The regiment was raised at Annapolis Royal in Nova Scotia by General Richard Philipps as the Richard Philipps's Regiment of Foot in August 1717 out of independent companies stationed in North America and the West Indies. The regiment landed in Boston for service in the American Revolutionary War in June 1775. It was evacuated from Boston in March 1776 and went to Halifax from where a detachment was sent to Georgia to gather rice for the army in June 1776. It saw action at the Battle of Long Island in August 1776, the Battle of Fort Washington in November 1776 and the Battle of Princeton in January 1777. It was in combat again at the Battle of Brandywine in September 1777 and the Battle of Germantown in October 1777. In November 1778 the regiment embarked for Barbados and took part in the Battle of St. Lucia in December 1778. The regiment was then based in Antigua until June 1781 when it returned to Staten Island and then took part in the Battle of Groton Heights in September 1781: Major William Montgomery, commanding the regiment was killed in the assault. In August 1782, the regiment took a county title as the 40th (the 2nd Somersetshire) Regiment of Foot. The regiment embarked for home in November 1783.