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Middlesex Militia

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The Middlesex Militia was an auxiliary military force in the county of Middlesex in South East England . From their formal organisation as Trained Bands , in 1572 and their service during the Armada Crisis and in the English Civil War , the Militia regiments of Middlesex served during times of international tension and all of Britain's major wars. By 1853 there were five regiments in the county. They provided internal security and home defence but sometimes operated further afield, including France and the Mediterranean, relieving regular troops from routine garrison duties, and acting as a source of trained officers and men for the Regular Army . Some of the infantry battalions went on active service during the Second Boer War and all served as Special Reserve training units in World War I . After 1921 the militia had only a shadowy existence until its final abolition in 1953.

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148-619: The English militia was descended from the Anglo-Saxon Fyrd , the military force raised from the freemen of the shires under command of their Sheriff . It continued under the Norman kings . The force was reorganised under the Assizes of Arms of 1181 and 1252 , and again by King Edward I 's Statute of Winchester of 1285. Under this statute 'Commissioners of Array' would levy the required number of men from each shire. The usual shire contingent

296-401: A feudal system which also contained an element of military obligation in the form of the feudal host. This system supplemented rather than replaced the fyrd, which continued to be deployed until at least the beginning of the 12th century. The Assize of Arms of 1181 combined the two systems by dividing the free population into four categories according to wealth and prescribing the weapons each

444-582: A 'Standing Army' tainted by association with the New Model Army that had supported Cromwell's military dictatorship. Under Charles II the Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex was always a professional soldier, first George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle , later the Earl of Craven (who was the son of a Lord Mayor of London). In times of national emergency when the king was absent from London (for example in 1682), Craven

592-570: A London brigade commanded by their own colonel, Sir James Harington , that took part in Sir William Waller's campaign in the winter of 1643–44. They were engaged at the Siege of Basing House , after which some of the men deserted, only to be fined when they reached home. Despite cries of 'Home, Home' from the trained bandsmen, the brigade remained with Waller's army, and the Westminsters took part in

740-572: A company of 450 men. In the 16th Century little distinction was made between the militia and the troops levied by the counties for overseas expeditions, and between 1589 and 1601 Middlesex supplied over 1000 levies for service in Ireland , France or the Netherlands . However, the counties usually conscripted the unemployed and criminals rather than the Trained Bandsmen. Replacing the weapons issued to

888-601: A fresh attempt to have as many men as possible under arms for home defence in order to release regulars, the Government created the Supplementary Militia, a compulsory levy of men to be trained in their spare time, to be incorporated in the Regular Militia in emergency and to keep up its numbers. Middlesex's 's quota was fixed at 5820 men. The suburban subdivisions of Westminster, Holborn and Finsbury provided 4987 of

1036-596: A grand dinner attended by 2000 guests, and the Laing Art Gallery has a painting of this event. With the exception of the timber roof which was destroyed by a fire in 1901 and replaced by latticed-steel arches the Market is largely in its original condition. The Grainger Market architecture, like most in Grainger Town, which are either grade I or II listed, was listed grade I in 1954 by English Heritage. The development of

1184-487: A handful of historic densely occupied, arguably overinflated markets in the local authorities: Harrogate , Cheltenham , Bath , inner London, Hastings , Brighton and Royal Tunbridge Wells . Significant Newcastle housing developments include Ralph Erskine 's the Byker Wall designed in the 1960s, and now Grade II* listed . It is on UNESCO 's list of outstanding 20th-century buildings. The Byker Redevelopment has won

1332-504: A large detachment to a Provisional Battalion in a militia brigade that arrived at Bordeaux just as the war was ending. The militia was disembodied at the end of the Napoleonic War but most of it had to be embodied again in June 1815 during the short Waterloo Campaign . Thereafter there was another long peace. Although militia officers continued to be commissioned and ballots were still held,

1480-606: A large navy as the first line of national defence, and a militia composed of their neighbours as additional defence and to preserve domestic order. Consequently, the English Bill of Rights (1689) declared, amongst other things: "that the raising or keeping a standing army within the kingdom in time of peace, unless it be with consent of Parliament, is against law..." and "that the subjects which are Protestants may have arms for their defense suitable to their conditions and as allowed by law." This implies that they are fitted to serve in

