Formation and early service , founder of the regiment, by
Allan Ramsay The regiment was raised in
Scotland by Colonel
Sir John Mordaunt as '''Sir John Mordaunt's Regiment of Foot''' in 1741. In 1743,
Peregrine Lascelles was appointed Colonel and until May 1745, the regiment was employed building a military road near
Loch Lomond, part of a new route from
Dumbarton to
Inverary. In July,
Charles Stuart landed in Scotland to launch the
1745 Rising and two companies of Lascelles garrisoned
Edinburgh Castle. The remaining eight companies fought at the
Battle of Prestonpans in September, when the government army was swept aside in less than 20 minutes; most of the regiment was taken prisoner, except for Lascelles who fought his way out. Lascelles, together with
Sir John Cope, commander at Prestonpans, and his deputy
Thomas Fowke, were tried by a
court-martial in 1746; all three were exonerated, but Cope never held a senior command again. As part of the reforms enacted by the
Duke of Cumberland, the regiment was designated the 58th Regiment of Foot in 1747, before being re-numbered
47th Regiment of Foot in 1751. During the
Seven Years' War, it was part of the force under
James Wolfe that captured
Louisbourg in 1758, allegedly earning the nickname "Wolfe's Own". It was also present at the 1759
Battle of the Plains of Abraham, the
Battle of Sainte-Foy and the subsequent
siege of Quebec in April to May 1760. It then took part in the final and
decisive campaign between July and September 1760 when
Montreal fell. The regiment returned to Britain when the war ended in 1763. On the outbreak of the
American Revolutionary War in 1773, the 47th was posted to
New Jersey. In 1806, the 1st battalion was sent to garrison the former Dutch settlement of the
Cape of Good Hope, On 1 July 1881 the
Childers Reforms came into effect and the regiment amalgamated with the 81st Regiment of Foot (Loyal Lincoln Volunteers) to form the
Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire). ==Battle honours==