The Lancashire Militia was an auxiliary military force in
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
in
North West England
North West England is one of nine official regions of England and consists of the ceremonial counties of England, administrative counties of Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside. The North West had a population of ...
. From their formal organisation as Trained Bands in 1558 and their service in the
Williamite War in Ireland
The Williamite War in Ireland (1688–1691; ga, Cogadh an Dá Rí, "war of the two kings"), was a conflict between Jacobite supporters of deposed monarch James II and Williamite supporters of his successor, William III. It is also called th ...
and against the
Jacobite Risings
, war =
, image = Prince James Francis Edward Stuart by Louis Gabriel Blanchet.jpg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = James Francis Edward Stuart, Jacobite claimant between 1701 and 1766
, active ...
, the
Militia
A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
regiments of Lancashire served during times of international tension and all of Britain's major wars. They provided internal security and home defence but sometimes operated further afield, including Ireland and the Mediterranean, relieving regular troops from routine garrison duties, and acting as a source of trained officers and men for the
Regular Army
A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregulars, irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenary, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the ...
. All the infantry battalions went on active service during the
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...
and all served as
Special Reserve
The Special Reserve was established on 1 April 1908 with the function of maintaining a reservoir of manpower for the British Army and training replacement drafts in times of war. Its formation was part of the Haldane Reforms, military reforms im ...
training units in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, with one battalion seeing considerable action on the
Western Front. After 1921 the militia had only a shadowy existence until its final abolition in 1953.
Early History
The
English militia
The Militia of England were the principal military reserve forces of the Kingdom of England from the 10th-18th century.
For the period following the creation of the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707, see Militia (Great Britain).
Origins
The origin ...
was descended from the
Anglo-Saxon
The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...
''
Fyrd
A fyrd () was a type of early Anglo-Saxon army that was mobilised from freemen or paid men to defend their Shire's lords estate, or from selected representatives to join a royal expedition. Service in the fyrd was usually of short duration and ...
'', the military force raised from the freemen of the
shire
Shire is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries such as Australia and New Zealand. It is generally synonymous with county. It was first used in Wessex from the beginn ...
s under command of their
Sheriff
A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...
. It continued under the
Norman kings, notably at the
Battle of the Standard
The Battle of the Standard, sometimes called the Battle of Northallerton, took place on 22 August 1138 on Cowton Moor near Northallerton in Yorkshire, England. English forces under William of Aumale repelled a Scottish army led by King David ...
(1138). The force was reorganised under the
Assizes of Arms of 1181 and
1252
Year 1252 ( MCCLII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* April 6 – Saint Peter of Verona is assassinated by Carino of Balsamo.
* May 15 – P ...
, and again by
King Edward I
Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassa ...
's
Statute of Winchester
The Statute of Winchester of 1285 (13 Edw. I, St. 2; Law French: '), also known as the Statute of Winton, was a statute enacted by King Edward I of England that reformed the system of Watch and Ward ( watchmen) of the Assize of Arms of 1252, and r ...
of 1285.
[Grierson, pp. 6–7.]
Under this statute 'Commissioners of Array' would levy the required number of men from each shire. The usual shire contingent was 1000 infantry commanded by a ''millenar'', divided into companies of 100 commanded by ''centenars'' or constables, and subdivided into platoons of 20 led by ''vintenars''. Edward I regularly summoned the men of the
County palatine of Lancaster
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a Historic counties of England, historic county, Ceremonial County, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significa ...
(Lancashire) to fight in his
Welsh Wars
This is an incomplete list of the wars and battles between the Anglo-Saxons who later formed into the Kingdom of England and the Britons (the pre-existing Brythonic population of Britain south of the Antonine Wall who came to be known later by the ...
and to the army that won the
Battle of Falkirk
The Battle of Falkirk (''Blàr na h-Eaglaise Brice'' in Gaelic), on 22 July 1298, was one of the major battles in the First War of Scottish Independence. Led by King Edward I of England, the English army defeated the Scots, led by William Wal ...
in Scotland in 1298. (John E. Morris, the historian of Edward's Welsh Wars writing in 1901, likened this process to calling out the Militia Battalion of the
Lancashire Fusiliers
The Lancashire Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that saw distinguished service through many years and wars, including the Second Boer War, the First and Second World Wars, and had many different titles throughout its 28 ...
). A contingent of 2000 men was summoned from Lancashire for the campaign of 1300, and in the event 1000 men in 10 companies, together with 327 men from
Blackburnshire
Blackburn Hundred (also known as Blackburnshire) is a historic sub-division of the county of Lancashire, in northern England. Its chief town was Blackburn, in the southwest of the hundred. It covered an area similar to modern East Lancashire, in ...
, were present at the
Siege of Caerlaverock
Caerlaverock Castle is a moated triangular castle first built in the 13th century. It is located on the southern coast of Scotland, south of Dumfries, on the edge of the Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve. Caerlaverock was a stronghold of th ...
. This procedure was continued for border campaigns under later kings, with the shire levies of Lancashire and other northern counties being called out in 1327 during the campaign that ended in the
Battle of Stanhope Park. By now the infantry were mainly equipped with the
English longbow
The English longbow was a powerful medieval type of bow, about long. While it is debated whether it originated in England or in Wales from the Welsh bow, by the 14th century the longbow was being used by both the English and the Welsh as a ...
.
Edward III
Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring r ...
called out the Lancashire levies in 1332 and again 1333, when they served at the
Siege of Berwick and the
Battle of Halidon Hill
The Battle of Halidon Hill took place on 19 July 1333 when a Scottish army under Sir Archibald Douglas attacked an English army commanded by King Edward III of England () and was heavily defeated. The year before, Edward Balliol had seized ...
. In 1334 the king ordered 4000 archers to be levied in Lancashire, and almost 1000 (a quarter of them
Mounted infantry
Mounted infantry were infantry who rode horses instead of marching. The original dragoons were essentially mounted infantry. According to the 1911 ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', "Mounted rifles are half cavalry, mounted infantry merely specially m ...
) served in 1335.
Lancashire Trained Bands
The legal basis of the militia was updated by two
Acts of 1557 covering musters and the maintenance of horses and armour. The county militia was now under the
Lord Lieutenant
A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ...
, assisted by the
Deputy Lieutenants and
Justices of the Peace
A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...
(JPs). The entry into force of these Acts in 1558 is seen as the starting date for the organised county militia in England.
Although the militia obligation was universal, it was clearly impractical to train and equip every able-bodied man, so after 1572 the practice was to select a proportion of men for the
Trained Bands
Trained Bands were companies of part-time militia in England and Wales. Organised by county, they were supposed to drill on a regular basis, although this was rarely the case in practice. The regular army was formed from the Trained Bands in the ev ...
, who were mustered for regular training. Lancashire held a two-day 'general muster' at
Michaelmas
Michaelmas ( ; also known as the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, the Feast of the Archangels, or the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels) is a Christian festival observed in some Western liturgical calendars on 29 September, a ...
