The enthusiasm for the Volunteer movement following an invasion scare in 1859 saw the creation of many Rifle, Artillery and Engineer Volunteer units composed of part-time soldiers eager to supplement the Regular British Army in time of need.
Often these were drawn from a single place of work.
One such was the Custom House, City of London, whose employees working in the London docks formed both the 26th Middlesex Rifle Volunteer Corps (Customs & Excise) and a year later the 2nd Middlesex Artillery Volunteer Corps (Custom House).
The first commissions to the 2nd Middlesex AVC were issued on 26 April 1861, and initially it was attached to the 26th Middlesex RVC.

Later the artillery grew to six companies and became an independent unit, moving its HQ to the Artillery Barracks in Leonard Street, off London's City Road.
The artillery inventor Sir William Palliser was appointed Lieutenant-colonel in 1875, and was succeeded by the politician Lord Arthur Hill.
In 1883, 1884 and 1886 the 2nd Middlesex won the Queen's Prize at the annual National Artillery Association competition held at Shoeburyness.

The 2nd Middlesex had been included in the London Division when the Royal Artillery adopted a territorial structure on 1 April 1882, but this was disbanded and the unit was assigned to the Eastern Division on 1 July 1889.
By 1893 the War Office Mobilisation Scheme had allocated the unit to the Thames defences.

As of 30 September 1894 the unit had the following organisation:
HQ, Nos 1–7 Companies at Leonard Street and at the Tower of London
No 8 Company at Sands End, Fulham
On 1 June 1899 the Royal Artillery was split into two branches, and the Artillery Volunteers were assigned to the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA).
The divisional organisation was abandoned on 1 January 1902 and the unit was re-titled 2nd Middlesex Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers), ranking 60th in order of precedence.
The enthusiasm for the Volunteer movement following an invasion scare in 1859 saw the creation of many Rifle, Artillery and Engineer Volunteer units composed of part-time soldiers eager to supplement the Regular British Army in time of need. Often these were drawn from a single place of work. One such was the Custom House, City of London, whose employees working in the London docks formed both the 26th Middlesex Rifle Volunteer Corps (Customs & Excise) and a year later the 2nd Middlesex Artillery Volunteer Corps (Custom House). The first commissions to the 2nd Middlesex AVC were issued on 26 April 1861, and initially it was attached to the 26th Middlesex RVC.
Later the artillery grew to six companies and became an independent unit, moving its HQ to the Artillery Barracks in Leonard Street, off London's City Road. The artillery inventor Sir William Palliser was appointed Lieutenant-colonel in 1875, and was succeeded by the politician Lord Arthur Hill. In 1883, 1884 and 1886 the 2nd Middlesex won the Queen's Prize at the annual National Artillery Association competition held at Shoeburyness. 
The 2nd Middlesex had been included in the London Division when the Royal Artillery adopted a territorial structure on 1 April 1882, but this was disbanded and the unit was assigned to the Eastern Division on 1 July 1889. By 1893 the War Office Mobilisation Scheme had allocated the unit to the Thames defences.
As of 30 September 1894 the unit had the following organisation:
HQ, Nos 1–7 Companies at Leonard Street and at the Tower of London
No 8 Company at Sands End, Fulham
On 1 June 1899 the Royal Artillery was split into two branches, and the Artillery Volunteers were assigned to the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA). The divisional organisation was abandoned on 1 January 1902 and the unit was re-titled 2nd Middlesex Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers), ranking 60th in order of precedence.
2nd Middlesex Artillery Volunteers