Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 23, 1709. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1949.
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'Introduction', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 23, 1709, ed. William A Shaw( London, 1949), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol23/v-liv [accessed 4 December 2024].
'Introduction', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 23, 1709. Edited by William A Shaw( London, 1949), British History Online, accessed December 4, 2024, https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol23/v-liv.
"Introduction". Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 23, 1709. Ed. William A Shaw(London, 1949), , British History Online. Web. 4 December 2024. https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol23/v-liv.
Introduction.
Up to this point the Estimates for the war in Flanders had followed the pattern of the preceding year's figures But towards the end of the long campaign of 1708 Marlborough raised the question of a still further Augmentation. The impending capture of Lille opened the way into France and he planned an invasion of that country as an absolutely sure means of ending the war: and when the French reaction to the threat developed, when France drew her Forces from Spain and Dauphine and moved them to the Flanders front, Marlborough became more and more anxious for an all round augmentation of the Allied Armies. He had opened the subject in his letters to Godolphin as early as Oct. 1708. “You should not only resolve in England upon an Augmentation of Troops but lose no time in prevailing with the States General to do the same.” In reply, Godolphin assured him on the 12/23 November “I have got it into the [Queen's] Speech that an Augmentation should be desired for Flanders; and I hope it will be granted” (Churchill's Marlborough II, pp. 326, 329–30), | |||||||||||||||
A little more than a fortnight after the House had passed the normal Estimates for the Forces in Flanders it sat down to consider the question of this further Augmentation which Marlborough desired (Commons Journals XVI, pp. 46, 48, 49; Luttrell VI, pp. 383. 384). On the 14th December 1708 it was resolved to consider the question of further Supply and on the following day the House resolved itself into Grand Committee to consider it. The Commons Journals merely state that the Committee came to a Resolution which it was directed to report next day. But Luttrell's account yields more specific information: | |||||||||||||||
“Then went into a Committee upon augmenting her Majesty's Forces and after some debate Resolved that the same [the Augmentation] be 10,000 men, viz. 7,000 Foot and 3,000 Horse, all hired Troops, and that a sum not exceeding 220,000l. be given for payment of them.” | |||||||||||||||
The Report made to the House on the following day, Dec. 16, merely states the sum to be granted | |||||||||||||||
“that it is the opinion of this Committee that a sum not exceeding 220,000l. be granted to her Majesty as her proportion for augmenting the Troops which are to act in co-operation with her Allies in Flanders for the service of the year 1709.” | |||||||||||||||
There is no record of a division on this Resolution, so that it may be taken as unanimous (Commons Journals XVI, pp. 50, 52; Luttrell VI, p. 386). Two days later, on Saturday the 18th December, the House Resolved nem. con. | |||||||||||||||
“that an humble Address be presented to her Majesty that she will be pleased to use her utmost endeavours with her Allies to engage them to furnish their proportion towards the augmentation of the Forces for the year 1709.” | |||||||||||||||
In reply to the Address the Queen on the 21st December assured the House “that she would use her utmost endeavour as desired.” | |||||||||||||||
In this way in less than five weeks of a normal Session the Parliament had voted nearly the whole of the normal service credits, had passed a Land Tax Bill, the equivalent of a 4s. Income Tax, had voted a fresh Augmentation of 10,000 men and had smoothed out Marlborough's nightmare difficulties over the recruiting. Five years before, when the first Augmentation of 10,000 men had been adopted by the English Parliament, it had taken more than three months of negotiation and all Marlborough's patience and skill to induce the Dutch to agree to an equal Augmentation on their side, although the whole proposal had originated from themselves. But on the present occasion the British Parliament had not waited for the Dutch. They voted their own additional quota straight away and unanimously, and it was left to Marlborough to combat the reluctance of the States General to come into line with Great Britain. When they did finally, after interminable delay, agree to an increase it was only for 6,000 men, hired Troops. | |||||||||||||||
