Tangier Garrison was a military installation in
TangierTangier or Tangiers [
pronounce] is a city of northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000...
held by the English from 1661 to 6 February 1684 when it returned to being part of
MoroccoMorocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 32 million and an area just under . Its capital is Rabat, and its largest city is Casablanca. Morocco has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the...
.
In 1661 King
Charles IICharles II was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father King Charles I was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War. The English Parliament did not proclaim Charles II king at this time. Instead they passed a statute making such a...
married the
PortuguesePortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east...
Catherine of BraganzaCatherine of Braganza was a Portuguese Infanta and the queen consort of Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland.-Early life:...
, and as part of her dowry Charles was granted the ports of Tangier and Bombay (now
MumbaiMumbai, formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. The city proper is the most-populous in the world, with approximately 14 million inhabitants. Along with the neighbouring suburbs of Navi Mumbai and Thane, it forms the world's 4th largest urban agglomeration, with around...
). As soon as Charles and Catherine's marriage treaty had been signed, Admiral
Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of SandwichEdward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich, KG was an English Infantry officer who later became a naval officer. He was the only surviving son of Sir Sidney Montagu, and was brought up at Hinchingbrooke House....
, was sent to take possession of
TangierTangier or Tangiers [
pronounce] is a city of northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000...
.
Tangier controlled entry into the
Mediterranean SeaThe Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by the Levant. The sea is technically a part of the Atlantic Ocean, although it...
and was the principal commercial centre on the North West coast of
AfricaAfrica is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area. With a billion people in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14.8% of the...
, however, there had been years of conflict with the Moroccans.
On September 6 1661, King Charles appointed
Henry Mordaunt, 2nd Earl of PeterboroughHenry Mordaunt, 2nd Earl of Peterborough, KG, PC, FRS was an English soldier, peer and courtier.-Early life:Styled Lord Mordaunt from 1628, he was the eldest son of John Mordaunt, 1st Earl of Peterborough...
, as Governor and Captain General of all the forces in Tangier.
Tangier Garrison was a military installation in
TangierTangier or Tangiers [
pronounce] is a city of northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000...
held by the English from 1661 to 6 February 1684 when it returned to being part of
MoroccoMorocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 32 million and an area just under . Its capital is Rabat, and its largest city is Casablanca. Morocco has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the...
.
English take possession
In 1661 King
Charles IICharles II was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father King Charles I was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War. The English Parliament did not proclaim Charles II king at this time. Instead they passed a statute making such a...
married the
PortuguesePortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east...
Catherine of BraganzaCatherine of Braganza was a Portuguese Infanta and the queen consort of Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland.-Early life:...
, and as part of her dowry Charles was granted the ports of Tangier and Bombay (now
MumbaiMumbai, formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. The city proper is the most-populous in the world, with approximately 14 million inhabitants. Along with the neighbouring suburbs of Navi Mumbai and Thane, it forms the world's 4th largest urban agglomeration, with around...
). As soon as Charles and Catherine's marriage treaty had been signed, Admiral
Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of SandwichEdward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich, KG was an English Infantry officer who later became a naval officer. He was the only surviving son of Sir Sidney Montagu, and was brought up at Hinchingbrooke House....
, was sent to take possession of
TangierTangier or Tangiers [
pronounce] is a city of northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000...
.
Tangier controlled entry into the
Mediterranean SeaThe Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by the Levant. The sea is technically a part of the Atlantic Ocean, although it...
and was the principal commercial centre on the North West coast of
AfricaAfrica is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area. With a billion people in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14.8% of the...
, however, there had been years of conflict with the Moroccans.
On September 6 1661, King Charles appointed
Henry Mordaunt, 2nd Earl of PeterboroughHenry Mordaunt, 2nd Earl of Peterborough, KG, PC, FRS was an English soldier, peer and courtier.-Early life:Styled Lord Mordaunt from 1628, he was the eldest son of John Mordaunt, 1st Earl of Peterborough...
