Reymond Hervey de Montmorency

Reymond de Montmorency was one of the instigators of the use of the lance in the British Army. He had been a prisoner of the French, spending 3 years at Verdun and St Germain en Laye, but was given the freedom to study Napoleon’s Lancers. He had ‘the most frequent opportunities… to witness the Reviews, Drills and Exercise of the celebrated Polish Lancers.’ Having studied the drill in great detail he prepared a treatise on the subject so that when he was released in 1814 he presented it to the Duke of York at a levée at Horse Guards.
But plans were already under way to train cavalry in the use of the lance, to be carried out under the supervision of Captain John Godfrey Peters of the 9th Light Dragoons. In February 1816 he marched with a detachment of the regiment to the Riding Establishment at Pimlico. The instruction was based on Lance Exercises called the Three Pimlico Divisions. The 12th Light Dragoons also sent a detachment under Lt Vandeleur to learn the drills. De Montmorency was rather upset at not being involved in the training, so published his treatise titled ‘Proposed rules and regulations for the Exercise and Manoeuvres of the Lance’ But this did not appear until 1820. Meanwhile he set up a rival training centre at Hampton Court which was run very efficiently by Sergeant-Major Robert Cooke of the 9th Light Dragoons.
Reymond was born in Ireland on 24 March 1778. He was the son of the Rev Redmond (or Reymond) Morres. His mother was Mary Eyre, only daughter and heiress of Edward D’Alton of Deer Park, Co Clare. He was born Reymond Hervey Morres but changed his name in 1815, reviving the original and primitive family name of de Montmorency. Other members of the family followed his lead. But 10 years prior to this he was gazetted cornet as Reymond Hervey Morres on 6 Mar 1795, and lieutenant in the 13th Light Dragoons two days later. The regiment sailed to the West Indies in February 1796 but were ravaged by yellow fever. De Montmorency was lucky to survive as only 8 officers out of 20 returned, along with 50 men.
He was promoted to captain on 24 Sep 1799 but turned to politics, getting himself elected to the Irish Parliament as the Member for Dingle. On 8 Oct 1801 he married Letitia, daughter of the Rev Charles Narcissus Proby of Boughton, Cheshire. He spent 3 years at the Royal Military College and in 1810 sailed to Portugal with the 13th Light Dragoons. He commanded a squadron near the river Guadiana, with orders to watch French movements out of Olivenza. After they had been relieved by another unit his men bivouacked but were subjected to a night attack by the French on 6 April 1811. Only 20 men escaped, while de Montmorency and one lieutenant were taken prisoner along with a sergeant-major, 5 corporals, two trumpeters, two farriers and 40 privates. They were taken to Olivenza, then Badajos, and marched through Spain to Bayonne. His captivity in France was at Verdun and St Germain en Laye where he studied the Polish Lancers exercising and drilling.
He was freed on 30 March 1814, and on his return was given a brevet of lieutenant-colonel. The date of his transfer to the 9th Light Dragoons was 24 Jan 1811 but because of his captivity was unable to join them until his release in 1814. He served with the 9th until soon after their conversion to Lancers, joining the York Hussars on half pay on 19 Dec 1816. This corps consisted of foreigners, mostly German, in the British pay, but had been disbanded in 1802. His rank of lieutenant-colonel in the Army was dated 10 June 1813. The portrait, dated c1819, depicts him in the uniform of the York Hussars; jacket scarlet, silver lace and green facings, pelisse green with silver lace and cords, and grey fur, scarlet cossacks with silver lace, gilt spurs. Gold and crimson barrel sash; busby of dark brown or black fur with a scarlet bag and white plume. The pouch-belt is gold-laced with gilt fittings. The sabretache can just be glimpsed, scarlet but the lace edge is not described. The illustration accompanied an article by Major R M Collins in the Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research Vol XLVI no.186 (Summer 1968).
Lieutenant-Colonel Reymond Hervey de Montmorency had two sons with his wife Letitia; Hervey Francis de Montmorency (1802-1883) and Major Reymond Henry de Montmorency (1808-1847). He died in Rome on 4 Oct 1827.

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