1628-480: A long and widely reported trial, the court found him guilty on seven charges and ordered him to be cashiered from the service. He was also expelled from Parliament. In 1804 the three regiments of Middlesex Militia were awarded the prefix 'Royal', giving the following titles, which were held until 1852: While the militia were the mainstay of national defence during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, local defence

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1776-538: A monopoly in the coal trade to a cartel of Newcastle burgesses known as the Hostmen . This monopoly, which lasted for a considerable time, helped Newcastle prosper and develop into a major town. The phrase taking coals to Newcastle was first recorded contextually in 1538. The phrase itself means a pointless pursuit. In the 18th century, the American entrepreneur Timothy Dexter , regarded as an eccentric, defied this idiom. He

1924-629: A new concentration of forces to face the King's victorious army on its return from the west, London provided a fresh brigade under Harington including the Westminster Liberty Regiment, recently at Abingdon. On 26 October the combined Parliamentary forces confronted the Royalist army at the Second Battle of Newbury and attempted a converging attack, the Westminsters and other London regiments holding

2072-638: A part of the City undergoing redevelopment. The slow demise of the shipyards on the banks of the River Tyne happened in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. During the Second World War, the city and surrounding area were a target for air raids as heavy industry was involved in the production of ships and armaments. The raids caused 141 deaths and 587 injuries. A former French consul in Newcastle called Jacques Serre assisted

2220-562: A prime source of recruits. They served in coast defences, manning garrisons, guarding prisoners of war, and for internal security, while their traditional local defence duties were taken over by the Volunteers and mounted Yeomanry . Middlesex remained one of the 'black spots' for militia recruitment: in August 1793 the Western Regiment was 90 men short of the number it should have embodied. In

2368-424: A quasi-feudal system, whereby he looked to the nobility to raise forces, but expected them to do so within the constraints of the shire levies, and the last use of indenture to raise an army came in 1512. Italian ambassadors reckoned that England had 150,000 armed men in 1519 and 100,000 in 1544 and 1551 available through their militia, while a French ambassador in 1570 reported that 120,000 were ready to serve. This

2516-478: A substantial amount of property in the two North East of England towns was destroyed in a series of fires and an explosion which killed 53 and injured hundreds. The status of city was granted to Newcastle on 3 June 1882. In the 19th century, shipbuilding and heavy engineering were central to the city's prosperity; and the city was a powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution . This revolution resulted in

2664-569: A thriving, cosmopolitan area with bars, restaurants, hotels and public spaces. The historic heart of Newcastle is the Grainger Town area. Established on classical streets built by Richard Grainger , a builder and developer, between 1835 and 1842, some of Newcastle upon Tyne's finest buildings and streets lie within this area of the city centre including Grainger Market , Theatre Royal , Grey Street, Grainger Street and Clayton Street. These buildings are predominantly four stories high, with vertical dormers, domes, turrets and spikes. Richard Grainger

2812-664: Is Exhibition Park , which contains the only remaining pavilion from the North East Coast Exhibition of 1929 . From the 1970s until 2006 this housed the Newcastle Military Vehicle Museum; which closed in 2006. The pavilion is now being used as a microbrewery and concert venue for Wylam Brewery . The wooded gorge of the Ouseburn in the east of the city is known as Jesmond Dene and forms another recreation area, linked by Armstrong Park and Heaton Park to

2960-526: Is St James' Park , the stadium home of Newcastle United FC which dominates the view of the city from all directions. Another major green space in the city is the Town Moor , lying immediately north of the city centre. It is larger than London's Hyde Park and Hampstead Heath put together and the freemen of the city have the right to graze cattle on it. The right extends to the pitch of St. James' Park , Newcastle United Football Club's ground ; this

3108-524: Is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear , England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough , located on the River Tyne 's northern bank opposite Gateshead to the south. It is the most populous settlement in the Tyneside conurbation and North East England . Newcastle developed around a Roman settlement called Pons Aelius . The settlement became known as Monkchester before taking on

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3256-607: Is a constituent member of the North East Mayoral Combined Authority . The first recorded settlement in what is now Newcastle was Pons Aelius (" Hadrian 's bridge"), a Roman fort and bridge across the River Tyne . It was given the family name of the Roman Emperor Hadrian , who founded it in the 2nd century AD. This rare honour suggests Hadrian may have visited the site and instituted the bridge on his tour of Britain. The population of Pons Aelius then

