A book I'm reading contains references to "the Trained Bands" of the time of King Charles I. The book does not explain exactly what their functions were, or how they were distinguishable from the later county militias. "In time of peace [the armed forces of the realm] consisted only of the Trained Bands, but in any national emergency it lay with [the King] to raise and organise an army." The Trained Bands (always capitalised) participated as soldiery in the Civil War. Would some Lister kindly tell me what the terms of employment were for the Bands' members, and how they were chosen, and how well they were trained and by whom? Elsewhere I have been told that after 1660 the locally controlled (county?) militias were paid 8 pounds a year for "homeland defence" and law enforcement. But were they still called "Trained Bands"? 8 pounds seems a lot of money: is that figure correct? Gordon Barlow