The 11th Hussars acquired their nickname, the Cherry Pickers, during the Peninsular War when attacked while they were raiding a cherry orchard in San Martin de Trebejo in Spain. Their deed, however, was preceded by an earlier incident of cherry scrumping that took place close to Chichester Barracks in 1807, the regimental depot of the 51st Foot that same year. At the time of the event, the 51st was a unit of light infantry, the West Yorkshire Regiment. It was renamed The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (the KOYLIS) under the Cardwell reforms from 1868 to 1874.
    The happening that gave rise to the charge of cherry picking or scrumping, meaning 'stealing fruit from an orchard', was pulled off not by soldiers, but by barrack rats of the 51st. Thanks to Peter Goble's examination of the admission registers of the RMA, we have a fair indication of the identity of at least some of the young spalpeens (as described below) involved. First, it is worth relating the incident reported in The Letters of Private Wheeler, 1809-1828. Pte (later Sergeant) Wheeler's letters, first edited by B. H. Liddell Hart in 1951, were reprinted in 1993 by The Windrush Press. The incident of the cherry pickers also appeared in Sons of the Brave (1984) p78. Identified as letter No. 5, Berryhead Barracks, 29 June 1809, Wheeler wrote: [The letter is as written without editorial corrections.]

What a funny drole set of beings the old soldiers of the Regt. are. They are continually relating such marvellous tales of Murders, rapes, and robberies that would frighten Old Devil Dunk himself if he could here them. I listen to there tales, with some degree of interest often doubting the truth of the fatigues etc. they seem to delight to relate.
    Colonel Mainwaring is one of the most eccentric characters I ever met with. I make no doubt but I shall be able to amuse you with many anecdotes about him, in some future letters. I will relate one to you as I heard it myself, it happened in the summer of 1807. The Regiment at the time was stationed at Chichester Barracks, several boys from the Duke of York's school, with others born in the Regt. were put on pay. Near the Barracks was an orchard well stocked with Cherries. Several of the boys got into the Orchard, but the vigilant eye of the owner soon discovered the marauders, but before he could even identify one, the whole bolted over the opposite hedge. The farmer came to the Colonel to lodge his complaint. All the boys were assembled but the farmer could not tell one from the other, they being all about the same height and dressed alike. 'I see, was not this the case,' said Colonel M----. 'When you looked over the hedge, they young rogues popped over the other opposite.' 'Just so, Sir' was the reply. 'I thought as much. They have learnt something from the crows that robs you of your corn. Like them they had thrown out their sentries, so they out Generaled you, but I am too old a soldier to be done by such a set of young spalpeens. If I cannot find out the thieves I will soon see who has eaten the fruit. I will make the whole of the rascals disgorge the contents of their stomack at our feet.' Then turning round, he shouts for the Serjeant of the Hospital to bring fourteen emetics immediately. The boys turned pale. One called out 'I ate some, sir, but I was not there. I was in the Barrack room. Bob --- gave me a hand full.' Bob --- endeavoured to excuse himself by saying he did not get up into the tree, he only held his cap while Bill --- threw them down. In short every one had his excuse. The Colonel separated the innocent from the guilty, and the old man was struck dumb with astonishment at the superior sagacity of the Colonel.

Wheeler is not entirely correct in his reference to 'several boys from the Duke of York's school'. The admission registers bear no record of boys enlisting in the 51st before 5 April 1813 when William Lamb, age 14 years, joined his father's regiment. John Green, a fellow pupil of Lamb, age 13, enlisted in the 51st Foot the following year on 24 August 1814. [Although the Asylum was not renamed the Duke of York's Royal Military School until 1892, the institution from the outset of its existence was known as the Duke of York's School.]
    It is assumed that Wheeler, writing in 1828 of the incident that occurred in 1807, remembered the boys in question, two of whom were now boy soldiers in the regiment and knew them as boys enlisting in the regiment from the Duke of York's School. This seems the most rational explanation for his reference to the school.
    The cherry picking episode occurred in 1807. Eight boys of the 51st were admitted to the Asylum in 1808. In that year, two were admitted at age 5½; two at age 7; one at 8½; and one two months short of his ninth birthday. In 1807 they were all one year younger, of course, which effectively rules out all but John Green and William (Bill) Lamb who at seven years of age were just old enough to be out with fellow barrack rats scrumping.
    Wheeler makes reference to 'Bob ___ who gave me a handful' and '…Bill threw them down…'. Bob and Bill fit in well with Robert Ling and William Lamb except that young Robert Ling would be six in 1807 and barely at an age to be one of the raiding party.
    The six boys admitted to the RMA in 1808 are here tabulated, showing their ages and when they were discharged from the RMA. It is to be noted, too, that girls as well as boys were admitted to the Asylum in during the first forty years of its existence.