From the 1700s to 1870 life in the King's Regiment was harsh and the pay was low. Men had to join for life and were paid less than the least skilled worker - a shilling a day.
Up until the Napoleonic Wars most soldiers lived in inns. It was only during the 19th century that barracks were built to separate soldiers from the civilian population. These tended to be overcrowded places, and were shared by soldiers' families.
Soldiers often worked, as today, in conditions of extreme danger, exhaustion, fear and confusion. As a result much of their training involved drills. Loyalty to their regiment and comrades was also crucial, helping soldiers to endure the stress of battle by thinking about their mates.
Up until 1870 soldiers could be flogged for many crimes or branded for desertion. Until 1919 they could be executed by firing squad for cowardice in the face of the enemy.
This section of the former City Soldiers gallery included: