A work-in-progress!

 The "Pax Victoriana"

• 1832 - King William IV orders the 35th Sussex Regiment to become the 35th Royal Sussex Regiment.  The old orange facings become blue.

• 1837 - Queen Victoria ascends the throne at Windsor.  35th in garrison in Ireland.

• 1838 - Parts of the 35th garrisoning Stirling Castle, Port Louis, and the Seychelles.

• 1839 - Remains in Port Louis.

• 1840 - General Sir John Oswald, GCB, GCMG, dies on June 8th in Scotland.

• 1841-1845 - Garrison rotations in Ireland and England.

• 1846 - "The reserve companies remained at Charles Fort during the great potato famine in Ireland, and opened a soup kitchen, feeding great numbers of starving people, which drew forth a very complimentary letter on their departure for Jersey in July, 1847."

• 1847 - Detachments of the regiment return from Mauritius.

• 1848 - Detachments from the Cape of Good Hope return to England and turn in their Brown Bess flintlock muskets for percussion Enfields, having not received any previously.  The regiment garrisons Ireland due to the "disturbed state" of affairs there.

• 1849-1852 - Garrisons throughout Ireland.

• 1852 - Garrison in England.

• 1853 - Regiment passes in review before Queen Victoria.

• 1854 - July 15, 35th and 72nd embark for India, arriving in Calcutta on November 13, a five-month voyage.

• 1855 - Regiment undergoes uniform alterations, including white jackets and trousers for tropical service.

• 1856 - Companies of the regiment participate in supressing a rebellion by the Karens.

• 1857 - Continuing the war with the Karens, though the Indian Mutiny breaks out and the British forces converge on Calcutta.  Disarms suspicious Sepoy battalions, marches to Berhampore with great speed to prevent a massacre of English colonists there.  Continues disarmament operations.  Massacres in Meerut and Delhi.  Uniform changes from double-breasted to single-breasted red frock coat.

• 1858 - 35th suffers from illness, though is reinforced by detachments from the depot in England.  Captures Fort Tikaree.  Lucknow is captures by the British.  Terrible battle at Jugdespore against Sepoys with the 35th, Sikhs, and sailors.  Further disaster at Arrah Fort, as the small British force is vastly outnumbered and exhausted by the heat and sun.  Regiment moves to the relief of Russerah and pursues the enemy in broiling sun and rain over 120 miles in six days.  British invest Jugedspore again and operate in the nearby jungles.

• 1859 - Regiment suffers from cholera, boards steamers for Allahabad onto Cawnpore.  Mutiny essentially suppressed.  Dec. 26, in Meerut, the regiment receives new colours to replace those from 1834 by Lady Canning.  These new colours would be born by the 35th into the 1920's, never to be carried into battle.  Dimensions of the colours described to be "only four feet flying, and three feet six inches deep on the pike, exclusive of the fringe, which, with the cord and tassles, were of crimson and gold mixed.  The length of the pike, including the spear and ferrel, was nine feet ten inches.  The Regimental Colour was, of course, of Royal Blue silk, with the Union in the upper canton, and the number of the regiment in gold Roman characters in the centre, round which, on a red ground, was the title 'Royal Sussex Regiment,' within the Union wreath of roses, thistles, and shamrocks."

• 1860 - Garrison in Meerut.

• 1861 - Royal Sussex receives volunteers from the 24th, 37th, 64th, and 73rd Regiments, bringing total strength up to about 1,000 men.  Cholera sets in, killing 37 men.  35th marches to Agra and relieves the 42nd Highlanders.  White (khaki?) uniforms are worn in the summer.

• 1862 - Indian Mutiny medals issued out in January.  Horse Guards abolishes the flank companies.  Of the 8 companies, the old grenadiers become the new No. 1 Company, the old center companies range 2-9, and the former light company becomes No. 10 Company.  Cholera still plagues the regiment, stationed by the Taj Mahal, and it eventually marches out to the Agra barracks and then ordered to Fyzabad.  No's 1, 2, 3, and 8 Companies leave by rail for Cawnpore on Dec. 20,  followed soon after by the remaining companies with the women and children of the regiment in Captain Blyth's company.  From Cawnpore, marches to Lucknow.

• 1863 - Reaches Fyzabad, relieving the 107th (later 2nd Batt'l, Royal Sussex) and 23rd Foot.  Captain Blyth and the invalids leave India for England.

• 1864 - Spends most of the year in Fyzabad in relative health and harmony.

• 1865 - Arrives in Mooltan and suffers greatly from heat and sun.  Horse Guards orders a change in the companies, known 1-10 now as A-J companies.

• 1866 - Still on garrison duty in and around Dera-Ismail-Khan.

• 1867 - Receives orders for England and embarks for Suez in November after 13 years in India.  Capt. Ballingall's Co. remains in India, rest are companies of Captains Blyth, Vandeleur, Barnes, Tedlie, Grattan, Browne, and Richard Trimen's (author of Historical Memoir) with Lt's Ross and Parsons.  Losses in India for the regiment had been 8 officers and nearly 400 men, 3 officers KIA and 105 men KIA, 3 officers and 400 men invalided.

• 1868 - Disembarks at Suez and marches to Alexandria.  From there it proceeds to Malta and then to Portsmouth with only 5 officers and 62 men who had originally been sent to India in 1854. Ballingall's Company returns in April and the regiment is reviewed.  Orders arrive that sergeants are to wear gold chevrons along with other minor uniform changes.  Regiment turns in Enfields for Snider rifles.

• 1869 - The 1834 colours are retired in the Lady Chapel of the cathedral in Chichester beside the Sussex Militia colours.  The regiment is reviewed by the Queen and garrisoned in various posts in England.

• 1870 - Adopts all red pom-pom in place of white over red.  Seen on shakos and glengarries later.  Regimental establishment as follows: 3 Field Officers, 10 Captains, 15 Subalterns, 2 Staff Officers, 40 Sergeants, 20 Drummers, 40 Corporals, 460 Privates, later raised to 660, though Royal Sussex is rather below that amount.

• 1871-1872 - Garrisoning various English posts.  Regimental compliment is 701 officers and men.  Regiment turns in the Snider rifles for the Martini-Henry.

• 1873-1874 - Regiment is on garrison duty in Ireland.

• 1875-1879 - The 35th Regiment is deployed to Barbadoes, where it had renders relief services following a powerful earthquake.  The locals present the regiment with silver plates in thanks

• 1879-1881 - The Regiment is sent to Malta, then onto Cyprus.  On July 1, 1881, the 35th Regiment becomes the First Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment.  107th Regiment becomes Second Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment.

• 1882-1884 - See The Egyptian War

• 1885 - 2nd Battalion leaves Cairo for Bombay and moves to Rawal Pindi.  1st Batt. arrives in Portsmouth via Alexandria in December.

• 1886-1890 - 1st Batt. in England.

• 1888 - 2nd Batt. part of the Tirah Expedition or Black Mountain Campaign.  Remains in India until 1914.

• 1891-1893 - 1st Batt. in Dublin.

• 1893-1898 - Back in England: Chichester, Brighton.

• 1898 - Training manuevers, brigade training.

• 1899 - Alarmed by troubles in South Africa, the battalion moves to Malta, arriving about Sept. 26th.

• 1900-1902 - See The Boer War