Fort Washington in November 1776. It saw action in the Philadelphia campaign during much of 1777 and then sailed for the West Indies in July 1778.

The second battalion was not reformed until 1799 and thereafter was only employed in the Napoleonic Campaign in Europe.

[ShaunJ]

Ensign William Clapham was appointed to 35th Regiment in October 1787, "from the Half Pay of Pringle's late Corps"

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/12926/page/463

[ShaunJ]

Pringle's Corps in Newfoundland in 1782

https://loyalist.lib.unb.ca/record/letters-america-and-west-indies-wo-1684-1780-1784#:~:text=Lieutenant%20Colonel%20Pringle%27s%20Corps%20of%20Foot.%20Three%20companies%20raised%20since%2020%20September%201780%20and%20serving%20in%20Newfoundland%20are%20to%20be%20put%20on%20the%20British%20Establishment%20and%20serve%20for%20the%20protection%20of%20the%20Island%2C%205%20May%201782

[Eyesee]

Thanks Andy and ShaunJ.

Looks like it is the right William, gone from Pringles Corps in Newfoundland to 35th. In 1787 they look like they were in England.

He had an older brother that ended up in the West Indies so he could have stayed there as well.

Thanks
Ian C

[Eyesee]

Just been looking through the Gazette and found him a few more times.

Transferred from 35th to Captain Fane's Independent Company in 1793, in Ireland?

Believe William died before 1811 as he is not mentioned in his father's will made in 1811.

Ian C

[Eyesee]

Looks like he might have died in 1797 as there is a notice in the Gazette 23 May for Ensign Robert Christie of the 35th to be a Lieutenant, vice Clapham deceased.

1797 they are back in England.

Some more digging to do.

Ian C

[Eyesee]

Looks like the 35th left Martinique in July 1795, some bound for England the rest to Gibraltar.

Left Gibraltar November 1796 for England, mainly Portsmouth, but also Leeds and Beverley in Yorkshire.

How long would it have been after an officer died, would their replacement be gazetted.

Thanks
Ian C

[Andy J2022]

How long would it have been after an officer died, would their replacement be gazetted.

The officer's commission into the 35th Foot would probably have been purchased, therefore it would have formed part of his estate when he died. Assuming that the 35th was a popular choice, the commission would have been sought after, especially as this was at a time when war with France seemed highly likely. This means that the commission would probably have been sold fairly quickly - it was literally a case of dead men's shoes - and the notification to the Gazette by the Military Secretary would have been done within days, I suspect.