, and two 'special musters' lasting four days for detailed training at
Easter
Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...
and
Whitsun
Whitsun (also Whitsunday or Whit Sunday) is the name used in Britain, and other countries among Anglicans and Methodists, for the Christian High Holy Day of Pentecost. It is the seventh Sunday after Easter, which commemorates the descent of the Ho ...
. The Lancashire JPs ordered armouries to be set up at
Lancaster,
Preston,
Chorley
Chorley is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Chorley in Lancashire, England, north of Wigan, south west of Blackburn, north west of Bolton, south of Preston and north west of Manchester. The town's wealth came pr ...
,
Ormskirk
Ormskirk is a market town in the West Lancashire district of Lancashire, England, north of Liverpool, northwest of St Helens, southeast of Southport and southwest of Preston. Ormskirk is known for its gingerbread.
Geography and administr ...
,
Whalley and
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
to store the arms and armour for the trained bands. Although the trained bands were exempt from foreign service, they were frequently employed in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. The
Armada Crisis in 1588 led to the mobilisation of the trained bands and Lancashire furnished 1170 trained men, with 20 lancers and 50 light horsemen (another return has 64 lancers and 265 light horse).
[Hay, pp. 242–8.]
English Civil War
With the passing of the threat of invasion, the trained bands declined in the early 17th Century. Later,
King Charles I attempted to reform them into a national force or 'Perfect Militia' answering to the king rather than local control. The trained bands including the Lancashire contingent were called out in 1639 and 1640 for the
Bishops' Wars
The 1639 and 1640 Bishops' Wars () were the first of the conflicts known collectively as the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms, which took place in Scotland, England and Ireland. Others include the Irish Confederate Wars, the First and ...
, though many of the men who actually went were untrained hired substitutes
[Kenyon, p. 42.]
Control of the trained bands was one of the major points of dispute between Charles I and
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
that led to the
English Civil War
The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
, but with a few exceptions neither side made much use of the trained bands during the war beyond securing the county armouries for their own full-time troops.
[ ]Lord Wharton
Baron Wharton is a title in the Peerage of England, originally granted by letters patent to the heirs male of the Thomas Wharton, 1st Baron Wharton, 1st Baron, which was forfeited in 1729 when the last male-line heir was declared an outlaw. The B ...
had been appointed Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire. The Lord Lieutenant is the King's personal representative in each county of the United Kingdom. Historically the Lord Lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's ...
by Parliament in 1641, and on the outbreak of hostilities in July 1642 he attempted to seize the trained bands' magazine at Manchester, being forestalled by Lord Strange
Baron Strange is a title which has been created four times in the Peerage of England. Two creations, one in 1295 and another in 1326, had only one holder each, upon whose deaths they became extinct. Two of the creations, that of 1299 and that ...
and William Farington (appointed Commissioner of Array by the King), who had already gained control of the magazines at Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
and Preston for the Royalists. The resulting skirmish at Manchester on 15 July when Strange and his men were driven out by Wharton's Parliamentarians, was among the first battles of the war.[
Once Parliament had established full control in 1648 it passed new Militia Acts that replaced lords lieutenant with county commissioners appointed by Parliament or the ]Council of State
A Council of State is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head o ...
. At the same time the term 'Trained Band' began to disappear in most counties. Under the Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
and Protectorate
A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over m ...
the militia received pay when called out, and operated alongside the New Model Army
The New Model Army was a standing army formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians during the First English Civil War, then disbanded after the Stuart Restoration in 1660. It differed from other armies employed in the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Th ...
to control the country.
Lancashire Militia
After the Restoration of the Monarchy, the English Militia was re-established by the Militia Act of 1661 under the control of the king's lords-lieutenant, the men to be selected by ballot. This was popularly seen as the 'Constitutional Force' to counterbalance a 'Standing Army' tainted by association with the New Model Army that had supported Cromwell's military dictatorship.
The Lancashire Militia were called out in 1663 when there were rumours of plots against the new regime, and no sooner had they been sent home in October than they were called out again on receipt of new information. Some counties were slack in training and equipping their men: in 1674 most of the weapons of the Lancashire Militia were found to be defective, and many had to be replaced again in 1689.
Nine Years' War
Following the Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...
in which King William III
William III (William Henry; ; 4 November 16508 March 1702), also widely known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from the ...
supplanted James II the militia were called out in 1689. The Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire, William Stanley, 9th Earl of Derby
William Richard George Stanley, 9th Earl of Derby (c. 1655 – 5 November 1702), styled Lord Strange from 1655 to 1672, was an English peer and politician.
Derby was the eldest son of Charles Stanley, 8th Earl of Derby, and Dorotha Helena Kirk ...
, organised three regiments of foot and three Troop
A troop is a military sub-subunit, originally a small formation of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron. In many armies a troop is the equivalent element to the infantry section or platoon. Exceptions are the US Cavalry and the King's Troop Ro ...
s of horse. This brigade volunteered for service in William's campaign in Ireland under the command of the Earl of Derby's brother, Lieutenant-Colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
the Hon James Stanley. After training on Fulwood Moor near Preston it sailed with the army from Wallasey
Wallasey () is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England; until 1974, it was part of the historic county of Cheshire. It is situated at the mouth of the River Mersey, at the north-eastern corner of the Wirral Pe ...
in June 1690 and played a full part in the campaign, at the Siege of Carrickfergus
The siege of Carrickfergus took place in August 1689 when a force of Williamite troops under Marshal Schomberg landed and laid siege to the Jacobite garrison of Carrickfergus in Ireland. After a week the Jacobites surrendered, and were allowe ...
, the Battle of the Boyne
The Battle of the Boyne ( ga, Cath na Bóinne ) was a battle in 1690 between the forces of the deposed King James II of England and Ireland, VII of Scotland, and those of King William III who, with his wife Queen Mary II (his cousin and ...
, and the Siege of Athlone
Athlone was besieged twice during the Williamite War in Ireland (1689–91). The town is situated in the centre of Ireland on the River Shannon and commanded the bridge crossing the river into the Jacobite-held province of Connacht. For this ...
. It returned to England in September 1691 to be disembodied.[RLM at Lancashire Infantry Museum.]
/ref>[Militia at Museum of the Manchester Regiment.]
/ref>
Jacobite Risings
A regiment of the Lancashire Militia was called out on the outbreak of the Jacobite Rising of 1715
The Jacobite rising of 1715 ( gd, Bliadhna Sheumais ;
or 'the Fifteen') was the attempt by James Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) to regain the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland for the exiled Stuarts
The House of Stuart, ori ...
, and fought at the Battle of Preston on 12–13 November, where they suffered heavy losses (11 officers and 105 men) attacking the rebel barricades in Church Street.[ In the ]Jacobite Rising of 1745
The Jacobite rising of 1745, also known as the Forty-five Rebellion or simply the '45 ( gd, Bliadhna Theàrlaich, , ), was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the Monarchy of Great Britain, British throne for his father, James Franci ...
