Sources for further reading
Reference Books

 

 

   
    

8th  West India Regiment

The West India Regiments were often divided up into company strength to provide garrisons at various locations or different colonies. The Headquarters of the 8th West India Regiment were located at Orange Grove and Fort George, Trinidad during 1808. Details of a monthly return dated 1st February 1808 can be found below:

 
Location Field Officers Captains Subalterns Staff Officers Sergeants Corporals Drummers Privates
Orange Grove Trinidad 2 6 9 4 36 32 18 837
Fort George Trinidad 0 2 5 0 17 18 2 198

Barbados 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

Grenada 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

St. Vincent 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

Demerary
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

Total

2 8 14 4 53 50 20 939

 

The list is further broken down and gives the names of the Officers (all European) who were serving at the time with the 8th West India Regiment in Trinidad.

Monthly Return 1st February 1808 

Rank Forename Surname Location
Colonel Thomas Hislop Orange Grove
Lieutenant Colonel William Stewart Orange Grove
Lieutenant Colonel John Burke Fort George
Lieutenant Colonel James Campbell Orange Grove
Lieutenant Colonel Duncan McIntyre Orange Grove
Lieutenant Colonel William McEntagart Orange Grove
Captain George Thomson Orange Grove
Captain John Lagoutte Orange Grove
Captain John Merriott Fort George
Captain John Blood Fort George
Captain James B Galway Orange Grove
Captain John Keir Orange Grove
Captain John Dudgeon Orange Grove
Captain William Lorimer Fort George
Lieutenant John Donaldson Fort George
Lieutenant William Ryun Orange Grove
Lieutenant Thomas Corsbie Orange Grove
Lieutenant John Donavon Fort George
Lieutenant John Canning Orange Grove
Lieutenant John Sinclair Orange Grove
Lieutenant John Crosbie Orange Grove
Ensign Andrew Clarke Orange Grove
Ensign Andrew Kerwan Fort George
Pay Master George Christie Orange Grove
Adjutant George Taylor Orange Grove
Quarter Master Stewart Maxwell Orange Grove
Assistant Surgeon Roderick Stewart Orange Grove
Reference: UK Public Record Office
Document: WO 17/251

 

Statement of Pay 25th December 1807 to 25th March 1808

Rank Forename Surname Reason for Absence Comments
1st Muster 2nd Muster 3rd Muster
Colonel Thomas Hislop       Brigadier-General to the Staff
Lieutenant Colonel John A. Provost       Joined 24th February. Commanding Officer
Lieutenant Colonel William Stewart        
Major William Bowyer With leave With leave With leave  
Major Henry Houlton Not joined since appointed  
Captain John Burke Duty Duty    
Captain James Campbell   Duty Duty  
Captain Duncan McIntyre Sick Sick Died  Died 3rd March 1808
Captain William McEntagast        
Captain George  Thomson     Leave  
Captain John Lagoutte     Duty  
Captain John Harriott     Sick  
Captain Neil O'Donell Without leave Without leave Without leave  
Captain Thomas Walker Duty Duty Duty  
Captain Duncan McBean        
Lieutenant Samuel Green In arest Died   Died 26th January 1808
Lieutenant John Keir Duty   Duty  
Lieutenant John Sinclair        
Lieutenant John Corsbie        
Lieutenant James Murphy     Not joined since appointed Army Depot December 1807
Lieutenant George Gordon Without leave Without leave Without leave  
Lieutenant John Donaldson     Sick  
Lieutenant John Dudgeon Sick Sick With leave  
Lieutenant William Ryan        
Lieutenant John Donavon     In arest  
Lieutenant William Lorimer        
Lieutenant Donald McKinnon Prisoner of War      
Lieutenant John Blood     Sick  
Lieutenant John Cummings        
Lieutenant James Flannagan Without leave Without leave Without leave  
Lieutenant James B Galvay Resignation sent in  
Ensign Andrew Kerwan   Duty Duty  
Ensign Andrew Clark       (Spelling: Clarke)
Ensign Darby McGill Without leave      
Ensign James Mulhall Not joined since appointed  
Ensign John Richards Not joined since appointed  
Ensign Hon. K. Chapman Without leave Without leave Without leave  
Ensign William Henderson Without leave   Duty  
Ensign James Carr Without leave Without leave Without leave  
Ensign John Burke Not joined since appointed  
Ensign John Crosbie