In connection with this subject of the Dutch attitude towards the Augmentation of the year 1709 there is a paragraph in Lamberty, Vol. V, p. 154, which produces a feeling of uneasiness and suspicion as to his complete reliability or impartiality as a historian. He asserts that the States General on the 20th November (presumably new style, which would mean 9/20 November) wrote to Queen Anne desiring her to make an Augmentation of Troops in order to press on the war with the utmost vigour. This statement is irreconcilable with the known course of events and would seem to be intended to screen the Dutch from the obloquy which their actual behaviour merited. It seems clear that Lamberty infers the contents of the States' letter of that date from the contents of Queen Anne's reply which he prints. The prime mover in the matter of this Augmentation was Marlborough and before it was mentioned in the Queen's Speech he had learned the reluctance of the Dutch in the matter as well as the duplicity of Heinsius. And when he received the Queen's commands to press the Dutch he spoke plainly. “I shall be sure to follow her Majesty's commands” he wrote to Godolphin, “in pressing the Dutch to their Augmentations, but I fear one third is the most we can expect, but I will press them to a moitie” (Churchill's Marlborough IV, pp. 20, 47). By these words Marlborough did not mean that he wished the Dutch to pay a half of the English 10,000 men Augmentation, but that they should augment by a like number of 10,000, and so each State (Great Britain and the States General) would be paying a half towards a further or second Augmentation of 20,000 men, just as in the case of the earlier Augmentation of 20,000 men in 1703. | |||||||||||||||
In the letter which he wrote to Secretary Boyle on the 7th January 1708–9 from Brussels Marlborough puts the matter in exactly this light: “You may be sure when I come to the Hague I shall use my utmost endeavours that the States come up to the like proportion [as the British], but by what I have learned hitherto they think they do a great deal if they allow one third of the whole expense” (Marlborough's Despatches IV, p. 395). | |||||||||||||||
As far as the British side of this Augmentation is concerned the story of it can be stated succinctly. The total number of roughly 10,000 men was made up of Troops hired from Prussia, Saxony and Trèves. | |||||||||||||||
Two fresh Treaties were made with the King of Prussia, one of the 31st March 1709 for a subsidy of 50,000l. as from 1 January 1708–9; and the other of the 12th April 1709 for the hire of 6,025 additional Troops. | |||||||||||||||
In the case of the Saxon contingent it was provided for by a fresh Treaty of 22 Feb. 1708–9 and covered additional men and Troops to the number of 2,045 men and two new Battalions containing together 1,508 men: thus making a total of 3,553 additional Saxons as from 5 March 1708–9. | |||||||||||||||
In the case of the Elector of Treves a fresh Treaty of 10 July 1709 provided for a further Battalion of 710 men of his Troops as from 1 June 1709. | |||||||||||||||
This made a total Augmentation of 10,459 men hired and put on the British Establishment. | |||||||||||||||
It was not until Marlborough had arranged his Treaties with the King of Prussia and made his arrangements with the Wurtembergers and Palatines that he returned to the Dutch and at last shamed them into agreeing a belated Augmentation of 6,000 men. (fn. 1) | |||||||||||||||
It is this simple outline of fact which seems to throw a shadow of doubt and distrust on Lamberty's narrative quoted above. To my mind that narrative shows a pro-Dutch bias. | |||||||||||||||
But the question of an Augmentation was not the only one which occupied Marlborough's mind for the 1709 Campaign. For some time the existing recruiting machinery had proved inefficient. It had not produced the numbers requisite to replace wastage, and the adoption of some compulsory system seemed to offer the nearest solution. Whilst not adopting such a solution, the House showed itself just as anxious to smooth out Marlborough's difficulties as it had been on the question of the Augmentation. It called for a return of levy money paid in the past year and of the numbers of men wanting to complete the Forces and the Navy (8 Dec. 1708). Within two days the returns were delivered and were considered by the Commons (Commons Journals XVI, p. 28, 6 Dec.; p. 35, 8 Dec.; pp. 37–44, 10 Dec.). They revealed that to complete the Navy in sea pay at home and to provide for the great ships then