The SEVENTH Light Dragoons marched, in the summer of 1785, into quarters in Sussex, where the following order, dated Horse Guards, February 6, 1786, was received:--
SIR,--His Majesty has been pleased to order, that the colonels commanding regiments of Light Dragoons shall, for the future, supply them with _blue_ cloaks, instead of red, in proportion as the red ones, now in use, wear out, and that new cloaks shall become necessary.
I have, &c., (Signed) WILLIAM FAWCETT, _Adjutant-General_.
In May, 1786, the SEVENTH dragoons were removed to Guildford, and in July to Maidstone; in 1787 they marched to Canterbury; and afterwards to Greenwich and adjacent villages, from whence they proceeded to Norwich; they passed the summer of 1788 in Nottinghamshire; in the following winter they proceeded to the vicinity of London, and after occupying cantonments at Staines a few months, resumed their former quarters at Hounslow, &c., in April, 1789, and took part in the escort duty for the royal family.
Having been relieved from escort duty, the regiment marched, in June, 1790, into cantonments in Sussex, the head-quarters being established at Lewes, from whence they were removed, in April, 1791, to Brighton, and in June of the same year to Canterbury. In the summer of 1792 the regiment marched to Nottingham.
A revolution had in the mean time taken place in France, and the tyrannical and barbarous proceedings of the republicans, who had seized on the powers of the government in that kingdom, filled Europe with wonder and with abhorrence of the ruthless perpetrators of the numerous tragedies which took place; their crimes were increased by the execution of their sovereign Louis XVI.; the British ambassador consequently received instructions to quit Paris, and active preparations were made for war. Two troops were added to the QUEEN'S OWN light dragoons, and in the spring of 1793 four troops, under the command of Major Osborne, embarked for the Netherlands, to form part of the army under His Royal Highness the duke of York, designed to co-operate with the allies in repelling the aggressions of the French republic on Holland and the Austrian Netherlands. The depôt troops were stationed at Manchester.