64th Regiment of Foot
| 64th (2nd Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1756–1881 |
| Country |
 United Kingdom
|
| Allegiance | British Crown |
| Branch | British Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Line Infantry |
| Size | One battalion |
| Nickname(s) | The Black Knots |
| Colors | Black facings |
| March | Romaika |
| Engagements | Seven Years' War, American War of Independence, Napoleonic Wars, Anglo-Persian War, Indian Rebellion |
| Battle honours | Guadeloupe 1759; Martinique 1794; St Lucia 1803; Surinam; Reshire; Bushire; Koosh-Ab; Persia; Lucknow |
| Disbanded | 1881, amalgamated with 98th Foot to become The Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire) Regiment |
The 64th (2nd Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was created as the 2nd Battalion, 11th Regiment of Foot in 1756, redesignated as the 64th Regiment of Foot in 1758, and took a county title as the 64th (2nd Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot in 1782. Following the Cardwell Reforms the regiment amalgamated with the 98th (Prince of Wales's) Regiment of Foot to become The Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment) in 1881. In the new regiment the 64th Foot became the 1st Battalion due to its seniority over the 98th Foot.
Although the 64th Foot fought in many of the major conflicts of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, it was normally in the more minor theatres of these conflicts. During the Seven Years' War it served in the West Indies; in the Napoleonic Wars, its role was limited, again, to the West Indies and South America. In the mid-19th century, it fought in the Anglo-Persian War and the Indian Rebellion of 1857, where one of its soldiers was awarded the Victoria Cross.
The formation of the 64th Foot was prompted by the expansion of the army as a result of the commencement of the Seven Years' War. On 25 August 1756 it was ordered that a number of existing regiments should raise a second battalion, among those chosen was the 11th Foot. The 2nd Battalion of the 11th Foot was raised at Southampton in 1756 before moving to Newcastle upon Tyne. On 21 April 1758 the War Office ordered that the 2nd battalions raised two years previously should be become independent regiments in their own right and on that day the 2nd Battalion 11th Foot became the 64th Foot. Shortly after King George II ordered that the dates of seniority of the 64th Foot and the other regiments created on 21 April 1758 should be backdated to the date of their raising as 2nd battalions, therefore the date seniority of the 64th Foot became 1756. The first colonel of the regiment was the Honourable John Barrington and it was he who decided that the facings of the 64th Foot should be black.
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