The Napoleonic Wars

1803-15

Fear of invasion during this period reached every town in eastern England which was required by government to prepare a plan to move the population, deny supplies to the invader, and resist if possible.

The invasion never happened but, surprisingly, the various schedules for Bourne drawn up under the County Defence Act have survived and can be found in the Lincolnshire Archives. To understand the complexity of the problem it is important to appreciate the size of Bourne at that time and the figures are included in the census of 1801 when the present system of counting the population every 10 years was introduced. It shows a total of 1,474 (other sources suggest 1,664), comprising 694 males and 780 females split into 334 families living in 282 houses. Surprisingly, only 46 were employed in agriculture with 190 in trade, manufacturing or handicrafts, and 1,238 unclassified although the bulk of these undoubtedly had employment connected with the land in some way.

The first requirement of local officials was to draw up a list of what could be provided by the town in the way of food and supplies if needed by the defending army and 80 residents were listed together with the items at their disposal. A sample of the entries gives an example of what could be expected in the event of an emergency and the various contributions are also an indication of the wealth of the donor:

John Wright: 6 cows, 5 young cattle and colts, 4 sheep and goats, 30 pigs, 2 drafts horses, 12 loads of hay;
Thomas Shippey: 1 cow, 1 young cattle and colt, 11 sheep and goats, 10 pigs, 1 riding horse, 2 draft horses, 12 quarters of barley, 24 loads of hay;
Thomas Phillips: 50 sheep or goats, 3 riding horses, 40 quarters of wheat, 6 quarters of oats, 209 loads of hay, 1 load of straw;
Hargate Dove: 40 oxen, 3 cows, 10 young cattle or colts, 600 sheep or goats; 2 pigs, 2 riding horses, 13 draft horses, 4 wagons, 4 carts, 50 quarters of wheat, 100 quarters of oats, 70 quarters of barley, 40 quarters of beans and peas, 100 loads of hay, 3 loads of straw, 200 quarters of malt;
Jane Beecroft: 1 cow;
Widow Fairchild: 1 pig;
John Halford: 2 cows, 14 young cattle or colts, 70 sheep and goats, 2 pigs, 1 riding horse, 2 draft horses, 1 waggon, 1 cart, 10 quarters of wheat, 27 quarters of oats, 24 quarters of beans and peas, 20 loads of hay, 10 sacks of potatoes;
Richard Drewery: 4 pigs;
Edward Charles: 1 pig;
John Chamberlain: 26 oxen, 3 cows, 40 young cattle and colts; 500 sheep and goats, 19 pigs, 2 riding horses, 200 quarters of wheat, 100 quarters of oats, 350 quarters of barley, 20 quarters of beans and peas, 200 loads of hay, 30 loads of straw, 40 sacks of potatoes, 3 quarters of malt;
William Allcock: 2 cows, 3 pigs, 5 loads of hay;
Robert Pearson: 1 cow;
Daniel Booth: 2 cows, 4 young cattle, 2 pigs, 12 loads of hay;
John Chamberlain: 26 oxen, 3 cows, 40 young cattle and colts, 500 sheep and goats, 19 pigs, 2 riding horses, 8 draft horses, 4 wagons, 4 carts, 200 quarters of wheat, 100 quarters of oats, 350 quarters of barley, 20 quarters of beans and peas, 200 loads of hay, 30 loads of straw, 40 sacks of potatoes, 3 quarters of malt.

A system of accountability was also introduced with the appointment of overseers to check on the removal of wagons, cattle, horses and livestock and to take charge of any dead stock. The government considered this such an important part of their arrangements that a total of 59 overseers were appointed, five of them superintendents to ensure that the others carried out their work in a proper manner.

Corn and winding millers were put on standby to provide details of their flour and cloth production and how readily it could be made available while similar arrangements were made for the supply of bread from bakers who had to provide details of the number of 3 lb. loaves they could guarantee during each 24-hour period. To ensure that their ovens were in continual use, a list of six tradesmen who could supply faggots was also drawn up.

Barges and boats were also listed for the conveyance of troops, stores and equipment with Bourne having four owners operating a total of 16 craft, usually plying for trade between Bourne and Spalding.

The recruitment of soldiers was also a priority for the volunteer cavalry and infantry, forces to be used as part of the defence of England by backing up the regular army and their militia, but only in their own area and funded by private subscription. Part time military units were already operating in the county, notably the Bourne and Folkingham Squadron which also had a troop of cavalry raised by Thomas Rawnsley and the Bourne Loyal Volunteers. But more men were needed in case of invasion and the government appealed for volunteers among all males aged between 15 and 60 who were formed into troops and companies, although each member had to be approved by the civil authorities, in this case the Deputy Lieutenant of the county or the magistrates.

A remarkable 77 men volunteered and 48 of them were issued with firelocks, an early type of musket in which the priming was lit by sparks, although others equipped themselves with farm tools and other implements such as pitchforks, while 17 with their own horses said they were prepared to serve in the cavalry.

