Surgeon

The Surgeon held his commission by virtue of his professional standing and although it was officially admitted in 1804 that the surgeon's lot needed to be made more attractive, he was accounted to be on a par with a Captain when it came to the allocation of billets and allowances.

Normally the process of becoming a regimental surgeon was fairly lengthy. The first step being to obtain the post of Hospital Mate, for which he had to satisfy the Court of Examiners at Surgeon's Hall that he was indeed competent to practice. Once in place he was then eligible to be taken on as a Surgeon's Mate and thus ultimately to become the Surgeon of a Regiment, although examples do exist of Hospital Mates being directly promoted to the rank of Surgeon.

In 1798 it was pointedly laid down that Surgeons were to be "preferred according to length, or merit of service; and not on the recommendation of their Commanding Officer, to succeed regimentally, unless they otherwise have reasonable pretensions to the promotion." [4]

The same circular indeed went on to state quite categorically that in the first instance medical officers were to be taken from the Half Pay in preference to a less qualified successor found within the regiment. Popular stereotypes notwithstanding the surgeon or - doctor" could often be a good one When Surgeon John Wright of 1/Royal was appointed by General Williamson to be Purveyor of the Hospitals on San Domingo in 1794, he was warmly recommended as having "an excellent character & has great professional mettle." Then again, if others took the view that any man reporting sick was a malingerer until he proved otherwise by expiring, then that breed of army doctor still has not entirely died out.

Veterinary Surgeon

Allied in a manner of speaking to the Surgeon, was the Veterinary Surgeon, carried on the establishment of Cavalry regiments from 24th May 1796. Previously care of the horses had been the province of the Farriers, but a Board of General Officers convened to look into the matter was won over by the arguments of the newly created Veterinary College who were, to put it charitably, at daggers drawn with the ancient craft of Farriers.

Initially they were to be appointed by warrant on the recommendation of the Colonel and to receive the same pay as a Quartermaster of Cavalry, but four months later it was decided to grant them commissions instead and place them on a par with Cornets.

Chaplains

Chaplains were rarely to be encountered in the army, especially on foreign postings and the appointment appears to have been generally regarded as nothing more than a sinecure in the gift of the Colonel. Indeed although the commission could be purchased just like any other, it was the Colonel, not the incumbent who had the selling of it. Neither Miles Beevor, nor his brother George, who were appointed Chaplains to the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Royals in 1786 and 1790 respectively spent a single day with their units, invariably being described in monthly returns as absent with the commanding officer's leave.

Clearly this was unsatisfactory and on the 23rd September 1796 a Royal Warrant abolished Regimental Chaplains. Those already serving were pensioned off and no more were appointed. In future religious care was to be exercised by Brigade or Garrison Chaplains, acting under the authority of the Chaplain General, otherwise commanding officers were enjoined to seek the services of any local men.

More Officers and Gentlemen Part I

Part I: Introduction
Part I: Regimental Officer Structure
Part I: Surgeon, Chaplain
Part I: Quartermaster, Paymaster, Adjutant, Agent
Part I: Staff Officers