Militia (Great Britain)

Militia units were repeatedly raised in Great Britain during the Georgian era for internal security duties and to defend against external invasions.

2. c. 25), passed by the Parliament of Great Britain after the outbreak of the Seven Years' War, led to the rapid expansion of the British Militia in order to defend from potential French invasions.

The existence of militia units in Great Britain and Ireland played an important role in freeing regular troops from the British and Irish establishments for overseas service.

Following the restoration of Charles II in 1660, Parliament passed several acts empowering the lord-lieutenant of each county to appoint officers and raise men for the English Militia.

[2] Training of the disembodied militia took place over a period of several weeks each year, outside which officers and men would be largely free to pursue their civilian lives.

Although overseas service was excluded from the militia's duties, embodied regiments were usually required to serve away from their home counties, and were frequently moved from one station to another.

During the French Revolutionary Wars the militia expanded to a total strength of 82,000 men in February 1799, reducing to 66,000 through an act of Parliament[which?]

[4] Britain's increasing overseas troop commitments during the Napoleonic Wars resulted in growing pressure on recruitment for the militia, both for home defence and as a feeder for the army.

[5] The militia continued to serve as a coastal defence force, as well as guarding dockyards and prisoners of war, and performing other duties including riot control during the Luddite unrest of 1811–1813.

At first the Act was opposed due to some believing the militia ballot would be used to enable the Crown to remove men from Scotland.

This started as a proposal from Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of Orrery to James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond the then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

[16] Orrey was Lord President of Munster[17] and the establishment of militia was the most advanced there, this was partially driven by fears of a Dutch attack on Kinsale.

As a result the militia was established on an ad-hoc basis and was only called out three times during the period in 1666, 1672 (renewal of war with Dutch) and 1678 (Popish Plot – where they were used to disarm the Catholic population).

While officers of the reorganized force were all Protestants, membership of the other ranks was now opened up to members of all denominations, including Roman Catholics.