Early History
On 4 June 1794, a meeting of country gentlemen at the Bear Inn in Devizes decided to raise a body of ten independent troops of Yeomanry for the county of Wiltshire. The decision was implemented by the High Sheriff Richard Long. In 1797 the independent troops were amalgamated into a unit called The Regiment of Wiltshire Yeomanry Cavalry, the first such unit to be embodied in Britain, although independent troops were raised earlier in other counties. Neither the Yeomanry, nor the Militia (the infantry counterpart of the Yeomanry), were liable for service overseas and so the regiment took no part in the Napoleonic or later wars of the 19th century. However the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry was called to deal with civil disorders, such as a mutiny by the county Militia in Devizes, the Swing Riots and the 'machine riots'. In recognition of this service the Regiment was awarded the title 'Royal' by King William IV in 1831; the first yeomanry regiment to be so honoured. Contrary to common belief, the Regiment were not involved in the restoration of order after the Bristol riots which followed the rejection of the 1830 Reform Bill (although they did mobilise for the duty before regular troops restored order).
In 1863 it provided an escort to the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) through the Savernake Forest, in recognition of which it was the first regiment in the British Army to be awarded the title of 'Prince of Wales's Own' (entitling it to wear the Prince of Wales's feathers as a badge). In 1884 it was placed at the head of the newly formed Yeomanry Order of Precedence by Queen Victoria.
Read more about this topic: Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry
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