3404-628: Is estimated at 2,000. Fragments of Hadrian's Wall are visible in parts of Newcastle, particularly along the West Road. The course of the "Roman Wall" can be traced eastwards to the Segedunum Roman fort in Wallsend – the "wall's end" – and to the separate supply fort of Arbeia in South Shields , across the river from Hadrian's Wall. The extent of Hadrian's Wall was 73 miles (117 km), spanning

3552-624: Is not exercised, although the Freemen do collect rent for the loss of privilege. Honorary freemen include Bob Geldof , King Harald V of Norway, Bobby Robson , Alan Shearer , the late Nelson Mandela and the Royal Shakespeare Company . The Hoppings funfair, said to be the largest travelling funfair in Europe, is held here annually in June. In the south-eastern corner of the Town Moor

3700-698: The fyrd , which were raised from freemen to defend the estate of their local Shire 's lord or accompany the housecarls on offensive expeditions. During the Middle Ages , English militia units continued to be raised for service in various conflicts such as the Wars of Scottish Independence , the Hundred Years' War and the Wars of the Roses . Militia troops continued to see service in Tudor and Stuart periods , most prominently in

3848-515: The 14th and 15th Royal Fusiliers , 14th and 15th Middlesex , and 15th KRRC were formed by the former Middlesex Militia battalions. In April 1915 these K4 service battalions were converted into reserve battalions to carry out the same role for the 1st–3rd New Army (K1–K3) battalions that the SR battalions were doing to the Regulars. In 1916 these K4 reserve battalions were transferred from their regiments to

3996-719: The Battle of Naseby in 1645, the New Model Army advanced into the West Country, and the Middlesex TBs were ordered to a rendezvous at Romsey in June. They may have been involved in the final siege of Basing House, which surrendered in October. After the end of the First Civil War , disputes began to arise among the winners. In 1646 the Middlesex and Westminster TBs bid for independence from

4144-467: The Hundred Years' War , the king raised armies for service in France by indenture , which contracted magnates , under their obligation as subjects rather than feudal tenants, to supply a certain number of men for a specific amount of time in return for a set fee. Those forces allocated for the defence of England, however, were raised on the basis of the general obligation In 1511, King Henry VIII signalled

4292-710: The Kingdom of Kent by the end of the 7th century, Mercia in the 8th century and Wessex in the 9th century, and the Burghal Hidage of 911–919 indicates that over 27,000 men could have been raised in the defence of 30 West Saxon boroughs. In the late 10th century, areas began to be divided into ' hundreds ' as units for the fyrd. The obligation to serve was placed on landholders, and the Domesday Book indicates that individuals were expected to serve for approximately 60 days. The Norman conquest of England in 1066 brought with it

4440-566: The London Library by half a century. Some founder members of the Literary and Philosophical Society were abolitionists. Newcastle also became a glass producer with a reputation for brilliant flint glass . A permanent military presence was established in the city with the completion of Fenham Barracks in 1806. The great fire of Newcastle and Gateshead was a tragic and spectacular series of events starting on Friday 6 October 1854, in which

4588-573: The Mutiny Act is also renewed on an annual basis by parliament . If it lapses, the legal basis for enforcing discipline disappears, and soldiers lose their legal indemnity for acts committed under orders . In 1707, the Acts of Union united the Kingdom of England with the Kingdom of Scotland . The Scottish navy was incorporated into the Royal Navy. The Scottish military (as opposed to naval) forces merged with

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4736-562: The Ouseburn Valley , where the river finally reaches the River Tyne . The springtime dawn chorus at 55 degrees latitude has been described as one of the best in the world. The dawn chorus of the Jesmond Dene green space has been professionally recorded and has been used in various workplace and hospital rehabilitation facilities. The area around the Tyne Gorge, between Newcastle on

4884-578: The Powhatan Federation and other native polities. In the Virginia Company 's other outpost, Bermuda , settled officially in 1612 (unofficially in 1609), the construction of defensive works was placed before all other priorities. A Spanish attack in 1614 was repulsed by two shots fired from the incomplete Castle Islands Fortifications manned by Bermudian Militiamen . In the nineteenth century, Fortress Bermuda would become Britain's Gibraltar of

5032-606: The River Thames near Henley , using the county TBs, including Gerard's Middlesex regiment. He was then left in command at Abingdon with what remained of his London regiments, including the Westminster Liberty Regiment. Meanwhile Harington's brigade (including the Westminster Yellow Auxiliaries) had taken up the chant of 'Home, Home!', and was finally allowed home in August. When the Parliamentary leaders ordered