, while the Lancashire Militia concentrated to protect Liverpool, the company at Lancaster succeeded in removing the county weapons from the armoury before the rebels arrived. This company then operated alongside a volunteer unit, the 'Liverpool Blues', in harrying the Young Pretender
Charles Edward Louis John Sylvester Maria Casimir Stuart (20 December 1720 – 30 January 1788) was the elder son of James Francis Edward Stuart, grandson of James II and VII, and the Stuart claimant to the thrones of England, Scotland and ...
's force as it marched through Lancashire. They destroyed bridges and cutting off stragglers, before joining the regulars in the Clifton Moor Skirmish
The Clifton Moor Skirmish took place on the evening of Wednesday 18 December during the Jacobite rising of 1745. Following the decision to retreat from Derby on 6 December, the fast-moving Jacobite army split into three smaller columns; on the ...
against the retreating Jacobites.[
After it was disembodied in January 1746 the Lancashire Militia was not called out again for training or active service until the ]Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
.[LRO, ''Handlist 72''.]
/ref>
1757 reforms
Seven Years War
The 1757 Militia Act re-established the county militia regiments, raised by conscription by means of parish ballots. Lancashire's quota was set at 800 men in one regiment which was embodied for service on 23 December 1760. It received the title Royal Lancashire Militia (RLM) the following year. After serving in home defence for two years the regiment was disembodied in December 1762 once a peace treaty had been agreed. In peacetime, the reformed militia regiments were supposed to be assembled for 28 days' annual training. Part of the RLM held a training camp in 1763, but it was not called out again until 1778.[Frederick, p. 119.]
/ref>[Western, Appendices A & B.]
American War of Independence
The militia was called out after the outbreak of the War of American Independence
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
when the country was threatened with invasion by the Americans' allies, France and Spain. The Royal Lancashire Militia was embodied in April 1778 and after training was stationed in invasion-threatened Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...
. It spent the following winter in Liverpool, and then was in garrison on Tyneside
Tyneside is a built-up area across the banks of the River Tyne in northern England. Residents of the area are commonly referred to as Geordies. The whole area is surrounded by the North East Green Belt.
The population of Tyneside as published i ...
for a year in 1779–80. It wintered in Manchester in 1780–81, then spent 1781–82 in Cheshire
Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...
and 1782–83 along the Cumberland
Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...
coast. Although Cumberland was remote from a possible French invasion, Whitehaven
Whitehaven is a town and port on the English north west coast and near to the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. Historically in Cumberland, it lies by road south-west of Carlisle and to the north of Barrow-in-Furness. It is th ...
had been attacked by John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-American naval captain who was the United States' first well-known naval commander in the American Revolutionary War. He made many friends among U.S political elites ( ...
in 1778. A peace treaty
A peace treaty is an agreement between two or more hostile parties, usually countries or governments, which formally ends a state of war between the parties. It is different from an armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring ...
having been drawn up, the RLM was marched to Manchester for disembodiment in March 1783.[
]
French Revolutionary War
The militia were re-embodied in January 1793 shortly before Revolutionary France
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
declared war on Britain.[ During the French Wars the militia were employed anywhere in the country for coast defence, manning garrisons, guarding prisoners of war, and for internal security, while the regulars regarded them as a source of trained men if they could be persuaded to transfer. Their traditional local defence duties were taken over by the part-time ]Volunteers
Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...
and mounted Yeomanry
Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Army, British Army Reserve (United Kingdom), Army Reserve, descended from volunteer British Cavalry, cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units serve in a variety of ...
.[Holmes, pp. 94–100.]
In February 1793 the RLM was sent into the West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county County of York, West Riding (the area under the control of West Riding County Council), abbreviated County ...
where an outbreak of civil disorder was feared. After it was relieved by regular troops the regiment was moved into the South Yorkshire–North Nottinghamshire area, and then to the East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. It comprises the eastern half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It consists of Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Li ...
. In June 1794 the RLM joined the great anti-invasion camp on the South Downs
The South Downs are a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, in the Eastbourne Downland Estate, East Sussex, in the east. ...
above Brighton
Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
. At the end of the year it moved to Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
spending its winter in barracks or billet
A billet is a living-quarters to which a soldier is assigned to sleep. Historically, a billet was a private dwelling that was required to accept the soldier.
Soldiers are generally billeted in barracks or garrisons when not on combat duty, alth ...
s and its summers in camps on the South Coast. In 1795–96 it became part of a concentration round London to prevent disorder, then in the summer of 1796 the regiment crossed to Warley Camp in Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
. It spent the winter in villages outside London, then went to Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
in 1797. In March 1798 legislation was passed to allow the militia to volunteer for service in Ireland, where a rebellion
Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority.
A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...
had broken out. The 1st Royal Lancashire Militia immediately volunteered, and served there in 1798–99, while the last embers of the rebellion were put down. It returned to Lancashire and was disembodied in November 1799. It was called out again at the end of its 1801 training and stationed at Tynemouth Castle
Tynemouth Castle is located on a rocky headland (known as Pen Bal Crag), overlooking Tynemouth Pier. The moated castle-towers, gatehouse and keep are combined with the ruins of the Benedictine priory where early kings of Northumbria were buri ...
. The Peace of Amiens
The Treaty of Amiens (french: la paix d'Amiens, ) temporarily ended hostilities between France and the United Kingdom at the end of the War of the Second Coalition. It marked the end of the French Revolutionary Wars; after a short peace it se ...
was signed on 27 March 1802, and on 1 April the regiment was ordered to disembody once more, apart from the small permanent staff.[
]
Supplementary militia
Lancashire's militia quota set in 1760 was small in proportion to its population, which soared during the Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...
. By 1796 it represented only one man in every 43 of those eligible. But in that year an additional ballot was carried out to raise men for the 'Supplementary Militia' to reinforce the standing militia regiments and to form additional temporary regiments. Lancashire had to find an additional 5160 militiamen in five regiments,[ the RLM sending a party to Lancaster to begin training them. Although recruitment of such large numbers became difficult, the 1st Royal Lancashire Supplementary Militia was raised on 1 March 1797. It was placed on a permanent footing on 17 August 1798 as the 2nd Royal Lancashire Militia (2nd RLM) after which the 'Old County Regiment' became the 1st Royal Lancashire Militia (1st RLM).][Frederick, pp. 126–7.][Hay, pp. 262–3.][Western, pp. 268–9.]
The 2nd Royal Lancashire Supplementary Militia was also raised in 1797 at Preston, becoming the 3rd Royal Lancashire Militia
The 3rd Royal Lancashire Militia (The Duke of Lancaster's Own) was an auxiliary regiment raised in the county of Lancashire in North West England during the French Revolutionary War. It later became part of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Alt ...
in 1800.[Frederick, p. 190.][Hay, pp. 371–4.][3rd RLM at Regiments.org.]
/ref> The 3rd
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute''
Places
* 3rd Street (d ...