building but expected to be ready for the service of the year 1709 there was a total shortage of 10,884 men, the ships actually abroad being supposed to be fully manned. For the six Marine Regiments there was a shortage of 1,682 men, and for the whole of the Land Forces a total shortage of 14,865 men. The last item of this return is comprehensive and very instructive, especially when it is borne in mind that the recruiting for the seven Regiments of Foot which were made prisoners at the battle of Almanza had taken place in the course of the year 1708 (viz. 637 men for Blood's Regiment; 653 men for Wightman's; 628 for Mountjoy's; 602 for Mordaunt's; 653 for McCartney's; 638 for Gorge's and 530 for Bowles's). | |||||||||||||||
The account of the numbers of men necessary to be raised in order to recruit the Queen's Land Forces for the 1709 Campaign as delivered in to the House by the Secretary at War was as follows (Commons Journals XVI, p. 44, 11 Dec. 1708): | |||||||||||||||
men | |||||||||||||||
for recruiting the 20 Battalions in the Low Countries at 150 men each Battalion over and above what are expected by exchange of prisoners | 3,000 | ||||||||||||||
ditto for the 11 Battalions lately sent to Ostend at 200 men each, one with another | 2,200 | ||||||||||||||
ditto for the two Battalions of Foot at Antwerp | 290 | ||||||||||||||
ditto for the six Battalions of Foot in Portugal | 1,200 | ||||||||||||||
ditto for the seven Battalions now in Spain | 800 | ||||||||||||||
for completing the three Battalions of Lord Portmore, Lord Tyrawley and Lieut. Gen. Steuart, which were reduced this summer in Spain and there incorporated into other Battalions, according to their several Returns | 700 | ||||||||||||||
for completing the five Battalions now in Garrison in South Britain, according to their several Returns | 731 | ||||||||||||||
for completing four Battalions now raising in Great Britain for the service of Ireland in the room of four Battalions sent from thence to Portugal | 1,400 | ||||||||||||||
10,341 | |||||||||||||||
for raising four Battalions of Foot which were discontinued [so that the money voted for them might be applied] for the payment of the [Almanza] prisoners in France | 2,488 | ||||||||||||||
for raising Col. Blosset's Battalion lately broke in Spain | 536 | ||||||||||||||
for recruiting the ten Battalions now in Ireland | 1,500 | ||||||||||||||
4,524 | |||||||||||||||
men | 14,865 | ||||||||||||||
Under the Recruiting Act of the preceding year the total number of recruits delivered over by the local authorities to the Justices of the Peace had been only 1,750 men (Commons Journals XVI, p. 43). | |||||||||||||||
It was clear therefore that the Act in question (6 Anne, c. 17) had failed conspicuously to produce the requisite numbers. In the Recruiting Act for the coming 1709 Campaign therefore (7 Anne, c. 2) a different principle was adopted for setting the local machinery in action. The Justices of the Peace were superseded by County Commissioners who were required to make a speedy and effectual levy of all able-bodied unemployed. The offer of bounty money for Volunteers was raised from 2l. to 4l. and bounties (3l. to the parish and 1l. to the person listed) and day pay were provided for the men secured by the local authorities and compulsorily listed by the Commissioners. The Act received the royal assent on the 26 Jan. and became the second Act on the Statute Book for the year 1709. | |||||||||||||||
The breathless speed at which the House of Commons had made provision for the war in Flanders had for the moment thrust aside the consideration of the Estimates for the Home Forces (Guards and Garrisons), for the Forces in Spain and Portugal, for the Navy Ordinary and for the Ordnance. | |||||||||||||||
In the usual and natural order the consideration of the Establishment for Guards and Garrisons should have preceded that for the Forces Abroad. But the matter was not taken up by the House until the 2nd February, when Mr. Robert Walpole as Secretary at War presented an Estimate of the Guards, Garrisons and Land Forces in Great Britain, Jersey, Guernsey, the Plantations and for Sea Service for the year 1709 (Commons Journals XVI, pp. 84–5, 2 Feb. 1708–9). |
The above Estimate for Guards and Garrisons was introduced into the House on the 2nd Feb., was considered and adopted in Grand Committee on the 4th and passed by a single block vote on the 5th without any alteration—practically in two days and without any recorded debate. (Commons Journals XVI, p. 93, 5 Feb.; Luttrell VI, p. 404.) | |||||||||||||||
“Resolved: that a sum not exceeding 549,235l. 12s. 8¾d. be granted to her Majesty to defray the charge of maintaining Guards and Garrisons in Great Britain and for payment of Invalids for the service of the year 1709, including 5,000 men to serve on board the Fleet” [Troops in Sea Service, wrongly styled Marines in Luttrell's Diary]. | |||||||||||||||
There are few instances in English Parliamentary History of such swift and unquestioning adoption of Estimates. | |||||||||||||||
Turning to the third great section of the Army Estimates, viz. Spain and Portugal, the House of Commons entered upon a thornier path. Before approaching the question of Estimates the House desired to have three accounts: (1) of the 500,000l. granted by the last Parliament for the Augmentation of the Forces in order to strengthen the Army of the Duke of Savoy, for making good the alliances with the King of Portugal and for the effectual carrying on the war; (2) of the application of the moneys given by the last Parliament for maintaining her Majesty's established Forces in Spain and Portugal for the year 1708: and of the number of effective men there (Commons Journals XVI, pp. 57, 60, 77–8, 1 Feb. 1708–9); (3) of the remittances of moneys for the said services. | |||||||||||||||
These acounts had been called for on the 12th January, but it was not until the 1st February that Walpole presented the account relating to the numbers of the men. | |||||||||||||||
It was as follows: | |||||||||||||||
A state of the Forces of her Majesty and her Allies serving in Spain the last year [1708], with an account of the effective numbers at their return into winter quarters after the service of the last [1708] Campaign. | |||||||||||||||
Foot. | Effective numbers. | Numbers according to the Establishment. | |||||||||||||
three Imperial Regiments | 4,481 | 6,000 | |||||||||||||
one Milanese Regiment commanded by Count Taff | 1,001 | 1,200 | |||||||||||||
ten Spanish Regiments | 4,914 | 8,540 | |||||||||||||
seven English Regiments | 5,013 | 5,813 | |||||||||||||
Palatines | 1,300 | 1,300 | |||||||||||||
one Regiment of Grisons arrived from Italy | 780 | 780 | |||||||||||||
total of the Foot in Queen Anne's pay | 17,489 | 23,633 | |||||||||||||
more Palatines | 1,021 | 4,844 | |||||||||||||
four Regiments of Dutch | 1,431 | 3,005 | |||||||||||||
five Regiments of Portuguese | 1,915 | 3,330 | |||||||||||||
total of the Foot | 21,856 | 34,812 | |||||||||||||
Horse and Dragoons. | |||||||||||||||
one Imperial Regiment of Dragoons commanded by Count Herbeville | 925 | 1,000 | |||||||||||||
six Spanish Regiments of Horse | 2,544 | 3,858 | |||||||||||||
four English Regiments, whereof one of Horse and three of Dragoons | 1,474 | 2,039 | |||||||||||||
total of Horse in Queen Anne's pay | 4,943 | 6,897 | |||||||||||||
seven Portuguese Regiments of Horse | 3,405 | 3,708 | |||||||||||||
three Dutch Regiments of Horse | 1,079 | 1,231 | |||||||||||||
four Palatine Regiments of Dragoons | 1,067 | 1,200 | |||||||||||||
total of Horse and Dragoons | 10,494 | 13,036 | |||||||||||||
total of Horse and Foot in Queen Anne's pay | 22,432 | ||||||||||||||
total of Horse and Foot of her Majesty's Allies | 9,918 | ||||||||||||||
32,350 | |||||||||||||||
A state of her Majesty Queen Anne's Forces provided for by Parliament in the Estimate for Spain and Portugal for the service of the year 1708. | |||||||||||||||
Horse. | Numbers. | ||||||||||||||
Major Gen. Harvey's Regiment | 418 | ||||||||||||||
Dragoons. | |||||||||||||||
Royal Regiment of Dragoons | 589 | ||||||||||||||
Brigadier Pepper's Regiment | 443 | ||||||||||||||
Count Nassau's Regiment | 589 | ||||||||||||||
Foot. | |||||||||||||||
Col. Harrison's | 834 | ||||||||||||||
Lord Mordaunt's | 876 | ||||||||||||||
Brig. Wade's | 876 | ||||||||||||||
Brig. Elliott's | 834 | ||||||||||||||
Col. Watkins' | 834 | ||||||||||||||
Sir Cha. Hotham's | 834 | ||||||||||||||
Col. Sibourg's | 725 | ||||||||||||||
The above Regiments are now in service in Spain. | |||||||||||||||
The Regiment of Horse and the three Regiments of Dragoons are complete. | |||||||||||||||
The seven Regiments of Foot were complete most part of the last year [1708], but now by computation want 800 men. | |||||||||||||||
The following Regiments were on service in Spain, but [were] reduced at several times the last year [1708] and incorporated into other Regiments, and the Officers sent home to recruit | |||||||||||||||
Dragoons. | Numbers | ||||||||||||||
Brig. Pearce's | 589 | ||||||||||||||
Marquis de Guiscard's | 761 | ||||||||||||||
Foot. | |||||||||||||||
Earl of Portmore's | 876 | ||||||||||||||
Royal Fuziliers | 834 | ||||||||||||||
Lieut. Gen. Steuart's | 876 | ||||||||||||||
Col. Hill's | 876 | ||||||||||||||
Col. Blossett's | 725 | ||||||||||||||
The following Regiments are now in service in Portugal and by computation at the end of the Campaign [1708] wanted 500 men | |||||||||||||||
