The regiment was raised in East Anglia by Colonel Lord Lucas as Lord Lucas's Regiment of Foot in February 1702 to fight in the War of Spanish Succession. The regiment embarked for Spain in May 1702 and took part in the siege of Barcelona in September 1705. The regiment was then garrisoned at Tortosa before returning to England in spring 1707. The regiment then embarked for France in July 1708 and fought at the siege of Lille in autumn 1708, the siege of Douai in spring 1709 and the siege of Bouchain in summer 1711. The regiment returned to England after the Treaty of Utrecht and was disbanded in spring 1713. The regiment was reformed without loss of precedence in 1715. It sailed in September 1719 and took part in the capture of Vigo in October 1719 during the War of the Quadruple Alliance and then returned home later in the year.