Muster Books and Pay Lists (WO 12/4493): 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot: 1765-1783

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.

The 29th served under various colonels’ names until designated the 29th Regiment of Foot by 1751. Leaving Ireland in 1765, the 29th sailed to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where it remained until 1768 when it was ordered to Boston. On the evening of March 5, 1770, men of the 29th Grenadier Company under the command of Captain Thomas Preston took part in the Boston Massacre. In this incident five colonists died and Prescott and the men were put on trial. In 1771 a light company was added to the regiment, then stationed in Florida. The 29th returned to England in 1773 but in 1776, under the command of Lt. Col. Patrick Gordon, embarked for Quebec, at that time besieged by the Americans. On July 25 Gordon was mortally wounded; Lt. Col. Thomas Carleton of the 20th Regiment of Foot took over command. During their stay in Quebec the 29th attacked Americans at Trois Rivieres, Sorel and Montreal. In October it embarked on board the Thunderer, Inflexible, and Carlton and was present in the several naval actions on Lake Champlain, for example, the Battle of Valcour Island.

In the Saratoga Campaign of 1777, the flank companies of light infantry and grenadiers formed part of General Bourgoyne's ill-fated expedition to gain military control of the strategically important Hudson River valley. They were actively engaged at Hubberton, Stillwater, and Saratoga, at which they were interned. At the Battle of Saratoga, which included the Battles of Freeman's Farm and Bemis Heights, the grenadiers were under the command of Major Acland; the light companies were commanded by Major Lord Balcarres.

During the planning of Sir John Johnson's October raid on the Mohawk Valley in 1780, Sir Frederick Haldimand, Governor-General of Quebec Province, felt a diversion was needed to draw off a major portion of the Rebel militia. To that end, Haldimand ordered Major Christopher Carleton to lead a force down the Champlain Valley into the upper Hudson River area. Fort Anne surrendered. Carleton continued south along the upper Hudson destroying farms, mills, and livestock on the way. While returning to Lake Champlain from Saratoga, he captured Fort George at the southern end of Lake George on October 11th. The headquarters and battalions companies were employed in Canada throughout the war and thereafter until the 5th of October, 1787 when it departed for England. In 1782 the 29th received the county designation Worcestershire Regiment.