, 4th and 5th Supplementary Regiments were formed but only had a brief existence. An attempt to turn the 4th Supplementary Regiment into the 5th RLM was abandoned when the men refused to serve in Ireland.[Frederick, p. 186.] The 5th Supplementary Regiment fell into disorder when it was stripped for volunteers by the regulars.[ The 2nd and 3rd RLM were embodied from March 1798 to April 1802.][ The supplementary militia was abolished in 1799, the remaining balloted men in Lancashire being distributed to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd RLM to fill vacancies
]
Napoleonic Wars
The Peace of Amiens was shortlived, and the militia was called out again in March and April 1803. Once again, the regiments moved around the country, sometimes in garrisons, at other times in anti-invasion camps or guarding Prisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war.
There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. P ...
s. In the summer of 1805 the 1st RLM was on duty at Weymouth, Dorset
Weymouth is a seaside town in Dorset, on the English Channel coast of England. Situated on a sheltered bay at the mouth of the River Wey, south of the county town of Dorchester, Weymouth had a population of 53,427 in 2021. It is the third l ...
, while the royal family was in residence. In 1811 the 1st RLM was diverted to the Nottingham
Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...
area to guard against the Luddite
The Luddites were a secret oath-based organisation of English textile workers in the 19th century who formed a radical faction which destroyed textile machinery. The group is believed to have taken its name from Ned Ludd, a legendary weaver s ...
disturbances.[ The 3rd RLM was granted the subtitle Prince Regent's Own in 1813.][
Over the same period the 2nd RLM had been successively stationed at ]Chelmsford
Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Southend-on-Sea and Colchester. It is located north-east of London a ...
, Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
, Liverpool, Hull and Tiverton, Devon
Tiverton ( ) is a town and civil parish in Devon, England, and the commercial and administrative centre of the Mid Devon district. The population in 2019 was 20,587.
History Early history
The town's name is conjectured to derive from "Twy-fo ...
, the 3rd RLM at Exeter
Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
, Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
, Gosport
Gosport ( ) is a town and non-metropolitan borough on the south coast of Hampshire, South East England. At the 2011 Census, its population was 82,662. Gosport is situated on a peninsula on the western side of Portsmouth Harbour, opposite t ...
, Alton
Alton may refer to:
People
*Alton (given name)
*Alton (surname)
Places Australia
*Alton National Park, Queensland
* Alton, Queensland, a town in the Shire of Balonne
Canada
* Alton, Ontario
*Alton, Nova Scotia
New Zealand
* Alton, New Zealand, ...
, Chichester
Chichester () is a cathedral city and civil parish in West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publishing Date:2009. It is the only ci ...
and Dover
Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...
.[
]
Local militia
Although the volunteer corps had been reformed after the resumption of the war, their quality varied widely and their numbers steadily declined. One of the chief reasons to join was to avoid the militia ballot. They were supplemented from 1808 by the Local Militia, which were part-time and only to be used within their own districts. If their ranks could not be filled voluntarily the militia ballot was employed. In Lancashire the local militia regiments were organised by townships or hundreds:
* Amounderness Hundred
The Amounderness Hundred () is one of the six subdivisions of the historic county of Lancashire in North West England, but the name is older than the system of hundreds first recorded in the 13th century and might best be described as the name ...
(Preston)
* Blackburn Hundred
Blackburn Hundred (also known as Blackburnshire) is a historic sub-division of the county of Lancashire, in northern England. Its chief town was Blackburn, in the southwest of the hundred. It covered an area similar to modern East Lancashire, in ...
Higher Division (Burnley
Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Bru ...
)
* Blackburn Hundred Lower Division
* Bolton
Bolton (, locally ) is a large town in Greater Manchester in North West England, formerly a part of Lancashire. A former mill town, Bolton has been a production centre for textiles since Flemish people, Flemish weavers settled in the area i ...
* Leyland and Ormskirk
* Liverpool
* Lonsdale Hundred
The Lonsdale Hundred is an historic hundred of Lancashire, England. Although named after the dale or valley of the River Lune, which runs through the city of Lancaster, for centuries it covered most of the north-western part of Lancashire aro ...
(Lancaster)
* 1st Manchester
* 1st Middleton (Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. The population was 45,198 at the 2011 census. Historically in Lancashire, it is on the north bank of the River Tame, in the foothills of the Pennines, east of Manche ...
)
* 2nd Middleton (became Oldham 1809)
* Newton
Newton most commonly refers to:
* Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist
* Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton
Newton may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Newton'' (film), a 2017 Indian film
* Newton ( ...
and Failsworth
Failsworth is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham in Greater Manchester, England, north-east of Manchester city centre and south-west of Oldham. The orbital M60 motorway skirts it to the east. The population at the 2011 census was 2 ...
(Culcheth
Culcheth is a village in the Borough of Warrington, ceremonial county of Cheshire and historic county of Lancashire, England, six miles (10 km) north-east of Warrington town centre; it is the principal settlement in Culcheth and Glazebury ci ...
and Newton)
* Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, amid the Pennines and between the rivers Irk and Medlock, southeast of Rochdale and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, wh ...
(previously 2nd Middleton)
* Prescot
Prescot is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in Merseyside, England. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, it lies about to the east of Liverpool city centre. At the 2001 Census, the civ ...
( St Helens)
* Trafford House and Hulme
Hulme () is an inner city area and Ward (politics), electoral ward of Manchester, England, immediately south of Manchester city centre. It has a significant industrial heritage.
Historic counties of England, Historically in Lancashire, the nam ...
(Salford
Salford () is a city and the largest settlement in the City of Salford metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. In 2011, Salford had a population of 103,886. It is also the second and only other city in the metropolitan county afte ...
)
* Warrington
Warrington () is a town and unparished area in the borough of the same name in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey. It is east of Liverpool, and west of Manchester. The population in 2019 was estimat ...
(then in Lancashire, now in Cheshire)
* Royal Wigan
Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas, Lancashire, River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the nor ...
The Local Militia were uniformed similarly to their county militia regiments. They were increased in numbers in 1812.[Lancashire Local Militia at School of Mars.]
/ref>
Ireland and Waterloo
Towards the end of the Napoleonic War the militia had become one of the biggest sources of recruits to the regular army, and whole regiments were encouraged to volunteer for garrison service in Ireland on in Continental Europe. The three Lancashire regiments served in Ireland from 1814. Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
had abdicated in April and peace was declared on 30 May, but the regiments had still not been disembodied in February 1815 when he escaped from Elba
Elba ( it, isola d'Elba, ; la, Ilva) is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino on the Italian mainland, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano National ...
and the war was resumed. The three regiments of Royal Lancashire Militia, which happened to be stationed together at Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
, were allowed to recruit back to full strength by ballot and 'by beat of drum'. They also provided drafts of around 1000 volunteers to the regular regiments being sent to Belgium, including the Brigade of Guards
The Brigade of Guards was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1856 to 1968. It was commanded by the Major-General commanding the Brigade of Guards and was responsible for administering the guards regiments.
After the Second Wor ...
