TOPIC:

Whilst cooking the Sunday lunch yesterday, I was listening to the BBC's "The Food Programme" on Radio 4, and was diverted from my domestic duties by a rather surprising assertion made by someone being interviewed on the programme. They stated that at the start of the nineteenth century, the minimum height for someone enlisting in the British army was 5' 6" (i.e. at the time of the Napoleonic Wars), whereas by the end of the century and the AngloBoer War, the minimum height had been dropped to just 5'. The person articulating this was trying to claim that the diet and nutrition of the common man had precipitously declined during C19, specifically as a result of the consumption of white bread. Leaving aside the likelihood (or not) of the population being so badly nourished as to result in a decline by 6 inches of the average population (!), I was wondering if it was correct that the minimum height for enlistment in the British Army in the 1890s really was only 5 foot - that seems odd to me, but maybe others have a more expert view on this?

[if people are interested, they can probably hear/download the programme with the BBC Sounds iPlayer app - the particular episode was called "Flour to the People"]

Cheers,
Johnathan

I found some mentions in the press of the minimum height; it seems to have been 5 feet 4 inches during the 1890s and the ABW.

"With the exception of the limits of age the conditions of eligibility are different. The minimum height for the Foot Guards is 5ft. 8in. as compared with 5ft. 4in. in the line.
The Morning Post, Friday 28th August 1891

"Captain Sinclair, recruiting officer, Edinburgh, has received instructions that no man will be enlisted for the infantry of the line who if under 20 years of age is less than 5 feet 3½ inches in height, who if over 20 years of age is less than 5 feet 3¾ inches in height, who if under 20 years of age and 5 feet 6 inches in height, has a minimum chest measurement of less than 32 inches, or who if over 20 years of age, and under 5 feet 6 inches in height, has chest measurement of less than 32-34 inches. The Commander-in-Chief points out that commanding officers will be held responsible for any men who are enlisted under authority who do not, in the opinion of the medical officer, give certain promise of development."
Edinburgh Evening News, Friday 19th May 1893

"Col. Hughes [is] appealing for recruits for the Hallamshire Rifles . . . The minimum height is 5ft. 4in., and the minimum chest measurement 32½ in."
The Sheffield Independent, Saturday 17th February 1900

...."One reason assigned for the falling off in the number of recruits this year, says the "Pall Mall Gazette," is that many of the better-class young men who might have filtered into his Majesty's regular forces have joined the Imperial Yeomanry, attracted by better pay, prospects of seeing some fighting, and probably, when the fighting is done, settling in South Africa. It is officially stated that the recruits who have enlisted are not physically equal to the material available last year, many of the youths being undersized, underfed, and lacking in education. It is found almost impossible to obtain recruits of the right sort for the Brigade of Guards in London, those who join the colours being attested in Scotland and the provinces ; and the pick of those enrolled at St. George's Barracks prefer a cavalry regiment or the artillery arm of service, where the conditions are more encouraging. This somewhat depressing statement is substantiated in the main by figures. In October, of the 1,565 recruits who were presented to the medical officer for acceptance in London, 461 were rejected as medically unfit, a percentage of 29.32 ; in November, of 1,088 presented, 325 were rejected as unfit, percentage, 29.87—a high percentage, which may be regarded as the approximate average for the year. ....The War Office have recently been trying a tentative experiment with the view of giving a little more elasticity to the recruiting system, and not pinning it down by such hard-and-fast regulations ; allowing more discretion to the recruiting staff in the selection of men, reducing the burdensome minute clerical work, and dispensing with the constant reference to the War Office on points of detail ; in brief, decentralising to a considerable extent the duties and responsibilities of the recruiting depots. For instance, for youths of eighteen, an option is allowed in height from 5ft. 2in. to 5ft. 5in., and the former minimum weight of 1151b. has been fixed at 1121b. and 122lb., according to the respective heights ; the minimum chest measurement of 33in. has been changed to 33½in. maximum. For youths of nineteen the conditions are : Height, 5ft. 2½in. to 5ft. 5in. ; former weight, 1151b.; present weight, 114lb. to 128lb. respectively ; chest measurement, 34in. minimum ; present, 36in. maximum ; and so on, the standard extending up to twenty-two years of age. If the experiment proves satisfactory it will probably be adopted as a permanent policy."
The Gloucester Citizen, Friday 27th December 1901

Berenice and Johnathan
Spiers in "The Late Victorian Army" tells us that in 5/69, minimum height was 5'6", reduced to 5'4" in 8/70. In 1871, minimum was 5'5". The WO frequently changed standards of height, raising them to 5'6" for infantry but more often lowering them (from 1883 to 1889 the standard was only 5'3", from 1889 to 1897 it was 5'4" and from 1897 it fell again, plummeting to 5'3" in 1900).
Spiers has more on physical standards and it is suggested that a reading of his excellent work is recommended for an understanding of what the army wanted/and ended up getting.
Regards
IL.