Memoirs of the Earl of Harrington

The Right Honourable Charles, 3rd Earl of Harrington, is of interest to this web site as he was Corporal Michael Bowles' commanding officer when he joined the 85th Foot Regiment in 1779.  The regiment was posted to Jamaica where it was decimated by tropical fever.   Michael was fortunate to be one of the recruiting party which returned to England with Harrington in 1781.  When the rest of the regiment was recalled in 1782 their ships were struck by a hurricane with a great loss of life.  The regiment of around 900 men in 1779 was reduced to about 350 through disease and disaster when the regiment was disbanded at Dover in 1783.  In 1782 Harrington had been reassigned to command the 65th Foot Regiment in Ireland.  The lone member of the 85th to transfer to the 65th with Harrington was Michael Bowles.  That seems to have been more than a coincidence as when in 1785 the 65th was sent to America to defend Canada from the increasing attacks from the newly independant Americans, Harrington received approval to return to England and with him went a recruiting party including Michael again.  When Harrington was assigned to the 29th Regiment in 1787, Michael was transferred to the 29th and was promoted to Sergeant in 1788.

I have not found out yet why there seems to have been a connection/obligation between the 3rd Earl of Carrington and an Irish shoemaker's son.  Perhaps something happened in Jamaica during the epidemic that swept through the troops there or Michael was just the most successful recruiter Harrington ever had and he kept him with him for his next three commands. For the muster rosters of Carrington's commands showing the Michael Bowles references in them click here.

Here is the best bio for the 3rd Earl of Harrington that I was able to find online: