Catalogue description War Office: Muster Books and Pay Lists

The regimental musters in WO 16 are mostly listed by regiment name and in many cases by battalion. The musters for infantry regiments from 1880 onwards (WO 16/2285-2478) are arranged by regimental district. When attempting to find the muster book for a 2nd battalion - and the pre-1881 line infantry number of the 1st battalion is unknown - readers should refer to the Army lists for 1882 onward, which are available in the reading rooms at The National Archives, Kew.

Post-1880 volumes commence with several organisational tables showing the line infantry regiments, and their pre-1881 designations of the line, militia and volunteer battalions; the old regimental number of the 2nd battalion will be found therein.

Those infantry regiments serving in India between 1883 and 1889 have their musters listed by regimental name and in regimental order of preference.

Regimental Districts:

The following list, notes New Regimental Titles, Old Foot Regiment Numbers and Regimental District Numbers. For example, the Border Regiment was made up of the 34th and 55th Foot and became part of Regimental District 34.

Regimental Title. Old Foot Regiment Number. Regimental District Number.

• The Royal Scots (Lothian Regt) 1 1
• The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regt) 2 2
• The Buffs (East Kent Regt) 3 3
• The King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regt) 4 4
• The Northumberland Fusiliers 5 5
• The Royal Warwickshire Regt 6 6
• The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regt) 7 7
• The King's (Liverpool Regt) 8 8
• The Norfolk Regt 9 9
• The Lincolnshire Regt 10 10
• The Devonshire Regt 11 11
• The Suffolk Regt 12 12
• The Prince Albert's (Somersetshire L I) 13 13
• The Prince of Wales's Own West Yorkshire Regt 14 14
• The East Yorkshire Regt 15 15
• The Bedfordshire Regt 16 16
• The Leicestershire Regt 17 17
• The Royal Irish Regt 18 18
• The Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regt) 19 19
• The Lancashire Fusiliers 20 20
• The Royal Scots Fusiliers 21 21
• The Cheshire Regt 22 22
• The Royal Welsh Fusiliers 23 23
• The South Wales Borderers 24 24
• The King's Own Scottish Borderers 25 25
• The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) 26/90 26
• The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 27/108 27
• The Gloucester Regt 28/61 28
• The Worcester Regt 29/36 29
• The East Lancashire Regt 30/59 30
• The East Surrey Regiment 31/70 31
• The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry 32/46 32
• The Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regt) 33/76 33
• The Border Regt 34/55 34
• The Royal Sussex Regt 35/107 35
• The Hampshire Regt 37/67 37
• The South Staffordshire Regt 38/80 38
• The Dorset Regt 39/54 39
• The Prince of Wales's Volunteers (Sth Lancs R) 40/82 40
• The Welsh Regt 41/69 41
• The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) 42/73 42
• The Oxfordshire Light Infantry 43/52 43
• The Essex Regt 44/56 44
• The Sherwood Foresters (Derbyshire Regt) 45/95 45
• The Loyal North Lancashire Regt 47/81 47
• The Northamptonshire Regt 48/58 48
• Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Ryl Berks R) 49/66 49
• The Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regt) 50/97 50
• The King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry) 51/105 51
• The King's (Shropshire Light Infantry) 53/85 53
• The Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlex Regt) 57/77 57
• The King's Royal Rifle Corps 60 --
• The Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regt) 62/99 62
• The Manchester Regt 63/96 63
• The Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire R) 64/98 64
• The York and Lancaster Regt 65/84 65
• The Durham Light Infantry 68/106 68
• The Highland Light Infantry 71/74 71
• Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-Shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's) 72/78 72
• The Gordon Highlanders 75/92 75
• The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders 79 79
• The Royal Irish Rifles 83/86 83
• Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers) 87/89 87
• The Connaught Rangers 88/94 88
• Princess Louise's (Argyll and Suthrlnd Hghrs) 91/93 91
• The Prince's of Wales's Leinster Regt (Rl Canadians) 100/109 100
• The Royal Munster Fusiliers 101/104 101
• The Royal Dublin Fusiliers 102/103 102