When were the Royal Marines Formed?
The first regiment of land soldiers was raised for service at sea in 1664 and two marine Regiments were formed in 1690. The marines were designated ‘Royal’ in 1802 and in 1855 the whole marine corps took the name Royal Marine Light Infantry (Red Marines). In 1859 a separate Division of Royal Marine Artillery (Blue Marines) was formed, but in 1923 the two merged to become the single corps of Royal Marines. Historical records are at the Public Record Office and are arranged by Division. To avoid a lengthy search, you need to know a Marine’s Division to find his service records. There are a number of Public Record Office leaflets on researching Royal Marine ancestry.
