The Regular Infantry of the British Army

The Seven Years’ War

In 1751 using the names of colonels was aborted and all regiments were henceforth known by their erstwhile ranking.

All regiments had one battalion except the Foot Guards and the 1^st Foot, which had two.

In 1754/55 the 50^th to 62^nd were raised. The 50^th and 51^st were disbanded in 1756, which led to the renumbering of the others in 1757 into the 50^th to 60^th. The 62^nd (later 60^th) was raised in New England up to a strength of four battalions.

In 1756 fifteen regiments raised a second battalion. But then policy changed and the next expansion came with the raising of the 61^st to 64^th. Then the fifteen second battalions were made regiments in their own right. Because these battalions were older then then the 61^st to 64^th, the latter were renumbered as 76^th to 79^th and the battalions became the 61^st to 75^th. Expansion went on and in 1762 the 124^th Regiment of Foot was the highest number reached in this period.

The reduction at the end of the war saw all regiments younger then the 70^th disbanded with the exception of five veteran units that were renumbered as 71^st to 75^th. In 1769 these five were dissolved.