The school's primary purpose was to educate the orphans of British servicemen killed in the Napoleonic Wars of 1793–1815.

Between 1803-1909 the Royal Military Asylum was located at what is now known as the Duke of York's Headquarters in Chelsea, London.

The first co-educational institution was the Royal Hibernian Military School in Dublin which was relocated and merged with Duke of York's after Ireland declared independence.

The school adopted the "Madras system of education" developed by Dr. Andrew Bell, to which Joseph Lancaster made certain improvements.

They were then sent by the African Institution to Sierra Leone where they were employed as teachers by the Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, the Earl of Liverpool.

[11] Peter Brown, a veteran of the Napoleonic Wars, and Major General served as Commandant of the Royal Military Asylum.

This provided the military authorities with a transit point in Dover for troops moved to and from the Western Front.