2nd Royal Cheshire Militia

The 2nd Royal Cheshire Militia was a militia infantry battalion raised in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England in 1853. Later linked to the regular Cheshire Regiment as its 4th (Militia) Battalion, the unit served in the Second Anglo-Boer War before disbandment in 1908.

History

• 25 July 1853: 2nd Royal Cheshire Militia raised in Macclesfield.
• 1 July 1881: Renamed 4th (Militia) Battalion, Cheshire Regiment.
• The battalion was embodied on 22 January 1900, and the following month travelled to South Africa to fight in the Second Anglo-Boer War. Subsequently awarded battle honour South Africa 1900-'02. Most of the battalion, 15 officers and 420 men, left Cape Town in April 1902 and arrived at Southampton the following month.^[1][2]
• 31 July 1908: Disbanded.

Commanding officers

The first commanding officer was Lieutenant-Colonel William Davenport Davenport, appointed 5 April 1853.^[3] Following Davenport's death, he was succeeded by George Cornwall Legh MP on 20 March 1869.^[4] On Legh's resignation Henry Brougham Loch was appointed lieutenant-colonel on 16 July 1873.^[5] In June 1884 Loch, by now knighted and governor of Victoria, Australia, retired and was made honorary colonel of the battalion.^[6] Cephas John Howard was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and commanding officer of the battalion in his place.^[7] Howard resigned his commission in March 1888.^[8] He was succeeded by Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Warren-Swettenham.^[9][10] In February 1900 he was succeeded by Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Harrop Beck of Upton Priory, who commanded the unit during the Boer War and was made a Companion of the Bath in September 1901.^[11][12] Beck resigned his commission in August 1903.^[13] The final commanding officer was Lieutenant-Colonel Henry M Nicholls, who was transferred to the unattached list when the battalion was disbanded in 1908.^[14]

Notes

1. "The War -Troops returning home". The Times (36751). London. 25 April 1902. p. 8.
2. "The War - Return of Troops". The Times (36764). London. 10 May 1902. p. 12.
3. The London Gazette: no. 21431. p. 1100. 15 April 1853.
4. The London Gazette: no. 23483. p. 2007. 30 March 1869.
5. The London Gazette: no. 23998. p. 3335. 15 July 1873.
6. The London Gazette: no. 25362. p. 2483. 6 June 1884.
7. The London Gazette: no. 25377. p. 3271. 18 July 1884.
8. The London Gazette: no. 25799. p. 1781. 23 March 1888.
9. The London Gazette: no. 25815. p. 2698. 11 May 1888.
10. A C Fox-Davies (1905). Armorial Families, A Directory of Gentlemen of Coat-Aremour (5 ed.). T C & E C Jack. p. 1431.
11. The London Gazette: no. 27164. p. 1004. 13 February 1900.
12. The London Gazette: no. 27359. p. 6326. 27 September 1901.
13. The London Gazette: no. 27588. p. 5154. 14 August 1903.
14. The London Gazette: no. 28140. p. 3884. 26 May 1908.

References

• Home, Robert (1978). Macclesfield as it was. Nelson, Lancashire: Hendon Publishing Co Ltd. ISBN 0-86067-032-5.
• "none". Macclesfield Times (Reel 31a). 6 June 1940.

External links

• Jeremy Sumner Wycherley Gibson; Mervyn Medlycott (2001). Militia Lists and Musters, 1757-1876: A Directory of Holdings in the British Isles. Genealogical Publishing Com. p. 14. ISBN 978-0-8063-1676-5.

Coordinates: 53°15′13″N 2°08′13″W / 53.25357°N 2.136883°W