5180-666: The Roman departure from Britain , completed in 410, Newcastle became part of the powerful Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria , and was known throughout this period as Munucceaster (sometimes modernised as Monkchester ). Conflicts with the Danes in 876 left the settlements along the River Tyne in ruins. After the conflicts with the Danes, and following the 1088 rebellion against the Normans, Monkchester

5328-561: The Second Anglo-Dutch War , in the aftermath of the Battle of Beachy Head and in the face of the Jacobite risings , the militia entered a period of decline. In some areas it received at best only 12 days of annual training, and in others it had not been mustered in a generation. It was regarded as so ineffective that against the Jacobite rising of 1745 it would prove more expedient to raise an ad hoc force of volunteers than to rely on

5476-567: The Tower Hamlets all fell within the boundaries of Middlesex but had their own militia organisations: the difference was effectively between rural and suburban parishes of Middlesex. The Armada Crisis in 1588 led to the mustering of the trained bands in April, when Middlesex reported 10,000 trained men (apparently including the 6000 in the four regiments of the London Trained Bands (LTBs) and

5624-578: The Tower of London on 7 and 12 August when the county had secured 60 per cent of its quota of recruits. However, by then the war was going in Britain's favour and the threat of invasion had lifted: no further militia were required, and the Middlesex regiments were not actually embodied before the war ended in 1762. Parliament did however provide the money to continue training the militia in peacetime (two periods of 14 days or one period of 28 days each year). The militia

5772-747: The Wars of the Three Kingdoms . Following the Acts of Union 1707 , the English Militia was transformed into the British Militia . The origins of military obligation in England pre-date the establishment of the English state in the 10th century, and can be traced to the 'common burdens' of the Anglo-Saxon period, among which was service in the fyrd , or army. There is evidence that such an obligation existed in

5920-408: The Westminster Trained Bands (many of whose tradesmen members were purveyors to the Royal Court) under the command of the Royalist Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex , the Earl of Dorset , and that subsequently there were clashes between the new guards and the London apprentices. However, this story has been refuted in the most detailed history of the LTBs, which points out that the guards were provided by

6068-435: The Worcester campaign of the Third English Civil War in 1651, the Middlesex Militia was ordered to rendezvous at St Albans while the LTBs remained guarding London. After the Restoration of the Monarchy , the English Militia was re-established by the Militia Act 1661 under the control of the king's lords lieutenant, the men to be selected by ballot. This was popularly seen as the 'Constitutional Force' to counterbalance

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6216-417: The storming of Alton on 13 December. The brigade then refused further service and marched home on 20 December. It therefore missed the Battle of Cheriton on 29 March 1644. After Cheriton a fresh London brigade had to be provided before Waller's army could take the field. Once again it was commanded by Maj-Gen Harington but this time it included the Westminster Yellow Auxiliaries. Essex and Waller manoeuvred

6364-479: The 'Localisation of the Forces' scheme introduced by the Cardwell Reforms of 1872, militia regiments were brigaded with their local regular and Volunteer battalions . Middlesex and the London conurbation hosted several of these. The Royal East Middlesex and Royal Elthorne LI were placed in Sub-District No 50 (Middlesex & Metropolitan), grouped with the 57th Foot and the 77th Foot , the Edmonton Rifles were in Sub-District No 51 & 52 (60th Rifles), grouped with

6512-409: The 1150 men in five companies of the Liberties). The trained bands were put on one hour's notice in June and called out on 23 July as the Armada approached. Those actually mobilised in Middlesex outside London numbered 1000, of whom 500 were untrained. In addition there were 19 ' lances ' (heavy cavalry) and 65 light horse and ' petronel 's (the petronel was an early cavalry firearm). Westminster supplied

6660-449: The 1830s by Richard Grainger and John Dobson . More recently, Newcastle architecture considered to be Tyneside classical has been extensively restored. Broadcaster and writer Stuart Maconie described Newcastle as England's best-looking city and the German-born British scholar of architecture, Nikolaus Pevsner , describes Grey Street as one of the finest streets in England. In 1948 the poet John Betjeman said of Grey Street, "As for

6808-409: The 1920s, and the process continued into the 1970s, along with substantial private house building and acquisitions. Unemployment hit record heights in Newcastle during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The city's last coal pit closed in 1956, though a temporary open cast mine was opened in 2013. The temporary open cast mine shifted 40,000 tonnes of coal, using modern techniques to reduce noise, on

