Editing Manchester Regiment (section)

==1881–1899==
Between the 1860s and 1880s, the British Army underwent a period of reform implemented by [[Edward Cardwell, 1st Viscount Cardwell|Edward Cardwell]] and [[Hugh Childers]]. Single-battalion regiments were amalgamated and regiments were affiliated with a geographical area.<ref>Mileham (2000), p. 58.</ref> The Manchester Regiment came into being on 1 July 1881 by the union of the [[63rd (West Suffolk) Regiment of Foot|63rd (West Suffolk)]] and [[96th Regiment of Foot|96th]] Regiments of Foot.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=24992|pages=3300–3301|date=1 July 1881}}</ref> They had been linked in 1873 by their allocation to the 16th Sub-district Brigade Depot in [[Ashton-under-Lyne]], near to Manchester.<ref name="line">Frederick, John Bassett Moore (1969), ''Lineage book of the British Army; Mounted Corps and Infantry, 1660–1968'', pp. 112–3.</ref> The 2nd Battalion, as the 96th Foot, had been raised in the town of Manchester in 1824. Eight additional battalions were gained through the incorporation of the [[Lancashire Militia|6th Royal Lancashire Militia]] and [[Volunteer Force (Great Britain)|rifle corps]] units from [[Lancashire]].<ref name="line"/>  By July, the regiment had the following under its command:<ref name = Frederick>Frederick, pp. 130–3.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/063Manch.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071028083650/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/063Manch.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2007-10-28|title=The Manchester Regiment [UK]|date=2007-10-28|access-date=2020-03-21}}</ref>

* Regimental Headquarters
* 63rd Regimental District (Regimental Depot) based in [[Ashton-under-Lyne|Ashton]] (later named [[Ladysmith Barracks]])
* 1st Battalion (Regular)
* 2nd Battalion (Regular)
* [[3rd (6th Royal Lancashire Militia) Battalion, Manchester Regiment|3rd (1st Battalion, 6th Royal Lancashire Militia) Battalion (Militia)]]
* [[4th (6th Royal Lancashire Militia) Battalion, Manchester Regiment|4th (2nd Battalion, 6th Royal Lancashire Militia) Battalion (Militia)]]
* 1st Volunteer Battalion — former 4th Lancashire Rifle Volunteers
* [[1st Manchester Rifles#Volunteer Force|2nd Volunteer Battalion]] — former 6th Lancashire (1st Manchester) Rifle Volunteers
* 3rd Volunteer Battalion — former 40th Lancashire (3rd Manchester) Rifle Volunteers
* [[3rd Manchester Rifles#Volunteer Force|4th Volunteer Battalion]]  — former 20th Lancashire (2nd Manchester) Rifle Volunteers
* 5th (Ardwick) Volunteer Battalion — former 23rd Lancashire Rifle Volunteers
* 6th Volunteer Battalion — former 7th Lancashire Rifle Volunteers

The 1st Battalion was deployed to Egypt to take part in the [[Anglo-Egyptian War]] in 1882 and was then deployed to [[Gibraltar]] in 1897. The 2nd Battalion was based in [[British Raj|India]] from 1882 to 1897 and saw action on the [[Military history of the North-West Frontier|North-West Frontier]] before departing for [[Aden]].<ref name=nam>{{cite web|url=http://www.nam.ac.uk/research/famous-units/manchester-regiment|title=Manchester Regiment|publisher=National Army Museum|access-date=9 January 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160126111533/http://www.nam.ac.uk/research/famous-units/manchester-regiment|archive-date=26 January 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>