. There is a story that many of the guardsmen at the Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (at that time in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium). A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by two of the armie ...
were still wearing their militia uniforms.[
Waterloo ended the war, but much of the regular army remained in France as part of the Army of Occupation for several months, and the Lancashire Militia continued their garrison duty at Dublin. They returned to Lancashire to be disembodied between February and April 1816.][
]
Long peace
Militia training was suspended in most years after Waterloo, but the 1st RLM was called out for its 28 days' training in 1821, 1825 and 1831. Balloting continued, but the permanent staff was progressively reduced over the years. Just before the 1831 training King William IV
William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded h ...
bestowed on the three Lancashire Militia Regiments the additional title The Duke of Lancaster's Own. (replacing the title 'Prince Regent's Own' carried by the 3rd RLM). No further militia training took place for the next 21 years. Although officers continued to be appointed to fill vacancies the ballot was suspended.[
]
1852 reforms
The long-standing militia of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
was revived by the Militia Act of 1852, enacted during a period of international tension. As before, units were raised and administered on a county basis, and filled by voluntary enlistment (although conscription by means of the militia ballot might be used if the counties failed to meet their quotas). Training was for 56 days on enlistment, then for 21–28 days per year, during which the men received full army pay. Under the Act, militia units could be embodied by Royal Proclamation for full-time service in three circumstances:[Litchfield, pp. 1–7.][Dunlop, pp. 42–52.]
* 1. 'Whenever a state of war exists between Her Majesty and any foreign power'.
* 2. 'In all cases of invasion or upon imminent danger thereof'.
* 3. 'In all cases of rebellion or insurrection'.
The 1852 Act introduced Artillery Militia units in addition to the traditional infantry regiments. Their role was to man coastal defences and fortifications, relieving the Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
(RA) for active service.[ Lancashire was one of the counties selected to have a corps of militia artillery, and on 10 March 1853 the Lord Lieutenant was requested to raise it from scratch, rather than by conversion of an existing infantry regiment. It came into existence on 13 April 1853 as the ]Royal Lancashire Militia Artillery
The Royal Lancashire Militia Artillery was a part-time reserve unit of Britain's Royal Artillery based in Lancashire from 1853 to 1909.
Background
The long-standing national Militia of the United Kingdom was revived by the Militia Act of 1852, ...
(RLMA).[Frederick, p. 980.][Hay, p. 210.][Litchfield, pp. 105–7; Appendix 1.]
With the threat of war against Russia, the three regiments were ordered to recruit up to their full establishment of 1200 men. Additional infantry militia regiments were also formed in Lancashire at this time: the 4th Duke of Lancaster's Own Light Infantry (soon retitled the 4th Royal Lancashire Militia (The Duke of Lancaster's Own Light Infantry)) raised on 22 March 1853 at Warrington,[Frederick, p. 188.][Hay, pp. 354–7.] and the 5th Royal Lancashire Militia raised at Burnley on the same day.[Hay, pp. 331–3.] The Liverpool-based 2nd RLM raised a 2nd Battalion at Warrington after the 1st Battalion had been embodied for the Crimean War
The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia.
Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...
in December 1854. The 2nd RLM was redesignated as a Rifle regiment on 30 January 1855, becoming the 2nd Royal Lancashire Militia (Duke of Lancaster's Own Rifles).[ These were followed by the 6th Lancashire Militia (Royal from 1860) raised at Ashton-under-Lyne on 8 January 1855][Frederick, p. 131.][Hay, pp. 395–7.] and the 7th Lancashire Militia (Rifles) (Royal from 1864) raised at Bury
Bury may refer to:
*The burial of human remains
*-bury, a suffix in English placenames
Places England
* Bury, Cambridgeshire, a village
* Bury, Greater Manchester, a town, historically in Lancashire
** Bury (UK Parliament constituency) (1832–19 ...
on 21 February 1855.[Frederick, p. 290.][Hay, pp. 299–302.]
Therefore the Lancashire Militia and its recruiting areas was organised as follows after 1855:[
* 1st Royal Lancashire Militia (The Duke of Lancaster's Own) at Lancaster, recruiting from Bolton, Fylde and Manchester – 2nd Battalion raised 1877][2nd Bn 1st RLM at Regiments.org.]
/ref>
* 2nd Royal Lancashire Militia (The Duke of Lancaster's Own Rifles) at Liverpool, recruiting from Kirkdale and Ormskirk – 2nd Battalion at Warrington[
* ]3rd Royal Lancashire Militia (The Duke of Lancaster's Own)
The 3rd Royal Lancashire Militia (The Duke of Lancaster's Own) was an auxiliary regiment raised in the county of Lancashire in North West England during the French Revolutionary War. It later became part of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Alt ...
at Preston, recruiting from Blackburn, Garstang
Garstang is an ancient market town and civil parish within the Wyre borough of Lancashire, England. It is north of the city of Preston and the same distance south of Lancaster.
In 2011, the parish had a total resident population of 4,268 ...
, Leyland and Rochdale
Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...
[
* at Warrington, recruiting from Liverpool, St Helens and Wigan][
* 5th Royal Lancashire Militia at Burnley, recruiting from ]Accrington
Accrington is a town in the Hyndburn borough of Lancashire, England. It lies about east of Blackburn, west of Burnley, east of Preston, north of Manchester and is situated on the culverted River Hyndburn. Commonly abbreviated by locals to ...
, Blackburn, Colne
Colne () is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England. Located northeast of Nelson, north-east of Burnley, east of Preston and west of Leeds.
The town should not be confused with the unrelated Colne Val ...
, Middleton, Oldham and Rossendale[
* 6th Royal Lancashire Militia at Ashton, recruiting from Manchester – 2nd Battalion raised 1876 ][
* 7th Royal Lancashire Militia (Rifles) at Bury, recruiting from Manchester and Salford][
* Royal Lancashire Militia Artillery at Liverpool][
]
Crimea and Indian Mutiny
War having broken out with Russia in 1854 and an expeditionary force sent to the Crimea, the militia were called out for home defence and service in overseas garrisons:
* 1st RLM: embodied from May 1854 to July 1856; served in the Ionian Islands (then a British protectorate) from March 1855 to May 1856, losing 250 men dead in just two weeks during a cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
outbreak at Zante
Zakynthos (also spelled Zakinthos; el, Ζάκυνθος, Zákynthos ; it, Zacinto ) or Zante (, , ; el, Τζάντε, Tzánte ; from the Venetian form) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands. Za ...
[
* 2nd RLM: embodied from December 1854
* 3rd RLM: embodied and served in ]Gibraltar
)
, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = " Gibraltar Anthem"
, image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg
, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
, mapsize =
, image_map2 = Gib ...
from April 1855 to July 1856[
* 4th RLM: embodied from December 1854 to June 1856; served in Ireland][
* 5th RLM: embodied from March 1854 to January 1855; served in Ireland][
* 6th RLM: embodied from May 1855 to 1856][
* 7th RLM: the newly-raised regiment was not embodied][
* RLMA embodied from 25 January 1855 to 30 May 1856][
The 1st and 3rd RLM were each awarded the ]Battle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible.