Without leave

     
Ensign Edward Yates        
Adjutant William Taylor        
Quarter Master Stewart Maxwell        
Surgeon William Gallier Not joined since appointed  
Assistant Surgeon Roderick Stewart        
Pay Master George Christie        
Reference: UK Public Record Office
Document: WO 12/11568

Changes to the Officer establishment can be seen in the following list 18 months later. This was after the following actions in the Caribbean:

30th January to 24th February 1809.
Capture of Martinque from the French - British Force included 3 companies of the 8th WIR.
14th to 17th April 1809.
Capture of The Saints from the French - British Force included a detachment of the 8th WIR.
28th January to 6th February 1810.
Capture of Guadeloupe from the French - British Force included the 8th WIR. 

 

Statement of Pay 25th September 1810 to 24th December 1810

Rank Forename Surname Reason for Absence Comments
1st Muster 2nd Muster 3rd Muster
Colonel Thomas Hislop       Major-General to the Staff.
Lieutenant Colonel John A. Provost With leave With leave

With leave

 
Lieutenant Colonel William Stewart       Commanding Officer.
Major James Willock With leave With leave With leave  
Major James  Fraser With leave Without leave Without leave  
Captain Duncan McBean        
Captain William McEntagast Duty in Martinique   Att. Engineer Guadeloupe  
Captain George  Thomson Detachment in Antigua  
Captain John Lagoutte (Ajt.) 21st & 73rd Department at Antigua   
Captain John Harriott Aide de Camp to Major-General Hislop  
Captain F. O'Farrell With leave With leave With leave  
Captain Thomas Walker Civil Secretary to Major-General Hislop  
Captain G.A. Delhosle (Ajt). 21st & 73rd Department at St. Lucia  
Captain John Gray (Ajt.) 21st & 73rd Department at Antigua   
Captain R.J. Wingfield        
Lieutenant Edward William Jones        
Lieutenant William Macnamara        
Lieutenant Charles Mitchall        
Lieutenant John Corsbie        
Lieutenant Darby McGill        
Lieutenant John Blood Detachment in Antigua  
Lieutenant William Henderson Detachment in Antigua  
Lieutenant John Donaldson Sub-(Ajt.) 21st & 73rd Department at Trinidad   
Lieutenant William Lorimer Detachment in Antigua  
Lieutenant Hugh Maxwell Detachment in Antigua  
Lieutenant Edward Irvine With leave With leave With leave  
Lieutenant J. R. Rainer        
Lieutenant John Cummings        
Lieutenant George Gordon Detachment in Antigua  
Lieutenant John Dudgeon With leave With leave With leave  
Lieutenant Donald McKinnon Detachment in Antigua  
Ensign Alexanda McGuckin     Died Died 26th November 1810
Ensign Fraser Newton With leave With leave With leave  
Ensign M. McPherson        
Ensign Thomas Henry With leave With leave With leave  
Ensign Edward Hemsworth  With leave With leave With leave  
Ensign William Fennell        
Ensign Simon Fraser With leave With leave With leave  
Ensign Henry Bushman        
Ensign James Taylor Not joined since appointed With leave  
Ensign J. N. Hepburn

 

     
Ensign Gustavus Lowe     Not joined since appointed  
Adjutant William Taylor        
Quarter Master Stewart Maxwell With leave With leave    
Surgeon Henry Hamilton With leave With leave    
Assistant Surgeon James Thomas Detachment in Antigua  
Pay Master George Christie        
Reference: UK Public Record Office
Document: WO 12/11568

 

Fort George is located In the suburbs of Port-of-Spain, about 3 miles/5 km northwest of the city. The fort has been   renovated and was originally built in 1805 to protect the city against French and Spanish invasion. It has dungeons, cannons and military equipment on display, along with great views of the city. Two other forts, Fort Picton and Fort Chacon, are in the southeastern suburb of Laventille and are maintained ruins in varying degrees of preservation and restoration. 

The forts are open to the public but have no public telephones, office or guides.