Muster Books and Pay Lists (WO 12/1306): 17th Light Dragoons: 1772-1783

War Office 12, generated by the Commissary General of Musters Office, comprises the Household troops, the cavalry, Guards and regular infantry regiments of the line; as well as, special regiments or corps, colonial troops and various foreign legions and troops.

The muster rolls record the name, rank, military station and pay period of each soldier while they were with the regiment. They were prepared by the commanding officer of each company of a regiment for the purpose of paying the officers and soldiers. During a muster, each man was physically checked against his name on the roll and a note was made if their circumstances had changed since the last muster, for example, on duty, recruiting, sick, furlough, deserted, transferred or died. In addition, notes related to officers include promoted, absent, and resigned. Pay lists record rate of pay.

Two cavalry corps have been numbered as the 17th. The second, originally called the 18th, was renumbered the 17th Light Dragoons in 1769. The Colonels written on these musters are Lieutenant General George Preston, late of the Scots Greys, 1770-82; and Lieutenant General Honourable Thomas Gage, 1782-5; the Lieutenant Colonel named is Samuel Birch; the Majors are Samuel Birch, Harry Bishopp, Richard Crewe, Oliver Delancey and Robert Archdale. While stationed in Ireland, the regiment was the first cavalry selected to proceed to North America on the outbreak of hostilities between Britain and her American colony. Shortly after landing at Boston in May 1775, it was engaged successfully at Bunker Hill. It contributed throughout the war, such as in the Long Island campaign in August 1776 which forced the Americans out of New York, and one detachment, in December 1779, was attached to Lieutenant Colonel Banistre Tarleton's British Legion in the southern campaign. The regiment returned to Ireland in 1783.