Back again after a period of 12 months to seek more assistance. I have lists called Militia Lists which give a date, given and surname, town and occupation. Could someone please give a brief explanation of what these lists really are. Are they just lists of men available for service or who served during the times shown? Were there age restrictions for service? A final column lists the word "DRAWN". An explanation please. George. MY INTERESTS: FORDHAM, ORSMAN, VALENTINE.

Militia Lists which give a date, given and surname, > town and occupation. > > Could someone please give a brief explanation of what these lists really > are. Are they just lists of men available for service or who served during > the times shown? Were there age restrictions for service? the status of this list go to > http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com > From "Northamptonshire Militia Lists 1777" by Victor A. Hatley. The militia was a force raised for the defence of the realm against invasion or rebellion, it was not liable for service overseas.Each county had to contribute a quota of men for Militia service. From the Militia Act of 1757, the Lord Lieutenant of each county was responsible for raising the militia and providing it with officers. You were liable for militia service if you were male, 18 to 45, but not if you were a peer of the realm, a clergymen (including dissenters), articled clerks apprentices, seamen, parish constables, or a poor man with 3 or more children born in wedlock. this was reduced to 2 children in 1786. Only 640 men were needed in Northamptonshire (it varied). The parish constables made up the list of men, giving their occupations and maybe including those exempt (3 children, suffers fits, etc) and stuck it on the church door on Sunday. This gave everyone a chance to suggest changes. The amended list was sent to the appointed place for the hundred (usually a hotel in the local town) where the names were drawn by ballot - a lottery if you were picked. The "Drawn" men could now pay for someone else to take their place. Having been "drawn" in one ballot, you were not liable to serve in the next. Having got the 640 militiamen, a regiment, Northamptonshire trained and exercised them for 28 days annually for each of the next three years. They were paid and billeted in public houses. Three years later a new lot were chosen. You don't say what years you have, but the 1777 intake did do proper service from June 1778 to 1783, and from 1793, in both cases replacing the regular army which was fighting France. Hope this helps Heather

Hello George, I do not know what you precisely mean by MILITIA LISTS, What I have come across are Paylists, Adjutants Muster lists, and Harts Army lists of Officers all held by the National Archives at Kew, near London. http://www.catalogue.nationalarchives.gov.uk/searchloading.asp?SearchInit=0&txtsearchterm=Hertfordshire+Militia&txtfirstdate=&txtlastdate=&txtrestriction=WO&hdnsorttype=Reference&image1.x=34&image1.y=11 Otherwise, I have found some records in Estate Records for local landed families where the Colonial was responsible for the Militia, the latter should be in the County Records Office or regrettably in private collections where very often the owner hopes to make money out of the acquisition. http://www.a2a.org.uk/ The paylists where they exist contain name, rank, pay and off duty days. The Muster Lists contain name, rank, duties/ hospitalisation/offences/et cetera. There are also personal records for Royal Hospital Chelsea [and if applicable Royal Hospital Kilmainham for Irish Regiments]. The latter I have included because for regulars the regiment is often moved around and recruited locally. They can be very detailed if they exist with personal descriptions, service and reasons for granting pensions. For NCO's with long survive they appear to be pensioned off as a policy not for illness. There are a lot of sources for these and using you search on your browser will help. The Napoleonic period called the Great War has a lot of records. The word Drawn depends on the period I am not sure as in Ireland it was a duty to serve or have someone serve in a family. And to get out they had to find substitutes at least in the period 1793-1816. If you put a message on the Military Message board on Ancestry.com or Rootsweb you will get much more information. Ray ----- Original Message ----- From: "Fordham" <fordham@netconnect.com.au> To: <ENG-HERTFORDSHIRE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, June 03, 2005 9:59 AM Subject: [HRT] MILITIA LISTS > Back again after a period of 12 months to seek more assistance. > I have lists called Militia Lists which give a date, given and surname, town and occupation. > > Could someone please give a brief explanation of what these lists really are. Are they just lists of men available for service or who served during the times shown? Were there age restrictions for service? > > A final column lists the word "DRAWN". An explanation please. > George. > > MY INTERESTS: FORDHAM, ORSMAN, VALENTINE. > > > ==== ENG-HERTFORDSHIRE Mailing List ==== > For any updates our info about the status of this list go to > http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com >

Hello George, I, too, have purchased some of the Militia Lists for Hertfordshire and have found them invaluable for finding lost ancestors. I put a query on the British Genealogy Forum as to age limits etc and this is the reply I received: I quote from 'Militia Lists and Musters 1757-1876' by Jeremy Gibson and Mervyn Medlycott. published by the FFHS ISBN 1 872 094 02 3. Page 5 "Under the 1757 Act the parish contables were ordered annually to record the names of all men aged 18 to 50, excluding only those who were peers, clergy, teachers, apprentices and 'peace officers'. However in the 1758 Act (31 Geo II c26) and thereafter until 1831, Parliament directed that no names be excluded, although the upper age limit was lowered to 5 from 1762. The militia ballot lists should therefore in theory be complete annual censuses of all men aged 18 to 50, from 1758 to 1762, and aged 18 to 45, from 1762 to 1831." Don't know if this will help at all, but I suppose you could purchase the booklet quoted as the source from one of your local FHS. Janet. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Fordham" <fordham@netconnect.com.au> To: <ENG-HERTFORDSHIRE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, June 03, 2005 9:59 AM Subject: [HRT] MILITIA LISTS > Back again after a period of 12 months to seek more assistance. > I have lists called Militia Lists which give a date, given and surname, > town and occupation. > > Could someone please give a brief explanation of what these lists really > are. Are they just lists of men available for service or who served during > the times shown? Were there age restrictions for service? > > A final column lists the word "DRAWN". An explanation please. > George. > > MY INTERESTS: FORDHAM, ORSMAN, VALENTINE. > > > ==== ENG-HERTFORDSHIRE Mailing List ==== > For any updates our info about the status of this list go to > http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com > >