, as Governor and Captain General of all the forces in Tangier. When Peterborough landed he found the town derelict, and under constant attack from some 17,000
BerberBerbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are discontinuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke various Berber languages, which together form a branch of the...
rebels.
The Tangier Regiment (later known as the 2nd Regiment of Foot) arrived in Tangier on January 29 1662 and was joined by Parliamentarian companies from the garrison of Dunkirk and two units from the Royalist Force, which had been serving in
FlandersFlanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands...
; they officially took over Tangier from Montague's small naval garrison. The Regiment remained in Tangier for 23 years until the port was finally evacuated in 1684.
Three additional regiments from the Dunkirk
garrisonGarrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, of more than 50 men, but now often simply using it as a home base. The station is usually a city, town, fort, castle or similar...
were also placed under Peterborough's command and he arrived in Tangier with a force of 500 horse and 2000 foot with the wives of 200-300 of the soldiers, to serve in a domestic capacity, the first time that wives had officially accompanied an English army to an overseas garrison.
The Portuguese government were not in the least bit reluctant to part with Tangier. The anchorage was unsafe for shipping, and beyond the landward fortifications lived the
MoroccansMorocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 32 million and an area just under . Its capital is Rabat, and its largest city is Casablanca. Morocco has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the...
, who were looking for an opportunity to take back the city. The Portuguese inhabitants were not happy with these arrangements and departed on the British ships, leaving a civilian population made up of only the wives and families of the military.
Work began on a
fortifiedFortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defense in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
harbour at the end of November. It was to be six hundred yards long, 30 foot deep at low tide and be able to keep out the roughest of seas. Each
redoubtA redoubt is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, though others are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldiers outside the main line of defense and can be a permanent structure or a...
had 400 men guarding the excavation site, whilst to the front balls of spikes, stakes and piles of
gunpowderGunpowder, also called black powder, is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate. It burns rapidly, producing volumes of hot solids and gases which can be used as a propellant in firearms and as a pyrotechnic composition in fireworks. The term gunpowder also refers broadly to any...
and stone mix, which acted as a basic mine were laid.
Tangier declared a free city
On June 4 1668 Tangier was declared a free city by charter, with a mayor and corporation to govern instead of the army.
In 1674,
William O'Brien, 2nd Earl of InchiquinBaron Inchiquin is one of the older titles in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1543 for Murrough O'Brien on condition that he submit to English law and culture, and convert to the Anglican Church....
was Governor.
In 1675 a garrison school was founded, led by Rev Dr George Mercer.
On December 30 1676, Charles ordered a survey of the city and garrison of Tangier, which was costing about £140 000 a year to maintain. The survey showed that the total inhabitants numbered 2,225, of whom 50 were army officers, 1,231 other ranks, with 302 army wives and children. Amongst the buildings was a hospital and an army school.
In 1680, the pressure from the
MoroccansMorocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 32 million and an area just under . Its capital is Rabat, and its largest city is Casablanca. Morocco has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the...
increased, as the Moroccan Sultan Moulay Ismail joined forces with the Chief of
FezFes may refer to:* Fes, Morocco, also known as Fez, a city in Morocco* Persona 3 FES, an 'add-on' disk for Shin Megami Tensei:Persona 3.FES is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:...
in order to pursue a war against all foreign troops in his land. Reinforcements were needed at the Garrison, which was raised to 3000 in number.
Also in 1680 the Earl of Inchiquin resigned and was replaced by
Thomas Butler, 6th Earl of OssoryVice-Admiral Thomas Butler, 6th Earl of Ossory, KG, PC, PC was the eldest son of the 1st Duke of Ormonde and an Irish politician born at Kilkenny....
, who died before taking up his post.
