called by the French Casernes, places for soldiers to lodge in, especially in garrisons. Till the middle of the year 1792, when there was a prospect of war with revolutionary France, and the British ministry became apprehensive of disturbances in this country, barracks were not numerous, nor were they under the control and management of a separate and peculiar board. Previous to this they were built under the authority and directions of the Board of Ordnance, which also supplied them with bedding and the necessary utensils; and any extra articles that were requisite were furnished by the secretary at war. In 1792 orders were issued by the ministry for building cavalry barracks with the utmost despatch, and the deputy-adjutant-general was directed to superintend the building and fitting them up. In January 1793 the same officer was appointed superintendent-general of barracks; and on the 1st of May the king's warrant was issued for their regulation. Greater powers were given to the superintendent-general in the year 1794; but as these seemed to interfere with the duties and powers of the Board of Ordnance, a new warrant was issued in the year 1795, defining and limiting the respective duties and powers of the Board of Ordnance, and the superintendent-general, or barrackmaster-general, as he was now called.

In 1806 the barrack establishment was placed under the direction of four commissioners, one of whom was generally a military man. Since 1834 the superintendence of barracks has reverted to the master-general of ordnance.

Barracks throughout the country are more immediately under the management and care of the resident barrackmasters, especially since the reduction of the barrack-office establishment, and the further reduction of the assistant-barrackmasters-general attached to districts.

The barrack districts in Great Britain are—Dover, Eastern, London, Manchester, Medway, Midland and South Wales, Northern, North Britain, South West and Sussex, Woolwich, Exeter, Western, Yorkshire, Guernsey and Alderney, Jersey, Dublin, Athlone, Belfast, Cork, and Limerick.

In the cavalry barracks, field-officers have two rooms each; captains one; subalterns, staff, and quartermasters, one; sergeants of each troop of dragoons, and corporals of each troop of horse, one; eight rank and file among them; and two rooms are allowed for the officers' mess. In infantry barracks, field-officers are allowed two each; captains one; one is allotted to two subalterns; the staff has one; twelve non-commissioned officers and private men one among them; the sergeant-major and quartermaster-sergeant one; and two are allotted for the officers' mess. The barracks are supplied by the barrack-office with beds, bedding, sheets, blankets, towels, house and stable utensils, coals, and candles; beer was formerly supplied, but now an allowance is made instead of it. Forage is supplied by the commissariat.

The expense of erecting barracks must of course greatly depend on the price of materials at the time, and, in some measure, on the part of the kingdom where they are erected. The total expense incurred by the nation for barracks and the barrack-office, in Great Britain, between the 25th of December 1792 and the 10th of November 1804, was £9,024,005, 8s. 9d.

During the last war the annual expense of the barrack establishment in Great Britain varied from £350,000 to £500,000. But in Ireland, where barracks are more numerous, the expense generally equalled, and often exceeded, that of Great Britain in this particular. Thus, in 1814 the sum required for Great Britain was £309,826, whilst that necessary for Ireland was £360,515; and a similar excess appears in the peace estimate for 1816, which was for Great Britain £178,500, and for Ireland £213,000. Since this period the annual expense has of course been greatly reduced.