The designation "chosen man", used during the Napoleonic Wars, was a precursor to the rank. The date of introduction of lance corporals to the British Army is unclear. The first reference to a lance corporal in the "London Gazette" is in 1831. However, the first mention of the rank in "The Times" is in 1819, so it appears they existed at least from the second decade of the 19th century. The first mention in the "London Gazette" of a lance corporal in the Royal Marines is in 1838.