The Royal Scots, shortly followed by a further foot regiment, the
2nd Tangier RegimentThe 2nd Tangier Regiment was raised by the Charles FitzCharles, 1st Earl of Plymouth in 1680.Part of the British Army, its role was to help the Tangier Garrison but that was evacuated four years later....
raised on July 13 1680, were sent to Tangier. The new regiment was accompanied by the King's Battalion, which was formed from the
GrenadierThe Grenadier Guards is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
and
Coldstream GuardsHer Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
. The Battalion landed in July 1680, and fierce attacks were made against the Moors, who had gained a footing on the edge of the town, finally defeating them by controlled and well-aimed musket fire. The Battalion remained in Tangier until the fort was abandoned.
Growing concerns about the garrison
For some time Parliament had been concerned about the cost of maintaining the Tangier garrison. By 1680 the King had threatened to give up Tangier unless the supplies were voted for its sea defences, intended to provide a safe harbour for shipping. The fundamental problem was that in order to keep the town and harbour free from cannon fire the perimeter of the defended area had to be vastly increased. A number of outworks were built but the siege of 1680 showed that the Moroccans were capable of isolating and capturing these outworks by entrenchments and mining.
The garrison at Tangier had to be constantly reinforced, having cost nearly two million
poundsThe pound sterling , often simply called the pound, is the currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and British Antarctic Territory...
of royal treasure, and many lives had been sacrificed in its defence. Merchant ships continued to be harassed by Barbary pirates, and undefended crews were regularly captured into slavery.
The so-called
Popish PlotThe Popish Plot was a fictitious conspiracy concocted by Titus Oates which gripped England in anti-Catholic hysteria from 1678 until 1681. Oates alleged that there existed an extensive Catholic conspiracy to assassinate Charles II. These accusations would eventually lead to the execution of at...
in England had intensified the dread of
CatholicismCatholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole...
, and the King's frequent request for more troops to increase the size of the garrison raised suspicions that a standing army was being retained in Tangier to ensure a Catholic succession and
absolute monarchyAbsolute monarchy is a monarchical form of government where the king or queen has absolute power over all aspects of his/her subjects' lives. Although some religious authorities may be able to discourage the monarch from some acts and the sovereign is expected to act according to custom, in an...
.
In October 1680, Colonel
Charles FitzCharles, 1st Earl of PlymouthCharles FitzCharles, 1st Earl of Plymouth was the illegitimate son of King Charles II of England, by Catherine Pegge. He had a sister called Catherine FitzCharles who became a nun. His mother went on to marry Sir Edward Greene of Samford in Essex, but they had no further children.-Life:Charles...
, arrived as Governor, but was taken mortally ill soon afterwards. Colonel Edward Sackville took over the governorship temporarily.
On December 20 1680, the
House of CommonsThe House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 646 members, who are known as "Members...
petitioned the King to give his assent to a Bill of Exclusion to disinherit the
Duke of YorkThe title Duke of York is a title of nobility in the British peerage. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of the British monarch...
; adding that, unless and until the bill was passed, Parliament could not give any supplies to Charles. The King refused to sacrifice his brother's right of succession to save Tangier.
On December 28 1680 Colonel
Percy KirkePercy Kirke , English soldier, was the son of George Kirke, a court official to Charles I and Charles II.In 1666 Kirke obtained his first commission in the Lord Admiral's regiment, and subsequently served in the Blues...
was appointed Colonel and Governor.
Evacuation of Tangier
Finally, in 1683, Charles gave
Admiral Lord DartmouthAdmiral George Legge, 1st Baron Dartmouth PC was a British naval commander who gave distinguished service to both Charles II and James II.-Naval career:...
secret orders to abandon Tangier. Dartmouth was to level the fortifications, destroy the harbour, and evacuate the troops. In August 1683 Dartmouth, as
Admiral of the FleetAdmiral of the Fleet is a rank of the British Royal Navy and other navies, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-10.The rank evolved from the ancient sailing days of the Royal Navy. The fleet was divided into three divisions and each designated a colour, that of Red, White, or Blue...
and captain general in Tangier, sailed from
PlymouthPlymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
. He was accompanied by
Samuel PepysSamuel Pepys, FRS was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament, who is now most famous for his diary. Although Pepys had no maritime experience, he rose by patronage, hard work and his talent for administration, to be the Chief Secretary to the Admiralty under both King Charles II...
who wrote an account of the evacuation.
All the forts and walls were mined for last-minute destruction. On February 5 1684 Tangier was officially evacuated, leaving the town in ruins, thereafter Kirke's Regiment returned to England.
One of Lord Dartmouth's main concerns was the evacuation of sick soldiers "and the many families and their effects to be brought off". The hospital ship
Unity sailed for England on October 18 1683 with 114 invalid soldiers and 104 women and children. The main force of 2,830 officers and men and 361 wives and children finally completed the demolition of the harbour wall and fortifications, and evacuated the garrison during the early months of 1684.
The
2nd Tangier RegimentThe 2nd Tangier Regiment was raised by the Charles FitzCharles, 1st Earl of Plymouth in 1680.Part of the British Army, its role was to help the Tangier Garrison but that was evacuated four years later....
left late in the second week of February for Plymouth with some 600 men and 30 wives and children. The Earl of Dumbarton's regiment went into quarters at Rochester, and Trelawney's Regiment to
PortsmouthPortsmouth is a city located in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is the United Kingdom's only island city and is located on Portsea Island. The City of Portsmouth and Portsmouth Football Club are both nicknamed Pompey...
.
Before leaving, Dartmouth was able to purchase the release of many English prisoners from Ismail's
bagnioA Bagnio was originally a bath or bath-house.The term was then used to name the prison for hostages in Istanbul, which was near the bath-house, and thereafter all the slave prisons in the Ottoman Empire and the Barbary regencies...
, including several officers and about 40 men, some of whom had spent 10 years in the hands of the
MoroccansMorocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 32 million and an area just under . Its capital is Rabat, and its largest city is Casablanca. Morocco has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the...
.
Some of the departing soldiers were to be rewarded with large land grants in the newly acquired
Province of New YorkThe Province of New York resulted from the capture of the Dutch Republic colony of Provincie Nieuw-Nederland in 1664 by the Kingdom of England, and included all of the present U.S. state of New York. The province was renamed for James, Duke of York, brother to Charles II of England immediately...
.
Thomas Dongan, 2nd Earl of LimerickThomas Dongan, 2nd Earl of Limerick , was the most personally popular colonial governor of New York and so is the colonial governor most admired by historians and contemporaries alike...
, a Lieutenant-Governor of Tangier, would become New York Provincial Governor and William "Tangier" Smith, the last mayor of Tangier, would get 50 miles of
Atlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
front property on
Long IslandLong Island is an island located in southeastern New York, United States, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City, and two of which are mainly suburban...
.
Governors
|
Term
| Incumbent
| Notes>
|
| 29 January 1662 to 1663 |
Henry Mordaunt, 2nd Earl of Peterborough Henry Mordaunt, 2nd Earl of Peterborough, KG, PC, FRS was an English soldier, peer and courtier.-Early life:Styled Lord Mordaunt from 1628, he was the eldest son of John Mordaunt, 1st Earl of Peterborough...
, Governor |
| 1663 to May 4 1664 |
Andrew Rutherford, 1st Earl of Teviot Andrew Rutherford, 1st Earl of Teviot , was the son of William Rutherford of Quarrelholes, Roxburghshire. His education was received in Edinburgh, and he took up the career of soldier of fortune....
, Governor |
| May 4 1664 to 1664 |
Sir Tobias Bridges, Governor |
| 1664 to April 1665 |
John Fitzgerald, Governor |
| April 1665 to 1666 |
John, Baron Belasyse, Governor |
unable to take oath of conformity |
| 1666 to 1669 |
Sir Henry Norwood, Governor |
| 1669 to 1670 |
John Middleton, 1st Earl of Middleton John Middleton, 1st Earl of Middleton was a Scottish army officer, who belonged to a Kincardineshire family which had held lands at Middleton since the 12th century....
