No. 6 London & Westminster Dismounted Light Horse Volunteer

Description

Westminster, a central area of London, became a city in 1539. (See map). For centuries Westminster and the City of London were geographically quite distinct.  (See Map). It was not until the sixteenth century that houses began to be built over the adjoining fields, eventually absorbing nearby villages such as Marylebone and Kensington, and gradually creating the vast Greater London that exists today. Westminster is bordered by the City of London to the East and, until 1965 by Marylebone and Paddington to the North (which were both then absorbed into Westminster) and by Kensington and Chelsea to the West. The River Thames forms the Southern border.
This Corps was an earlier creation than many of the other volunteer units – formed in 1779. At that time Britain was at war on three fronts:  The Revolutionary War in America, the East India Company, with British troops, fighting the Marathas in Wadgaon, India, and were forced to return all territories acquired since 1773 and the Siege of Gibraltar had began.  The London & Westminster Volunteers were a group of well connected gentry from across the whole of London (London and Westminster by this time being two neighbouring cities).