TOPIC:

Am I right in thinking that the Boer War was the first major conflict the British Army fought where most regiments were primarily identified with the counties? At the time of the Crimea War the practice seemed to be along the lines of e.g. 84th Foot (Blankshire Regiment). Was that still the case in the First Boer War?

84th Foot were the York and Lancaster and recruited in that particular regimental district before 1881, but yes, during the Transvaal War, the infantry still used their numbers as their foremost title.
They still carried their colours into battle too!

BereniceUK wrote: Am I right in thinking that the Boer War was the first major conflict the British Army fought where most regiments were primarily identified with the counties? At the time of the Crimea War the practice seemed to be along the lines of e.g. 84th Foot (Blankshire Regiment). Was that still the case in the First Boer War?

BereniceUK wrote: Am I right in thinking that the Boer War was the first major conflict the British Army fought where most regiments were primarily identified with the counties? At the time of the Crimea War the practice seemed to be along the lines of e.g. 84th Foot (Blankshire Regiment). Was that still the case in the First Boer War?

Yes - in 1873 The Localisation of Forces Act was the beginning of tying regiments to geographical areas in order to increase recruitment. In 1881 the numbering of regiments was superseded by geographical names: "South Wales", "East Lancashire", "Argyll & Sutherland" etc.., although many of these names had existed prior to 1881 as sub-titles to numbered regiments or in volunteer unit titles.