, Governor |
1st Term |
| 1670 to 1672 |
Sir Hugh Chomondeley, acting Governor |
| 1672 to 1674 |
John Middleton, 1st Earl of Middleton John Middleton, 1st Earl of Middleton was a Scottish army officer, who belonged to a Kincardineshire family which had held lands at Middleton since the 12th century....
|
2nd Term |
| 1674 to 1675 |
Budget Meakin, acting Governor |
| 1675 to 1680 |
William O'Brien, 2nd Earl of Inchiquin William O'Brien was an Irish nobleman, the 2nd Earl of Inchiquin. O'Brien was the son of Murrough O'Brien, 1st Earl of Inchiquin and Elisabeth St. Leger....
, Governor |
| 1680 to 1680 |
Palmes Fairbourne, Governor |
| 1680 to 1680 |
Thomas Butler, Earl of Ossory |
died after appointment but before taking up position |
| 1680 to October 1680 |
Charles FitzCharles, 1st Earl of Plymouth Charles FitzCharles, 1st Earl of Plymouth was the illegitimate son of King Charles II of England, by Catherine Pegge. He had a sister called Catherine FitzCharles who became a nun. His mother went on to marry Sir Edward Greene of Samford in Essex, but they had no further children.-Life:Charles...
, Governor |
died soon after taking up position as Governor |
| October 1680 to December 28 1681 |
Sir Edward Sackville, Governor |
| December 28 1681 to 1683 |
Sir Percy Kirke Percy Kirke , English soldier, was the son of George Kirke, a court official to Charles I and Charles II.In 1666 Kirke obtained his first commission in the Lord Admiral's regiment, and subsequently served in the Blues...
, Governor |
| 1683 to 6 February 1684 |
George Legge, Admiral Lord Dartmouth, Governor |
Re-incorporated into MoroccoMorocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 32 million and an area just under . Its capital is Rabat, and its largest city is Casablanca. Morocco has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the...
|
>
British Library
- Manuscript Collection: 1671-1675 - Samuel Luke, Merchant, Tangier, Morocco. Reference Sloane MSS
- B. Museum Add. Mss.36528 Diary of John Luke (see & Judge Advocate to John Middleton, Earl of Middleton, Govr of Tangier)
- E.M.G. Routh Tangier:England's lost Atlantic outpost 1912
See also
- Alexander Spotswood
Alexander Spotswood was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the British Army and a noted Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. He is noted in Virginia and American history for a number of his projects as Governor, including his exploring beyond the Blue Ridge Mountains, his establishing what was perhaps the first...
- Colonial Heads of Tangier
- George Elliott (surgeon)
George Elliott was the illegitimate son of Richard Eliot , the wayward second son of Sir John Eliot, and Catherine Killigrew . George's grandson Granville Elliott spent considerable time and effort trying to prove that Richard had in fact married Catherine Killigrew, but was never able to prove...
- John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough was a prominent English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reigns of five monarchs throughout the late 17th and early 18th centuries...
- Roger Elliott
Major General Roger Elliott was one of the earliest British Governors of Gibraltar. His nephew George Augustus Eliott also became a noted Governor and defender of Gibraltar....
- Tangier Crisis
- Tangier Protocol
Tangier Protocol is an agreement signed between France, Spain and the United Kingdom by which Tangier, Morocco became an international zone.-History:The protocol was signed in 1925. Starting from 1929, Spain assumed the policing of the city...
- The Tangier Regiment
The Tangier Regiment served as part of the British Army in the Tangier Garrison from 1662 until its evacution in 1684.It was raised in 1661 by Henry Mordaunt, 2nd Earl of Peterborough on Putney Heath for the specific task of garrisoning Tangier...
and 2nd Tangier RegimentThe 2nd Tangier Regiment was raised by the Charles FitzCharles, 1st Earl of Plymouth in 1680.Part of the British Army, its role was to help the Tangier Garrison but that was evacuated four years later....