According to historian Mark Adkin, at the end of 1809 there were 103 regiments of foot in the British Army (the most junior being the 103rd), and the South Essex's designation would have been the 102nd, but it never received an official numerical designation, possibly because it was originally composed largely of militia soldiers, because it was disgraced and re-designated a battalion of detachments shortly after its formation, or because it was disbanded only nine years after its formation (historically, the New South Wales Corps was designated the 102nd Regiment of Foot).