6956-465: The 19th century were a group of unrelated people who lived in and around the centre of Newcastle and its Quayside between the end of the 18th and early/mid 19th century. They are depicted in a painting by Henry Perlee Parker . Newcastle was the country's fourth largest print centre after London, Oxford and Cambridge , and the Literary and Philosophical Society of 1793, with its erudite debates and large stock of books in several languages, predated

7104-499: The 4th Royal South Middlesex was assigned to 1st Brigade in the same division, which would have mustered in Kent in time of war. The 5th Elthorne LI station was with the Garrison Army in the Thames and Medway defences. The Childers Reforms took Cardwell's reforms further, with the linked battalions forming single regiments from 1 July 1881, the 57th and 77th Regiments becoming the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment) . The militia battalions were now numbered in sequence after

7252-404: The 80-strong Middlesex Trained Band Horse. The trained bands were called upon in 1639 and 1640 to send contingents for the Bishops' Wars , though many of the men who actually went were untrained hired substitutes. In 1640 Middlesex was ordered to hold a general muster on 24 May and then march 1200 men on 3 June to Harwich , there to be shipped to Newcastle upon Tyne on 8 June for service against

7400-436: The Army reached Hounslow the London and suburban TBs refused to muster, the politicians caved in, and the New Model marched in. After the Army removed its opponents from Parliament (' Pride's Purge ') the ' Rump Parliament ' passed new Militia Acts that replaced lords lieutenant with county commissioners appointed by Parliament or the Council of State . An 'Ordinance to settle the Militia of Westminster and parts adjacent, within

7548-438: The Bermudian force operated under a Letter of Marque, its members, as with all military age Bermudian males, were members of the militia. By this time, the 1707 Acts of Union had made Bermudian and other English militiamen British . Up until the Glorious Revolution in 1688, the Crown and Parliament were in strong disagreement. The English Civil War left a rather unusual military legacy. Both Whigs and Tories distrusted

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7696-431: The Boer War, there were moves to reform the Auxiliary Forces (militia, yeomanry and volunteers) to take their place in the six army corps proposed by St John Brodrick as Secretary of State for War . However, little of Brodrick's scheme was carried out. Under the sweeping Haldane Reforms of 1908, the militia was replaced by the Special Reserve , a semi-professional force similar to the previous militia reserve, whose role

7844-431: The County of Middlesex was noted in July 1712 as having new red coats with grey facings , and a hat edged with gold colour; the regiment was now equipped throughout with muskets and bayonets in place of the proportion of pikes. In 1722–28 the Westminster Troop of Horse Militia wore buff coats and was mounted on black or brown horses. When the Blewe Regiment was reformed as the Eastern Regiment in 1760 its regimental colour

7992-416: The County of Middlesex' was passed on 9 September 1647 (at this time the term 'Trained Band' began to disappear in most counties). The revived London Militia Committee demolished the Lines of Communication and returned the suburban TBs to local control. Under the Commonwealth and Protectorate the militia received pay when called out, and operated alongside the New Model Army to control the country. During

8140-562: The English, with pre-existing regular Scottish regiments maintaining their identities, though command of the new British Army was from England. The Militia of England and Wales continued to be enacted separately from the Militia of Scotland (see Militia (Great Britain) and, for the period following 1801, Militia (United Kingdom) ). Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne , or simply Newcastle ( / nj uː ˈ k æ s əl / new- KASS -əl , RP : / ˈ nj uː k ɑː s əl / NEW -kah-səl ),

8288-425: The German war effort by describing important targets in the region to Admiral Raeder who was the head of the German Navy. The public sector in Newcastle began to expand in the 1960s. The federal structure of the University of Durham was dissolved. That university's college in Newcastle, which had been known as King's College, became the University of Newcastle upon Tyne (now known as Newcastle University ), which

8436-405: The Great Exhibition of the North, the largest event in England in 2018. The exhibition began on 22 June with an opening ceremony on the River Tyne, and ended on 9 September with the Great North Run weekend. The exhibition describes the story of the north of England through its innovators, artists, designers and businesses. In 2019, various travel sites named Newcastle to be the friendliest city in

