The origins of the Liverpool Scottish Regiments lie in a meeting of notable Liverpool Scotsmen held at the George Hotel in November 1859. Wishing to contribute to the rising tide of the national Volunteer movement, the ‘Liverpool Scottish Rifles’ were formed. Following application for duty to the War Office and the granting of Royal Assent in January 1870, the officially-titled ‘19th Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps’ was born.
By the mid-1860s there were four separate Liverpool Scottish Companies, following several disputes over the wearing of kilts and the colour of the tartan to be used by the soldiers. However, the opportunity for the creation of one single, useful Liverpool Scottish Regiment soon arose with the Boer War at the end of the century. A local rallying call to Scotsmen brought sufficient volunteers for the creation of the 8th (Scottish) Volunteer Battalion of the King's (Liverpool Regiment) in April 1900. An ‘active service section’ of just 23 men was sent to South Africa in March 1902. The Liverpool Scottish did not fight in South Africa, but were used by the British Army to man strategic positions. However, the Battalion’s work was deemed useful enough for the Liverpool Scottish to be awarded its first battle honours.
The Battalion was reformed in 1908, along with the whole of the British Army’s volunteer system, with the creation of the Territorial Army, or Territorial Force as it was then known. The 8th (Scottish) Volunteer Battalion became the 10th (Scottish) Battalion of the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment, Territorial Force.
 |
 Military march past during the royal visit, 1913 |
The composition of the Liverpool Scottish was mainly middle-class and affluent, due to the fees charged for the elaborate uniform, the tartan material, and the regular subscription fees, as well as the time needed to be able to give to the Battalion. Most working-class Scotsmen in Liverpool had neither the time nor the money. |