Foot. | |||||||||||||||
Brig. Pearce's | 725 | ||||||||||||||
Earl of Barrymore's | 876 | ||||||||||||||
Brig. Newton's | 725 | ||||||||||||||
Lord Paston's | 834 | ||||||||||||||
Brig. Sankey's | 725 | ||||||||||||||
Col. Stanwix's | 725 | ||||||||||||||
The following Regiments were discontinued and the pay of the private men applied towards the support of the [Almanza] prisoners in France, but [that pay] has not been sufficient to answer that service. | |||||||||||||||
Foot. | |||||||||||||||
Col. Alnut's | 834 | ||||||||||||||
Marquis de Montandre's | 834 | ||||||||||||||
Col. Breton's | 834 | ||||||||||||||
Col. de Magny's | 725 | ||||||||||||||
The following Regiments were put on the Establishment of Guards and Garrisons and the Regiments of Farrington, Livesay, Johnson and Townesend were sent to Ostend in their room. | |||||||||||||||
Foot. | |||||||||||||||
Brig. Wightman's | 876 | ||||||||||||||
Maj. Gen. Gorge's | 876 | ||||||||||||||
Lord Mountjoy's | 876 | ||||||||||||||
Lord Mark Kerr's | 725 | ||||||||||||||
The following Regiments were sent to Ostend under the command of Gen. Erle | |||||||||||||||
Foot. | Numbers. | ||||||||||||||
Col. Dormer's | 834 | ||||||||||||||
Brig. Macartny's | 876 | ||||||||||||||
Col. Caulfield's | 834 | ||||||||||||||
27,123 | |||||||||||||||
These two Regiments were raised in Portugal at the beginning of August last | |||||||||||||||
Dragoons. | |||||||||||||||
Earl of Galway's | 589 | ||||||||||||||
Major Gen. Carle's | 725 | ||||||||||||||
The other two accounts which the House had called for on the 12th January were laid before it on the 1st Feb. without being entered in the Journals. (fn. 2) On the 4th Feb., three days after the above Return, Walpole introduced the Estimates of the charge of her Majesty's Forces to serve in Spain and Portugal and [of the Sea Service Regiments] on board the Fleet as the service may require for the year 1709 (Commons Journals XVI, pp. 90–1, 4 Feb. 1708–9). |
The account so submitted was as follows (Commons Journals XVI, p. 103, 11 Feb. 1708–9): | |||||||||||||||
Crowns, per an. | £ | s. | d. | ||||||||||||
to the King of Denmark in Bank money at Hamburg | 150,000 | 37,500 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
to the King of Portugal, for defraying his Majesty's proportion of the charge of 13,000 men: 666,666 patacoons 33 stivers at 4s. 6d. each patacoon | 600,000 | 150,000 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
to the Duke of Savoy | 640,000 | 160,000 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
more to the Duke of Savoy | 100,000 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
to the Landgrave of Hesse Cassell | 25,000 | 5,952 | 7 | 6 | |||||||||||
to the Elector of Treves | 25,000 | 5,952 | 7 | 6 | |||||||||||
to the Elector Palatine | 20,000 | 4,761 | 18 | 6 | |||||||||||
to the King of Prussia for defraying Queen Anne's proportion of the charge of 8,000 men sent to assist the Duke of Savoy | 200,000 | 50,000 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
more to the King of Prussia by virtue of the Treaties of 1701 and 1706 on account of the 12,000 men sent [by the said King] to serve in the Netherlands: viz. | |||||||||||||||
guilders. | stivers. | ||||||||||||||
for Queen Anne's share of the agio or difference of the money current in the Empire and the rates the same money is current at in the territories where his [the said King of Prussia's] Troops are employed | 109,666 | 10 | |||||||||||||
more for Queen Anne's share of bread | 153,097 | 16 | |||||||||||||
more for her Majesty's share of forage | 125,865 | 0 | |||||||||||||
388,629 | 6 | 37,012 | 7 | 6 | |||||||||||
to the Landgrave of Hesse for her Majesty's quota, being two thirds, of his additional Subsidy of 100,000 Crowns per an. on account of two Regiments of Horse of his Troops, which were in Italy | 66,6662/3 | Crowns | 16,666 | 13 | 4 | ||||||||||
£567,845 | 14 | 4 | |||||||||||||
This account or estimate, whichever it may be termed, was considered in Grand Committee on the same day on which it was introduced, was agreed there and then and reported on the following day, Feb. 12 (Commons Journals XVI, pp. 104, 107; Luttrell VI, p. 407). On this occasion an amendment was proposed in the House and the Committee's recommendation for the full sum was reduced, on the question, from 567,845l. 14s. 4d. to 553,845l. 14s. 4d. The reduction in the Vote therefore was 14,000l., but in the absence of details of the debate it is difficult to specify the particular item against which exception was taken. (fn. 3) | |||||||||||||||
With this exception the Vote was passed en bloc and as it stood. |