8584-425: The LTBs together with the suburban regiments constituted Parliament's reserve, available for short campaigns. In November 1642 the TBs reinforced the Earl of Essex's army and helped to repulse the Royalists at the Battle of Turnham Green . By that month there were 13 companies of foot in Middlesex. London had long outgrown the old city walls. During the Edgehill campaign the citizens had erected breastworks across all

8732-409: The London Militia Committee. By 1647 control of the English Trained Bands had become an issue between Parliament and the Army, as it had been between Parliament and the King. The Army regarded the TBs as its second line and tried to wrest control from the politicians, some of whom wanted to use them as a counterweight to the Army, which was refusing to disband until pay arrears were settled. However, when

8880-482: The Middlesex Militia, and he suspended the execution of the Act in the county in both years. However, opinion in the county shifted and the deputy lieutenants and MPs applied to Parliament to revoke the suspension, forcing Newcastle to act. Finally, in July 1760, the lieutenancy began forming the militiamen of Middlesex into regiments and appointing officers. There were again three regiments ( Eastern , Western and Westminster ) and arms and accoutrements were supplied from

9028-460: The Militia Acts. A patriotic ballad of the time declared: All over the land they'll find such a stand, From our English Militia Men ready at hand, Though in Sussex and Middlesex folks are but fiddlesticks, While an old fiddlestick has the command (the 'old fiddlestick' was Newcastle, who was also powerful in Sussex). Newcastle held meetings in 1758 and 1759 but insufficient numbers of qualified persons put themselves forward for commissions in

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9176-468: The North . Newcastle's thriving Chinatown lies in the north-west of Grainger Town , centred on Stowell Street. A new Chinese arch, or paifang , providing a landmark entrance, was handed over to the city with a ceremony in 2005. The Tyneside flat was the dominant housing form constructed at the time when the industrial centres on Tyneside were growing most rapidly. They can still be found in areas such as South Heaton in Newcastle but once dominated

9324-442: The Royalists in play. Nevertheless, the Parliamentarian combination misfired and the Royalists escaped the trap to reach Oxford. In November 300 men of the Middlesex TB were sent to Windsor to put down a mutiny in the garrison. The failure of the existing Parliamentary armies in 1644 led to the formation of a single field army, known as the New Model Army , and the importance of the London and other TBs regiments waned. However, after

9472-405: The Royalists persisted with the amateur tradition, the Parliamentarians developed the New Model Army , a small but disciplined, well-equipped and trained army led by officers selected according to ability rather than birth. The New Model Army defeated the Royalist army at the Battle of Naseby in 1645, effectively ending the First English Civil War in victory for the Parliamentarians. Following

9620-464: The Scots. Control of the trained bands was one of the major points of dispute between Charles I and Parliament that led to the English Civil War . There is an often-repeated story that when Charles I returned from his Scottish campaign in October 1641 he ordered the guards on Parliament sitting at Westminster, which were provided by the City, Surrey and Middlesex TBs under command of the Puritan Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex , to be replaced by

9768-429: The Trained Bands primary weapons were 42% firearms, 26% pikes, 18% longbows, and 16% bills. A 1522 survey had revealed a significant lapse in the obligation to maintain arms and train in their use, and from 1535 commissioners of muster held tri-annual inspections. In the mid-16th century Lords Lieutenant began to be appointed, a great improvement in local authority, and an increasingly efficient machinery for enforcing

9916-443: The Training Reserve. The SR resumed its old title of Militia in 1921 but remained in abeyance after World War I. The Militia was formally disbanded in April 1953. The Trained Bands were apparently not issued with uniforms, their regimental names being derived from the colours of their company flags or 'ensigns' – the Westminster Red Regiment, the Westminster Yellow Auxiliaries, the Blewe Regiment etc . The Militia Regiment of Foot of

10064-472: The UK. Since 1974, Newcastle has been a part of the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear in North East England . The city is located on the north-western bank of the River Tyne , approximately 46 miles (74 km) south of the border with Scotland. The ground beneath the city is formed from Carboniferous strata of the Middle Pennine Coal Measures Group — a suite of sandstones , mudstones and coal seams which generally dip moderately eastwards. To

10212-407: The West , heavily fortified by a Regular Army garrison to protect the Royal Navy's headquarters and dockyard in the Western Atlantic. In the 17th century, however, Bermuda's defence was left entirely in the hands of the Militia. In addition to requiring all male civilians to train and serve in the militia of their Parish, the Bermudian Militia included a standing body of trained artillerymen to garrison

