2nd Lancashire Light Horse Volunteers, The Liverpool Light Horse

[Peter Brydon]

I was very pleased to get an example in this mornings post of the shako plate to the above unit which is pictured.

Whilst I knew of the unit it was only recently that I bought the Summer 1993 copy of the Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research which contains the article " John Simmons Tregoning and the Mounted Rifle Volunteers and Light Horse Volunteers in Liverpool 1860-1863 " by Dennis Reeves and Dixon Pickup.

As well as a history of the unit , the article also has photographs of the units uniforms including one of an actual shako with this plate on it.

The intention was that the unit was to be a Mounted Rifle Corps and in local newspapers of the time was referred to variously as "Liverpool Mounted Rifles", "Liverpool Mounted Volunteer Corps" and "Liverpool Mounted Volunteers" and "Liverpool Light Horse "

The unit was commanded by Major Nicholas Blundell of Crosby and on 21st June 1861 approval was given for the unit to become the 2nd Lancashire Light Horse Volunteers, although even after that the unit was still referred to in local newspapers as "The Liverpool Light Horse"

The unit which was attached to the 5th Lancashire Rifle Volunteers ( Liverpool Rifle Brigade ) along with the 15th and 42nd Lancs R.V.C.`s.

The unit had mixed fortunes as far as numbers of members were concerned and finally disappeared in 1875.

Now I will definitely being buying my lottery tickets later just in case any other items to this unit come on the market.

P.B.