In European military t ...
Mediterranean for their overseas service.[
A number of militia regiments were also embodied to relieve regular troops required for India during the ]Indian Mutiny
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...
. The Lancashire units called out were the 4th RLM, from September 1857 to April 1859, serving at Aldershot
Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alders ...
and Portsmouth, and the RLMA, embodied from October 1857 to June 1860, which was stationed to man coastal batteries.[
The Militia Reserve introduced in 1867 consisted of present and former militiamen who undertook to serve overseas in case of war.][
]
Cardwell and Childers reforms
Under the 'Localisation of the Forces' scheme introduced by the Cardwell Reforms
The Cardwell Reforms were a series of reforms of the British Army undertaken by Secretary of State for War Edward Cardwell between 1868 and 1874 with the support of Liberal prime minister William Ewart Gladstone. Gladstone paid little attention ...
of 1872, Militia regiments were brigaded with regular and Volunteer battalions in a regimental district sharing a permanent depot at a suitable county town. Seven double-battalion or paired single-battalion regular regiments were assigned to Lancashire, and each was linked with one of the militia regiments. The militia now came under the War Office rather than their county lords lieutenant, and officers' commissions were signed by the Queen.
Although often referred to as brigades, the regimental districts were purely administrative organisations, but in a continuation of the Cardwell Reforms a mobilisation scheme began to appear in the ''Army List'' from December 1875. This assigned regular and militia units to places in an order of battle of corps, divisions and brigades for the 'Active Army', even though these formations were entirely theoretical, with no staff or services assigned:[''Army List'', various dates.]
* 1st, 2nd and 3rd Royal Lancashire Militia formed 1st Brigade of 3rd Division, VI Corps 6 Corps, 6th Corps, Sixth Corps, or VI Corps may refer to:
France
* VI Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry formation of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars
* VI Corps (Grande Armée), a formation of the Imperial French army du ...
; the brigade would have mustered at Manchester in time of war.
* 4th Royal Lancashire Militia, with two regiments of Cheshire Militia, was assigned to 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, VI Corps at Liverpool
* 5th, 6th and 7th Royal Lancashire Militia formed 2nd Brigade of 3rd Division, VIII Corps 8th Corps, Eighth Corps, or VIII Corps may refer to:
* VIII Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars
* VIII Army Corps (German Confederation)
* VIII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Ar ...
at Melrose, Scottish Borders
Melrose ( gd, Maolros, "bald moor") is a small town and civil parish in the Scottish Borders, historically in Roxburghshire. It lies within the Eildon committee area of Scottish Borders Council.
History
The original Melrose was ''Mailros'', mean ...
The Childers Reforms
The Childers Reforms of 1881 reorganised the infantry regiments of the British Army. The reforms were done by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers during 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell Reforms.
The reorganisation was ...
of 1881 completed the process by incorporating the militia battalions into the expanded county regiments:[
* 1st Royal Lancashire Militia (The Duke of Lancaster's Own) became 3rd and 4th Bns, ]King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)
The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army. It served under various titles and fought in many wars and conflicts, including both the First and the Second World Wars, from 1680 to 1959. In 1959, the ...
at Lancaster[
* 2nd Royal Lancashire Militia (The Duke of Lancaster's Own Rifles) became 3rd and 4th (briefly 5th and 6th) Bns, ]King's (Liverpool Regiment)
The King's Regiment (Liverpool) was one of the oldest line infantry regiments of the British Army, having been formed in 1685 and numbered as the 8th (The King's) Regiment of Foot in 1751. Unlike most British Army infantry regiments, which were ...
[
* 3rd Royal Lancashire Militia (The Duke of Lancaster's Own) became 3rd Bn and 4th Bns, ]Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) (until 1921 known as the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that was in existence from 1881 to 1970. In 1970, the regiment was amalgamated with the Lancashire Reg ...
at Preston (4th Bn disbanded 1896)[
* 4th Royal Lancashire Militia (The Duke of Lancaster's Own Light Infantry) became 3rd Bn, ]Prince of Wales's Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment)
The South Lancashire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958.
The regiment, which recruited, as its title suggests, primarily from the South Lancashire area, was created as part of the Childers R ...
at Warrington[
* 5th Royal Lancashire became 3rd Bn ]East Lancashire Regiment
The East Lancashire Regiment was, from 1881 to 1958, a line infantry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot and 59th (2nd Nott ...
at Burnley[
* 6th Royal Lancashire became 3rd and 4th Bns (5th and 6th Bns from February 1900) ]Manchester Regiment
The Manchester Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1958. The regiment was created during the 1881 Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 63rd (West Suffolk) Regiment of Foot and the 96th ...
[
* 7th Royal Lancashire (Rifles) became 3rd (and 4th from 1891) Bns ]Lancashire Fusiliers
The Lancashire Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that saw distinguished service through many years and wars, including the Second Boer War, the First and Second World Wars, and had many different titles throughout its 28 ...
(5th and 6th Bns from April 1898) at Bury[
The militia artillery was reorganised into 11 divisions of garrison artillery in 1882, and the RLMA became the 2nd Brigade, Lancashire Division, RA (the 1st Brigade comprised the regular RA units of the division). When the Lancashire Division was abolished in 1889 the title was altered to the Lancashire Artillery (Southern Division) RA. The unit's HQ transferred from Liverpool to Seaforth in 1889.][
Although Cardwell's army corps scheme had been abandoned, the ]Stanhope Memorandum The Stanhope Memorandum was a document written by Edward Stanhope, the Secretary of State for War of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, on 8 December 1888. It set out the overall strategic aims of the British Empire, and the way the Br ...
of 1888 proposed that the home defence army should consist of three corps, of which the first two would be regular, and the bulk of the third would be militia, while the rest of the militia and the volunteers would be assigned to fixed defences round London and the seaports.[
]
Second Boer War
After the disasters of Black Week
Black Week refers to the week of 10–17 December 1899 during the Second Boer War, when the British Army suffered three devastating defeats by the Boer Republics at the battles of Stormberg, Magersfontein and Colenso. In total, 2,776 British ...
at the start of the Second Boer War
The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...