10360-455: The Westminster Auxiliaries, a second regiment raised in April 1643 to help cover the duties. Thus the Committee for Middlesex only had a single regiment commanded by Sir Gilbert Gerard, 1st Baronet of Harrow on the Hill , Member of Parliament (MP) for the county. Gerard was paymaster of the Parliamentarian army (Treasurer at War, 1642) and a member of the Council of War in 1643. The Westminster Liberty Regiment, or 'Red Regiment', formed part of

10508-408: The Westminster Regiment was 745 men short. One of the new regiments was the 4th Middlesex or South Middlesex Militia . The regiment was reduced in 1799. In January 1796 the colonel of the Westminster Regiment, John Fenton-Cawthorne , MP, was court-martialled for withholding money he was due to have paid his men, and forcing them to pay for clothing (from his contractor) that they did not need. After

10656-512: The Westminster TBs 'and the four neighbour companies' of Middlesex TBs all along, and it was only the commanders who were changed. Later the Middlesex and London TBs shared the duty. When open war broke out between the King and Parliament, neither side made much use of the trained bands beyond securing the county armouries for their own full-time troops. The main exception was the London area, where

10804-452: The authority is one of few authorities to see the proportion of detached homes rise in the 2010 Census (to 7.8%), in this instance this was coupled with a similar rise in flats and waterside apartments to 25.6%, and the proportion of converted or shared houses in 2011 renders this dwelling type within the highest of the five colour-coded brackets at 5.9%, and on a par with Oxford and Reading , greater than Manchester and Liverpool and below

10952-483: The city in the 1960s saw the demolition of part of Grainger Town as a prelude to the modernist rebuilding initiatives of T. Dan Smith , the leader of Newcastle City Council . A corruption scandal was uncovered involving Smith and John Poulson , a property developer from Pontefract , West Yorkshire, and both were imprisoned. Echoes of the scandal were revisited in the late 1990s in the BBC TV mini-series, Our Friends in

11100-430: The city today dates from this period. Throughout the Middle Ages , Newcastle was England's northern fortress. In 1400 Newcastle was separated from Northumberland for administrative purposes and made a county of itself by Henry IV . Newcastle was given the title of the county of the town of Newcastle upon Tyne. The town had a new charter granted by Elizabeth I in 1589. A 25-foot-high (7.6 m) stone wall

11248-480: The counties failed to meet their quotas). Training was for 56 days on enlistment, then for 21–28 days per year, during which the men received full army pay. Under the Act, militia units could be embodied by Royal Proclamation for full-time home defence service in three circumstances: The existing militia regiments were reorganised, with most of the old officers and permanent staff pensioned off and replaced, and annual training

11396-638: The county, while the existing 2nd regiment took over Edmonton Hundred , the most northerly division of Middlesex. Between 1853 and 1881 Middlesex had the following militia regiments: War having broken out with Russia in 1854 and an expeditionary force sent to the Crimea , the militia began to be called out for home defence. All five Middlesex regiments served, and the Royal Westminster LI volunteered for garrison duty overseas, spending 1855–56 in Corfu , for which it

11544-456: The creation of a large standing army not under civilian control. The former feared that it would be used as an instrument of royal tyranny. The latter had memories of the New Model Army and the anti-monarchical social and political revolution that it brought about. Consequently, both preferred a small standing army under civilian control for defensive deterrence and to prosecute foreign wars,

11692-526: The curve of Grey Street, I shall never forget seeing it to perfection, traffic-less on a misty Sunday morning." The street curves down from Grey's Monument towards the valley of the River Tyne and was voted England's finest street in 2005 in a survey of BBC Radio 4 listeners. In the Google Street View awards of 2010, Grey Street came 3rd in the British picturesque category. A portion of Grainger Town

11840-741: The disasters of Black Week at the start of the Second Boer War in December 1899, most of the Regular Army was sent to South Africa, and all five Middlesex battalions were called out. The 6th (Royal East Middlesex) Middlesex volunteered for overseas service and saw action in South Africa in 1900–02. The rest of the battalions were disembodied in 1900, but the 5th (Royal Westminster) Royal Fusiliers and 5th (Royal Elthorne) Middlesex were embodied again later and then went on active service in South Africa. After

11988-506: The elevation of the national obligation as the sole means of raising armies from the citizenry. He ordered the commissioners of array be responsible not just for the raising of levies, but also for ensuring that they were suitably equipped according to the Statute of Winchester. He also restricted landowners to raising forces only from their own tenants or others for whom, by the tenure of office, they were responsible. By these means Henry instituted

