The experience of British soldiers in the eighteenth century would have depended on where he was stationed, the time period and who he was fighting. The British Army underwent significant changes during the eighteenth century, mainly to ensure they would be able to perform well in the numerous wars that Great Britain participated in during the century, such as the War of the Spanish Succession, the War of the Austrian Succession, the Seven Years' War, the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary Wars.
Life for a British soldier was often harsh and unforgiving. Discipline was strict in the British Army, with harsh punishments commonly meted out for even minor offences. This was in part a reaction to the constant gambling, whoring, drinking and brawling that British soldiers participated in due to a variety of reasons. A significant amount of training was required before a British soldier was allowed to be sent into the field, while harsh, this allowed the British to become one the foremost powers in Europe by the end of the century.
A soldier in the army
British Grenadier of the 40th Regiment of Foot in 1767
The British Army in the 18th century was commonly seen as disciplined, regimented and harsh.[1] Camp life was dirty and cramped with the potential for a rapid spread of disease,[2] and punishments could be anything from a flogging to a death sentence. Yet, many men volunteered to join the army, to escape the bleak conditions of life in the cities, for a chance to travel the world and earn a regular wage.
There were a number of names used to describe the variety of groups serving within the army, including the militia, fencibles,[3] associations, volunteers, yeomanry, rangers, local militia and provisional cavalry.[4] Although many of the men rarely saw active service abroad, the army was often used as a constabulary force within the British Isles and it was often questioned whether a standing force was actually needed. However, the growth of the British Empire in the 19th century demanded the use of an established imperial force.
Nature of recruitment
See also: Recruitment in the British Army
During the 18th century, men who joined the army were recruited in a number of ways. The regular army used recruitment parties and occasionally press gangs to enlist men, while the militia regiments were raised by a ballot, a process that was established in the Militia Act of 1757: "Thirty-two thousand men, all of them good Protestants, were to be ... subjected to martial law in time of active service".[5] There were also many part-time forces, often called volunteers, and they were not in short supply.[6] Becoming a volunteer exempted men from the militia ballot and part-time service as a volunteer was certainly easier than disciplined life with the militia or regular army.
Motivations behind the volunteering nature were not solely patriotic, but also commonly economic.[7] Many men who joined as volunteers and went on to serve with the regular army were unemployed urban dwellers, and prospects of a standard income were better than none at all.[8] Tradesmen could be sure to make a tidy profit from selling their wares to the soldiers, and sutlers often became camp followers, following a regiment, while on campaign.[9] Certainly more applicable to the landed and wealthy gentlemen, fears of invasion also persuaded many to serve;[10] not so much to support the nation as a whole, but to preserve their own interests, money and property which could be lost if the enemy succeeded.
Officers
Main article: Social background of officers and other ranks in the British Army, 1750–1815
Many men who wished to become officers had to purchase their commission.[11] This was often seen as a "proof of gentlemanly status" as commissions were expensive – at approximately £450 – and usually only the wealthy could afford them, with landed families purchasing commissions for their sons.[12] John Cookson suggests that serving with the army did command a certain respect, and those men that became the holder of an office "could lay claim to the title of [being a] gentleman".[13] Therefore, self-interest, respect and status were enticing prospects for many who were to join the army. Only a small proportion of officers were from the nobility; in 1809, only 140 officers were peers or peers' sons.[14] A large proportion of officers came from the Militia,[14] and a small number were gentlemen volunteers, who trained and fought as private soldiers but messed with the officers and remained as such until vacancies (without purchase) for commissions became available.[15]