There was also a call for recruits to become pioneers, willing to act as labourers but also formed into companies under the command of officers. A total of 82 males, aged from 15 ands 60, volunteered, offering to bring with them various implements such as felling axes, saws, pickaxes, spades, shovels, scythes and billhooks and Robert Timson, landlord of the Fox and Hounds public house in Bourne, was appointed their captain.

Other non-combatants who volunteered were 14 men appointed as guides, “being mounted and chosen from among the most intelligent residents of the parish” while 14 members of the nobility, gentry and yeomanry, provided the finance and transport such as horses and wagons together with 28 servants to look after them.

THE EXISTING MILITARY UNITS

The Bourne and Folkingham Squadron was formed on 4th and 5th June 1794 and was probably the first of its kind in the county, thus premeditating the crisis that was to come. The commanding officer was Sir Gilbert Heathcote and the secretary Major A J Hart and the regular meeting place was at Rippingale Meadows although parades were also held throughout the area to maintain a public profile. The unit was also on standby to march to the prisoner of war camp that had been established close to the Great North Road at Norman Cross near Peterborough if the need arose. The camp was staffed by the regular militia but there was a possibility that these soldiers would be drafted to the east coast as a first line of defence in time of invasion. In the event, the call never came and Sir Gilbert gave a dinner to the men on 26th May 1802 to mark their retirement from active duty.

The Bourne troop was formed on 4th June 1794 when a meeting was held to receive the names of volunteers and by July 16th, a total of 58 men had enrolled. They exercised on July 13th at Bourne and by November 5th they had received their new uniforms ready for a squadron inspection by Lieutenant Colonel Bates on 7th July 1797. At an assembly on 25th March 1798, they agreed to a request from the Duke of Ancaster to extend their operational area during a French invasion and in May the following year, the troop met at Oakham in Rutland and during June that year they underwent 10 days of training at Stamford with the Folkingham troop.

The officers in 1794 were Captains Robert Heathcote and John Heathcote, Lieutenants James Digby, Robert Robinson, Cornets Thomas Rawnsley (promoted lieutenant in May 1799) and Benjamin Smith and Quarter Master John Barnes (promoted cornet in May 1799) and a total of 58 other ranks although some who were unable to serve provided others as substitutes and presumably funded the expense of supplying their uniforms. Rawnsley, a wealthy wool stapler from Bourne, is remembered today for his role in founding one of the cavalry troops and his former home in South Street is now known as Cavalry House.

The Folkingham troop was formed on 5th June 1794 when a meeting was held to receive names of those wising to join and a total of 62 enlisted.

There was also a mounted unit known as the Folkingham and Bourne Cavalry which was formed in 1794 and by 1803 the establishment was three troops of 55 men each consisting of one field officer, two captains, nine subalterns, nine sergeants and nine corporals giving an effective rank and file of 140.

The unit attended a general inspection at Folkingham on 10th February 1804 when the officiating officer was Colonel Murray. The following day, the unit received a standard from Lady Heathcote following a service of consecration in the market place. By 1st May 1809, the establishment was listed as three troops with one colonel, one lieutenant-colonel, one major, three captains, three lieutenants, three cornets, two quartermasters, nine sergeants, nine corporals, three trumpeters and 127 privates.

Sir Gilbert dissolved the Bourne and Folkingham Squadron on 29th March 1815 because of his parliamentary duties and the fact that he was spending so much time in London but almost 100 of the men held a meeting at the Bull Inn at Bourne on June 15th when it was decided to send him a petition requesting that the unit should stay in existence and that his son, Captain Robert Heathcote, take over command.

The Bourne Loyal Volunteers, a corps of infantry, was formed on 3rd August 1803 when a meeting was held at the Town Hall to recruit support. James Digby, who lived at the Red Hall, was appointed captain commandant with Hargate Dove and Thomas Phillips first lieutenants, John Dove and William Thorpe second lieutenants, John Richardson surgeon and Theophilus Williams secretary. One hundred men volunteered their services and £280 was donated towards the cost, a figure that had increased to £330 by early December, and the first general muster was held over the weekend of 12th-13th November 1803.

During the following year, the unit underwent 24 days of intensive training but a high proportion of the men did not complete the full period, either because it was too tough or because they had family and work commitments. It may also be that the original enthusiasm had worn off and in July 1808, when it was proposed that they all join the local militia, not one accepted. Then, at the annual inspection in June 1809, Lieutenant Colonel Colston warned the men that they would be liable for militia discipline if they did not attend drills and exercises which suggests that attendances were rather slack at that time.

By 1816, all volunteer units in England had been disbanded and were not revived for more than 30 years. Between 1848 and 1859, distrust of France as the dominant continental power, and the Duke of Wellington's warnings about the weakness of the regular forces, gave rise to a volunteer movement among the more prosperous middle class who formed numerous rifle volunteer corps, most of which were grudgingly recognised by the government. From 1859 until 1863, the War Office paid more attention to the movement and the various corps were formed into battalions for administrative purposes. Many corps dating from this period still survive as units of the Territorial Army.

* The Directory (or Directoire) held executive power in France from 2nd November 1795
until 10th November 1799.

NOTE: Oil painting of Napoleon in his Study by Jacques-Louis David (1812).

See also     The Bourne Volunteers     Cavalry House