in December 1899, most of the regular army was sent to South Africa, followed by many militia reservists as reinforcements. Militia units were embodied to replace them for home defence and a number volunteered for active service or to garrison overseas stations. At the same time, some of the regiments recruited from large urban areas such as Liverpool added two new Regular battalions, so the 3rd and 4th (Militia) battalions of the King's (Liverpool) Regiment and the Manchester Regiment were each renumbered 5th and 6th. The embodiments of the militia battalions of Lancashire regiments were as follows:
* King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)[
** 3rd Bn: 23 January 1900 to 5 February 1902
** 4th Bn: 13 December 1899 to 3 August 1901 ][
* King's (Liverpool Regiment)][
** 5th Bn: 23 January to 16 October 1900
** 6th Bn: 3 May to 1 November 1900 and 6 January to 15 September 1902
* Lancashire Fusiliers][
** 5th Bn: 23 January to 17 October 1900 and 6 May 1901 to 25 July 1902
** 6th Bn: 13 December 1899 to 14 October 1901
* East Lancashire Regiment][
** 3rd Bn: 24 January 1900 to 25 May 1902
* Prince of Wales's Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment)][
** 3rd Bn: 13 December 1899 to 3 August 1901
* Loyal North Lancashire Regiment][
** 3rd Bn: 13 December 1899 to 15 March 1902
* Manchester Regiment][
** 5th Bn: 5 May to 20 October 1900 and 6 May 1901 to 28 July 1902
** 6th Bn: 4 May to 18 October 1900 and 6 January 1901 to 30 September 1902
* Lancashire Artillery: 3 May to 11 October 1900][
All the infantry battalions saw active service in South Africa and received the battle honour. In addition the 3rd Bn Loyals served in the garrison of ]Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
for a year before going to South Africa, and received the Mediterranean battle honour.
Special Reserve
After the Boer War, the future of the Militia was called into question. There were moves to reform the Auxiliary Forces (Militia, Yeomanry
Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Army, British Army Reserve (United Kingdom), Army Reserve, descended from volunteer British Cavalry, cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units serve in a variety of ...
and Volunteers
Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...
) to take their place in the six army corps proposed by St John Brodrick
William St John Fremantle Brodrick, 1st Earl of Midleton, KP, PC, DL (14 December 185613 February 1942), styled as St John Brodrick until 1907 and as Viscount Midleton between 1907 and 1920, was a British Conservative and Irish Unionist Alli ...
as Secretary of State for War. Some batteries of militia garrison artillery were to be converted to Royal Field Artillery (RFA). However, little of Brodrick's scheme was carried out.
The only RFA militia unit actually formed was the Lancashire RFA (M) as a new brigade of three batteries at Preston on 6 May 1901. The commanding officer was a regular officer of the RFA and the unit had a larger Cadre (military), cadre of regular instructors, gunners and drivers than normal for a militia unit, amounting to 25 per cent of its total strength. The unit trained for two months each year on Salisbury Plain, and that degree of commitment made it difficult to obtain part-time junior officers.[Litchfield, p. 108.] The rest of the militia artillery formally became part of the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA), the unit at Seaforth taking the title of Lancashire RGA (M).[
Under the sweeping Haldane Reforms of 1908, the Militia was replaced by the ]Special Reserve
The Special Reserve was established on 1 April 1908 with the function of maintaining a reservoir of manpower for the British Army and training replacement drafts in times of war. Its formation was part of the Haldane Reforms, military reforms im ...
, a semi-professional force similar to the previous Militia Reserve, whose role was to provide reinforcement drafts for regular units serving overseas in wartime.[Frederick, pp. vi–vii.] All the Lancashire militia battalions (except the 4th Bn Kings Own (Royal Lancaster), which disbanded on 1 August 1908)[ transferred to the SR and were subtitled 'Reserve' (or 'Extra Reserve' in the case of 4th battalions).
Although the majority of its members volunteered to transfer to the SR, the Lancashire RFA was disbanded in 1909 along with all the RGA militia units.][ Instead the men of the RFA Special Reserve would form Brigade Ammunition Columns for the Regular RFA brigades on the outbreak of war.
]
World War I
The Special Reserve was embodied on the outbreak of World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
on 4 August 1914 and the battalions proceeded to their war stations. All but one of them then carried out their dual tasks of garrison duties and preparing reinforcement drafts of regular reservists, special reservists, recruits and returning wounded for the regular battalions serving overseas. They were demobilised in 1919.
* 3rd (Reserve) Bn, King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) served at Saltash and Sunderland in 1914, then at Plymouth 1915–17, and finally in the Harwich Garrison
* 3rd (Reserve) Bn, King's (Liverpool Regiment) served at Hightown, Merseyside, Hightown in 1914, then at Pembroke Dock 1915–17, and finally at Cork (city), Cork in Ireland[James, p. 51.][King's Liverpool at Long, Long Trail.]
/ref>
* 3rd (Reserve) Bn, Lancashire Fusiliers, served in Hull in 1914–16 and then at Withernsea in the Humber Garrison, where it remained[James, p. 63.][Lancashire Fusiliers at Long, Long Trail.]
/ref>
* 4th (Extra Reserve) Bn, Lancashire Fusiliers, served at Barrow-in-Furness in 1914–16 and then at Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Barry in South Wales in the Severn Estuary, Severn Garrison, where it remained[
* 3rd (Reserve) Bn, East Lancashire Regiment, served at Plymouth 1914–17, then at Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Saltburn in the Teesside, Tees Garrison, where it remained][
* 3rd (Reserve) Bn, Prince of Wales's Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment), served at Crosby, Merseyside, Crosby 1914–17, then Barrow-in-Furness in the Barrow Garrison until the end of the war. In 1919 it served in Dublin during the Partition of Ireland, Irish Partition crisis.][
* 3rd (Reserve) Bn, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, served at Felixstowe in the Harwich Garrison throughout the war][
* 3rd (Reserve) and 4th (Extra Reserve) Bns, Manchester Regiment, both served in the Humber Garrison throughout the war
]
Western Front
The one Lancashire Special Reserve battalion that saw active service was the 4th Bn King's (Liverpool Regiment) – possibly because one of that regiment's regular battalions spent the war in British Raj, India and did not require so many reinforcements.[ It went to the Western Front in March 1915, joining the 3rd (Lahore) Division in the Indian Corps and serving with it at the Second Battle of Ypres. Early in 1916 the battalion joined 33rd Division (United Kingdom), 33rd Division, fighting with it on the Battle of the Somme, Somme, at Battle of Arras (1917), Arras, and in the Battle of Polygon Wood. It fought against the German spring offensive in 1918, and participated in the Allies of World War I, Allies' final Hundred Days Offensive to the end of the war.][
]
Postwar
The SR resumed its old title of Militia in 1921 and then became the Supplementary Reserve (United Kingdom), Supplementary Reserve in 1924, but almost all militia battalions remained in abeyance after World War I. Until 1939 they continued to appear in the ''Army List'', but they were not activated during World War II and were all formally disbanded in April 1953.[
]
Precedence
In September 1759 it was ordered that militia regiments on service were to take precedence from the date of their arrival in camp. In 1760 this was altered to a system of drawing lots where regiments did duty together. During the War of American Independence the counties were given an order of precedence determined by ballot each year. For the Lancashire Militia the positions were:[Baldry.]
