THE 1880’s A SLIGHT DIFFICULTY FIRING THE ONE O’CLOCK GUN ON TIME
The first reliable breech loading guns became available in 1880 so less than a decade after the Palmerston Fort on the...
MASTER GUNNER ABSCONDS TO THE AMERICAS AFTER LARGE SCALE FRAUD DISCOVERED
By 1874 the first set of Army Reforms known as the Cardwell Reforms after the Secretary of State for War had been...
THE MUTINY AGAINST THE PETTY TYRANNY OF MAJOR CUMMINGS RA
By 1873 a detachment of the 12th Brigade of the Royal Artillery were garrisoning Plymouth with 3rd Battery stationed...
A SLICE OF GARRISON LIFE – THE 1860’s AND THE HOAX ON THE HOE
During the construction of the casemates there was still a garrison on the Island, mainly provided by units of the...
THE PALMERSTON FORTS OR CASEMATES
The 2nd French Empire under Louis-Napoleon III had succeeded the 2nd French Republic in 1851. His foreign policy was...
THE 1850’s AND THE CRIMEAN WAR
After the botched attempt to diversify into brandy smuggling and national scandal involving Lieutenant Harris, Captain...
A NATIONAL SCANDAL – THE COURT MARTIAL OF LIEUTENANT HARRIS AND LIBEL OF CAPTAIN HORT
A national scandal involving allegations of bullying and counter accusations of libel and slander on Drake’s Island...
THE SMUGGLING AT DRAKE’S ISLAND IN 1850 – EXTENSIVE SEIZURE OF CONTRABAND SPIRITS – CUNNING PLOT FOILED
1850 saw a cunning plot developed to smuggle a ship load of Brandy onto the Island. It was widely reported at the time...
DRAKE’S ISLAND GARRISON HELPS RESCUE CREW FROM HMS STROMBOLI’S CUTTER
There are a quite a few accounts of the Garrison going to the rescue of ships and their crews either aground on the...
1846 DEFENCE UPGRADE OF THE ISLAND
Way back as part of the plans for the 1780 upgrade one of the foremost architects of the day, James Wyatt who designed...
EARLY VICTORIAN ISLAND LIFE FOR THE GARRISON
I’ll try and give a snapshot of Island life this week as there were no major events on the Island until 1846 when a...
THE BEGINNING OF THE 19TH CENTURY
1800 marked the beginning of the 19th Century, George III was on the throne and we were involved in the War of the...