Reported On This Day 280 Years Ago (July 17 1739): Army rates of pay are revealed

BELFAST.

STATE of the PAY of the Officers and private Men in the Army on the Irish Establishment, for one Day,

[In this pay table, rank is shown, then beneath it the daily pay rate in pounds, shillings and pence. Beneath the table, we uprate for inflation since 1739 to give modern currency equivalents for the then pay rates]

Col. as Col. and Capt.

Horse l. s d. Drag. Foot

1 18 0 1 11 4 1 04 6

Lieu. Col as Lieu. Col. and Capt

1 05 0 0 19 4 0 16 6

Major as Maj. and Cap. Chaplain

1 02 6 0 17 4 0 13 6

Chirurgeon

0 04 0 0 04 0 0 04 0

A Quarter Master

0 05 0 0 03 0 none

A Captain

0 17 0 0 12 4 0 09 6

A Lieutenant

0 10 6 0 06 2 0 04 6

An Ensign

none none 0 03 6

A Cornet

0 08 6 0 05 2 none

A Serjeant

none 0 02 6 0 01 6

A Corporal

0 02 6 0 01 8 0 01 0

A Hausboy

none 0 01 6 none

A Drummer

0 02 6 none none

A Trumpeter

0 02 6 none none

A Man

0 01 10 0 01 4 0 00 7

[As examples of the above pay rates, the best paid rank, a colonel in the horse, is paid £1, 18 shillings and no pence per diem, which is around £450 a day in today’s money.

A mid paid rank, a lieutenant in the dragoons is paid 6 shillings and 2 pence, which is around £72 in today’s money.

The lowest paid rank, a man in the foot is paid seven pence a day, which is around £7 a day]

There are now remaining in this kingdom, after the late draught of the 10 regiments to Great Britain, 11 regiments of Foot, 10 companies to a regiment and, according to the late order for augmentation, 70 men to a company, which make in all 7700 men; besides five regiments of Horse and as many Dragoons. [This kingdom means Ireland]

LONDON. June 28

For some time past a number of seamen secured themselves at Barking in Essex in defiance to the press gangs; but on application a party of dragoons were ordered to assist them, which, together with the boats being ordered into Barking creek, obliged the besieged to surrender at discretion on Monday last; and they hive[sic] since been put on board the men of war.

[War with Spain was near to being declared, and young men dreaded press gangs, which seized them for military service]