Militia, volunteers, fencibles and yeomanry

The Militia Act 1757 re-established local part-time forces of one or more regiments for each county. They were chosen by ballot from among the male inhabitants of each parish. Drawn men could avoid service if they got another man to replace them. They were linked to regular army regiments in 1881 as the third and sometimes fourth battalions of county regiments.

Volunteers were raised as auxiliary forces from 1794 for local defence during the wars against France. Voluntary units of Local Militia were raised from 1808. The Volunteers were disbanded in 1813 as were the Local Militia in 1816.

Fencible infantry and cavalry units were raised from the 1790s for temporary service as required and to serve at home while regular army regiments went overseas. Apart from musters in WO 13 we hold no records of service, but some material can survive locally in county record offices.

The Yeomanry were mounted volunteer cavalry raised on a county basis from 1804. They became part of the Territorial Force in 1908, which became the Territorial Army in 1921.

Service records

Attestation forms for militiamen from 1806 to 1915 are in series WO 96. The majority are from the later nineteenth century. They are arranged alphabetically under the regular army county regiment, to which the militia regiment was attached in 1881. Some records of militiamen are also found in WO 97 from 1760 to 1854, which are searchable online.

Muster Books and Pay Lists

Muster books and pay lists for all militia, fencible infantry and cavalry, yeomanry and volunteers from 1780 to 1878 are in WO 13. This series also includes some colonial units. When a man appears for the first time his age is sometimes given. Musters for some London and Middlesex units are in WO 70, and a few provincial units in WO 79.

Rifle Volunteers

The Volunteer Force, units of Rifle Volunteers, was raised in 1859 with the threat of war. They were linked to regular army regiments in 1881 as volunteer battalions, the fourth, fifth etc battalions of county regiments. No musters, nominal rolls, pay lists have survived among War Office records except some pay lists for staff between 1873 and 1878 in WO 13/4622-4675, and regimental books of the 36th Middlesex Rifle Volunteers which became the 10th battalion, The London Regiment (The Paddington Rifles) in WO 70/1-21. Volunteer battalions formed part of the Territorial Force from 1908, which became the Territorial Army in 1921.

Imperial Yeomanry

The Imperial Yeomanry was formed in 1899 for service in South Africa.

Attestation and discharge papers of men who served are in the series WO 128. They are arranged in service number order and the registers of service numbers are in WO 129. However, there is now an alphabetical guide Asplin K.J. The Roll of the Imperial Yeomanry, Scottish Horse and Lovats Scots. Second Boer War 1899-1902. The service record gives details of age, place of birth, next of kin and place of enlistment. A few men later transferred to the regular army. Where this occurred and they were discharged before 1914, the service records are in WO 97.

Colonial Regiments

Records for some Colonial regiments can be found in The National Archives. Soldiers´ documents for men discharged to pension up to 1872 can be found in WO 97. Muster rolls for some colonial regiments can be found in WO 12 and for some colonial militias in WO 13.

Returns of non-commissioned officers and men serving in colonial units in 1806 are in WO 25/1070-1171. Admission books for pensions payable in the colonies are in WO 23/147-152. There is an admission book for native and colonial pensioners covering 1880 to 1903 in WO 23/160. Casualty lists for colonial regiments can be found in WO 25.

There are lists, registers and admission books for pensioners of the Cape Mounted Rife Corps in WO 23/153-157 and 159. An admission book for the Ceylon Regiment and the Gun Lascars between 1868 and 1876 is in WO 23/158. There are also lists of soldiers employed by the Royal Africa Company between 1756 and 1815 in T 70/1454-1456.

There are lists of men who served in provincial volunteer forces in North America from 1746 to 1747 and 1775 to 1783 in WO 28/1, 4-5. There are also muster rolls for American colonial militia units between 1759 and 1763 in T 64/22 and in T 50.

Records of local units raised in South Africa during the Boer War 1899-1902 are in WO 126 and WO 127.