/ref>
* 38th on 1 June 1778
* 43rd on 12 May 1779
* 30th on 6 May 1780
* 12th on 28 April 1781
* 32nd on 7 May 1782
The militia order of precedence balloted for in 1793 (Lancashire was 37th) remained in force throughout the French Revolutionary War: this covered all the regiments in the county. Another ballot for precedence took place at the start of the Napoleonic War, when Lancashire was 52nd. This order continued until 1833. In that year the King drew the lots for individual regiments and the resulting list remained in force with minor amendments until the end of the militia. The regiments raised before the peace of 1763 took the first 47 places, those formed after 1793 took 68 and above; the Lancashire regiments were placed as follows;
* 1st RLM 45th
* 2nd RLM 113th
* 3rd RLM 125th
Formally, the regiments became the '45th, or 1st Royal Lancashire Militia' ''etc'', but most regiments paid little notice to the additional number. With the increase in militia units, including militia artillery, the list of precedence was revised in 1855:[Williamson & Whalley, p. 244.]
* RLMA: 19th (among artillery militia)
* 1st RLM: 45th (unchanged)
* 2nd RLM: 113th (unchanged)
* 3rd RLM: 125th (unchanged)
* 4th RLM: 84th
* 5th RLM: 135th
* 6th RLM: 82nd
* 7th RLM: 130th
See also
* Trained Bands
* Militia (English)
* Militia (Great Britain)
* Militia (United Kingdom)
* Special Reserve
The Special Reserve was established on 1 April 1908 with the function of maintaining a reservoir of manpower for the British Army and training replacement drafts in times of war. Its formation was part of the Haldane Reforms, military reforms im ...
* 1st Royal Lancashire Militia (The Duke of Lancaster's Own)
* 2nd Royal Lancashire Militia (The Duke of Lancaster's Own Rifles)
* 3rd Royal Lancashire Militia (The Duke of Lancaster's Own)
The 3rd Royal Lancashire Militia (The Duke of Lancaster's Own) was an auxiliary regiment raised in the county of Lancashire in North West England during the French Revolutionary War. It later became part of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Alt ...
*
* 5th Royal Lancashire Militia
* 6th Royal Lancashire Militia
* 7th Royal Lancashire Militia (Rifles)
* Royal Lancashire Militia Artillery
The Royal Lancashire Militia Artillery was a part-time reserve unit of Britain's Royal Artillery based in Lancashire from 1853 to 1909.
Background
The long-standing national Militia of the United Kingdom was revived by the Militia Act of 1852, ...
Footnotes
Notes
References
W.Y. Baldry, 'Order of Precedence of Militia Regiments', ''Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research'', Vol 15, No 57 (Spring 1936), pp. 5–16.
* Maj A.F. Becke,''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 3b: New Army Divisions (30–41) and 63rd (R.N.) Division'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1939/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, .
*
* Lindsay Boynton, ''The Elizabethan Militia 1558–1638'', London: Routledge & Keegan Paul, 1967.
* C.G. Cruickshank, ''Elizabeth's Army'', 2nd Edn, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1966.
* Cyril Falls, ''Elizabeth's Irish Wars'', 2nd Edn, London: Constable, 1996, .
* Col John K. Dunlop, ''The Development of the British Army 1899–1914'', London: Methuen, 1938.
* Brig-Gen Sir James Edward Edmonds, James E. Edmonds, ''History of the Great War: Military Operations, France and Belgium, 1914'', Vol I, 3rd Edn, London: Macmillan,1933/Woking: Shearer, 1986, .
* Mark Charles Fissell, ''The Bishops' Wars: Charles I's campaigns against Scotland 1638–1640'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994, .
Cross Fleury, ''Time-Honoured Lancaster: Historic Notes on the Ancient Borough of Lancaster'', Lancaster: Eaton & Bulfield, 1891.
* John William Fortescue, Sir John Fortescue, ''A History of the British Army'', Vol I, 2nd Edn, London: Macmillan, 1910.
* Sir John Fortescue, ''A History of the British Army'', Vol IV, Pt II, ''1789–1801'', London: Macmillan, 1906.
* Sir John Fortescue, ''A History of the British Army'', Vol VI, ''1807–1809'', London: Macmillan, 1910.
* Sir John Fortescue, ''A History of the British Army'', Vol VII, ''1809–1810'', London: Macmillan, 1912.
* J.B.M. Frederick, ''Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978'', Vol I, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, .
* J.B.M. Frederick, ''Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978'', Vol II, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, .
* Lt-Col James Grierson (British Army officer), James Moncrieff Grierson (Col Peter S. Walton, ed.), ''Scarlet into Khaki: The British Army on the Eve of the Boer War'', London: Sampson Low, 1899/London: Greenhill, 1988, .
Col George Jackson Hay, ''An Epitomized History of the Militia (The Constitutional Force)'', London:United Service Gazette, 1905/Ray Westlake Military Books, 1987
ISBN 0-9508530-7-0.
* Richard Holmes (military historian), Richard Holmes, ''Soldiers: Army Lives and Loyalties from Redcoats to Dusty Warriors'', London: HarperPress, 2011, .
* Brig E.A. James, ''British Regiments 1914–18'', London: Samson Books, 1978/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2001, .
* John Philipps Kenyon, John Kenyon, ''The Civil Wars of England'', London" Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1988, .
* Roger Knight, ''Britain Against Napoleon: The Organization of Victory 1793–1815'', London: Allen Lane, 2013/Penguin, 2014, ISBN 978-0-141-03894-0.
* Norman E.H. Litchfield, ''The Militia Artillery 1852–1909 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges)'', Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1987, .
* F. W. Maitland, ''The Constitutional History of England'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1931.
* John E. Morris, ''The Welsh Wars of Edward I'', Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1901 (1968 reprint).
* Ranald Nicholson, Edward III and the Scots'', Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1965.
* Sir Charles Oman, ''A History of the Art of War in the Middle Ages'', Vol I, ''378–1278AD'', London: Methuen, 1924/Greenhill 1991, .
* F.W. Perry, ''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 5b: Indian Army Divisions'', Newport, Gwent: Ray Westlake, 1993, .
* Edward M. Spiers, ''The Army and Society 1815–1914'', London: Longmans, 1980, .
* Edward M. Spiers, ''The Late Victorian Army 1868–1902'', Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1992/Sandpiper Books, 1999, .
* Dame Veronica Wedgwood, ''The King's War 1641–1647: The Great Rebellion'', London: Collins, 1958/Fontana, 1966.
* J.R. Western, ''The English Militia in the Eighteenth Century'', London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1965.
Maj R.J.T. Williamson & Col J. Lawson Whalley, ''History of the Old County Regiment of Lancashire Militia'', London: Simpkin, Marshall, 1888.
External sources
British History Online
King's Own Royal Regiment Museum, Lancaster
Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, Lancashire Infantry Museum
Chris Baker, ''The Long, Long Trail''
Museum of the Manchester Regiment
* [https://thisreilluminatedschoolofmars.wordpress.com Richard A. Warren, ''This Re-illuminated School of Mars: Auxiliary forces and other aspects of Albion under Arms in the Great War against France'']
*
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{{British Militia Regiments
Lancashire Militia,
Militia of England, Lancashire
Militia of the United Kingdom, Lancashire
Military units and formations in Lancashire