Monthly Newsletter Issue 1 July 2024
Welcome to the first edition of our monthly newsletter, which outlines information on future events organised by the association, non-WA sponsored events, and other relevant information for members.
Last month the WA hosted its Midlands regional event at a new venue in Birmingham, which was a great success.
Below are upcoming events to add to your calendar:
Waterloo Association Study Day Leeds
Saturday 14th September 2024, 10:30am to 4:30pm
Venue: Royal Armouries (Leeds)
Rory Butcher – Home Defence in the French Revolutionary Wars.
For those not enlisted in the regular army, facing the French (or fever) during countless expeditions across the globe, the experience of warfare in the 1790s was largely shaped by their day-to-day lives within Britain and Ireland. Many, however, still wanted to serve their King and Nation, and so sought to join one of the branches which did not promise service overseas. This paper will examine the various elements of this network of defence, ranging from the civilian, part-time Volunteer and Yeomanry corps, to the “compelled” county militias, to the regular-esque fencible regiments, and consider how these forces interacted with each other throughout this unsettled and oft-overlooked period in history.
Dr Andrew Bamford – No Sinecure: A Regimental Colonel in the Napoleonic Era.
By the start of the nineteenth century, regimental colonelcies in the British Army were in many cases seen as a recognition of good service and a source of income. However, plenty of opportunity remained for an active colonel to make a real difference to the effectiveness of his regiment if he so desired. This talk uses the extensive correspondence of Sir James Steuart – successively colonel of the 12th Light Dragoons and 2nd Dragoons – to explore just what regimental colonels actually did and the impact that their interventions could have on the effectiveness of the regiments entrusted to them.
Carole Divall – Britain’s Spymaster: William Wickham and the French Revolutionary Wars.
Clausewitz may have written that politicians cause wars, while soldiers have to fight them, but both politicians and soldiers need information. In this respect, William Wickham played a vital role in the Wars of the First and Second coalitions. Based in Switzerland, he created a spider’s web that received and sent information which influenced the decisions of politicians and soldiers alike.
Rev Dr Paul Willcock – The French Cavalry Sword: From Klingenthal to Waterloo and Beyond.
The presentation will cover the history and development of the French cavalry sword 1792-1815 including its production and the types of sword deployed.
The iconic nature of these swords has led to their adoption by other nations and latterly many reproductions. The examination of markings will highlight how some of these may be identified.
Tickets are £6 and are available through Eventbrite.
Lunch is not provided, but there is both a cafeteria on site and a number of restaurants in and around the Royal Armouries itself. There is a large multi-storey car park close to the Armouries.
Booking via Eventbrite:
Booking via Eventbrite
Waterloo Association South-West Study Day in association with the Regional History Centre
Saturday 19th October 2024, 10am to 5pm
Venue: University of the West of England,
Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QY
Ian Chard – Bristol’s Band of Brothers: Local men in the Napoleonic Wars
Robert Pocock – At a gallop, march! Mercer’s Troop in the Waterloo Campaign
John Ellis – Black soldiers in the regiments of the South-West, 1792 – 1815
Tony Hodge – Lunchtime ‘Show and Tell’ (bring your period artefacts along!)
Mike Robinson – The Old French Prison at Stapleton
Andrew Field – The battle of Wavre, 1815
Col. Sir William Mahon – Cheltenham celebrity: the life and times of General Charles Lefèbvre-Desnoëttes.
The cost is £10 to Waterloo Association members, £15 to non-members.
Prior registration is essential through Eventbrite.
UWE Bristol is a short distance from the M4 (Junction 19), within easy reach from the M5, and has ample free parking. The local and national rail network is served from nearby Bristol Parkway Station and there are regular bus services to Bristol city centre.
Tea, coffee, and biscuits are provided at various times during the day. Lunch is not provided, but there are several shops that sell sandwiches, snacks, and drinks.
Booking via Eventbrite
The South-West in the Napoleonic Wars Tickets, Sat, Oct 19, 2024 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite
Waterloo Association Autumn Lecture Weekend
Friday 25th October to Sunday 27th October 2024
Venue: The Bull Hotel, Westgate, Peterborough, PE1 1RX
‘The French Revolution and the worldwide conflict that ensued, which was only brought to an end by
The battle of Waterloo retains a continuing fascination to this day. It was arguably the first modern global war, involving huge armies, and fought on land and sea. During this weekend we will particularly focus on the Peninsular War, Napoleon’s “Spanish Ulcer!” We will take a detailed look at the British soldier’s experiences during the war and the role of the Commissary department. There will be a detailed two part analysis of the battle of Talavera; the role of the Navy in the operations in the Peninsula; and for the first time we will look at the conflict from the Spanish perspective.
Lastly given the proximity of Norman Cross, the world’s first purpose built prisoner of war camp, we will include a visit to the Norman Cross Gallery at the Peterborough Museum on Saturday afternoon, in addition to the lecture on Prisoners of War.’
Gareth Glover – The British Soldiers’ Experience on Campaign
John Marsden – Spain under the Junta Suprema Central, September 1808 to January 1810
Paul Chamberlain – Norman Cross Prisoners of War
Andrew Field – Wellesley’s First Victory in Spain? The Battle and Campaign of Talavera Part I
Visit to Norman Cross Gallery at the Peterborough Museum
Andrew Field – Wellesley’s First Victory in Spain? The Battle and Campaign of Talavera Part II
Gareth Glover – The Life of a Commissary in the Peninsular – A Reappraisal
John Morewood – The Senior Service, the role of the Navy in the Peninsula.
Our venue, The Bull Hotel, is Peterborough’s premier hotel, and is the only AA recognised four star hotel in the city centre. Originally dating back to the 17th century, this grade two listed building has, over the years, been carefully restored and refurbished. The hotel is a ten minute walk from Peterborough railway station and offers free parking to hotel residents.
The cost includes full board, with two nights’ accommodation with breakfast, wine with dinner on the Friday and Saturday evenings, buffet lunches on Saturday and Sunday, and a donation to the Peterborough museum. The cost is based on a minimum attendance of 30 persons, with the estimated cost at £460 per single attendee, and £740 for two people sharing.
A deposit of £50 per person is required at time of booking with balance payable by the 15th of September 2024.
Expressions of interest and bookings should be sent to Steve Wright at: wa1815.sjw@gmail.com
Payments should be made to The Waterloo Association, Lloyds Bank, Sort Code 309829, Account No. 01053522; or sent by cheque to the Treasurer at 6 Rhiwederyn Close, Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff CF5 4TR.
Information on the above WA events is also available in the summer edition of the Waterloo Journal.
War and Peace in the Age of Napoleon Conference
Thursday 5th to Saturday 7th September 2024
Venue: York St John University Lord Mayor’s Walk, York, YO31 7EX
Full particulars on the conference which is being run jointly by the Napoleonic and Revolutionary War Graves Charity (NRWGC) and York St John University can be found at the following link on the website of the Charity.
https://www.nrwgc.com/conference
If you are a Member of the Association and are not receiving this by email please check your spam filter or let us know your email address. battlewaterloo@hotmail.co.uk
We hope to see you at some of these upcoming events.