The Yeomanry (Ireland) Act 1802 ( 42 Geo. 3. c. 68) was an

Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom In the United Kingdom an act of Parliament is primary legislation passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. An act of Parliament can be enforced in all four of the UK constituent countries (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland ...

affecting the Yeomanry 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 ...

, two of the forces raised in the United Kingdom for home defence. It only covered units in Ireland, with those in England, Wales, and Scotland provided for by the

Yeomanry and Volunteers Act 1802 The Yeomanry and Volunteers Act 1802 (42 Geo. III, c. 66) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom affecting the Yeomanry and Volunteers, two of the military ''Reserve Forces'' raised in the United Kingdom for home defence. Following ...

. The various units of Yeomanry and Volunteers had been raised during the French Revolutionary Wars, but were only meant to serve during wartime. With the Treaty of Amiens in March 1802, the legal basis for maintaining these forces had disappeared. The Act allowed these corps to continue in service during peacetime on a voluntary basis. The Act provided that when units were on exercise (up to two days per month), the Government would provide pay, clothing, and weapons, and each troop was allowed one permanent paid sergeant. However, unlike the English act, the units would not be subject to military duty or discipline. As the militia ballot was hardly ever used in Ireland, the act did not provide any formal exemption for volunteers.

Notes

{{Authority control United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1802 19th-century military history of the United Kingdom United Kingdom military law Repealed United Kingdom Acts of Parliament British defence policymaking