12136-681: The epidemic; this may also have been the most devastating loss in any British city in this period. During the English Civil War , the North declared for the King. In a bid to gain Newcastle and the Tyne, Cromwell's allies, the Scots, captured the town of Newburn . In 1644, the Scots then captured the reinforced fortification on the Lawe in South Shields following a siege and the city was besieged for many months . It

12284-556: The establishment of the army as an accepted state body and a military leader in Europe. The status of the army as a state institution under parliamentary control and subject to national law was normalised in 1689 by the Bill of Rights and the annually passed Mutiny Acts . Failure in the Monmouth Rebellion and controversy over the mis-use of funds had an adverse effect on the militia. Although it continued to be called out, for example in

12432-574: The execution of King Charles I, the establishment of the Commonwealth of England and the subsequent Protectorate under Oliver Cromwell , the New Model Army became politicised, and by the time of Cromwell's death in 1658, martial law and the Rule of the Major-Generals had renewed the traditional mistrust of standing armies. On the restoration of King Charles II to the throne in 1660, the New Model Army

12580-746: The first Veronica Rudge Green Prize in Urban Design in 1988. Newcastle has an oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ). Data in Newcastle was first collected in 1802 by the solicitor James Losh . Situated in the rain shadow of the North Pennines , Newcastle is amongst the driest cities in the UK. Temperature extremes recorded at Newcastle Weather Centre include 37.0 °C (98.6 °F) set in July 2022 down to −14.0 °C (6.8 °F) on 29 December 1995. Newcastle can have cool to cold winters, though usually warmer than

12728-638: The four Regular battalions of the 60th Rifles and the Royal London Militia , while the Royal Westminster LI and Royal South Middlesex were with the 7th Foot (the Royal Fusiliers ) in Sub-District No 49 (Middlesex & Metropolitan). The militia now came under the War Office rather than their county lords lieutenant, and battalions had a large cadre of permanent staff (about 30). Around a third of

12876-412: The gentry. The legislation made it a counter to the standing army, the main bulwark against disorder and the guarantee of the political settlement. The army – which, by the time of King James II's accession in 1685, comprised seven regiments of foot and four mounted regiments – was officially part of the royal household and had no basis in law; both king and Parliament were careful to refer to

13024-469: The keels, boats that were used to transfer coal from the river banks to the waiting colliers , for export to London and elsewhere. In the 1630s, about 7,000 out of 20,000 inhabitants of Newcastle died of plague , more than one-third of the population. Specifically within the year 1636, it is roughly estimated with evidence held by the Society of Antiquaries that 47% of the then population of Newcastle died from

13172-685: The king out of Oxford and then Waller shadowed him through the Midlands until they clashed at the Battle of Cropredy Bridge on 29 June. Unable to complete the destruction of Waller's army, which was about to be reinforced, the king broke contact and pursued Essex's army into the West Country . Waller's reinforcements were a further London brigade under Maj-Gen Richard Browne of the LTBs. Too late for Cropredy Bridge, and already losing individuals and whole units to desertion, Browne went to capture Greenland House on

13320-605: The last year of the war in Ireland. In addition to their defensive duties, the SR's role was to equip the Reservists and Special Reservists of their regiments and send them as reinforcement drafts to the Regular battalions serving overseas, and afterwards to train new recruits. In October 1914 each SR battalion was ordered to use their surplus recruits to form a service battalion of their regiment for Kitchener's 4th New Army ('K4'). In this way

13468-493: The levies from the militia armouries was a heavy cost on the counties. With the passing of the threat of invasion, the trained bands declined in the early 17th Century. Later, King Charles I attempted to reform them into a national force or 'Perfect Militia' answering to the king rather than local control. In 1638 the Middlesex Trained Band consisted of 928 muskets and 653 'corslets' (pikemen with armour), together with

13616-502: The men being conscripted by means of parish ballots (paid substitutes were permitted) to serve for three years. There was a property qualification for officers, who were commissioned by the lord lieutenant. Middlesex was given a quota of 1600 men to raise, but failed to do so – possibly because the Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex, the Duke of Newcastle , was Leader of the Opposition , who had opposed

13764-479: The men were actually mustered each year. The militia was already being embodied when Revolutionary France declared war on Britain on 1 February 1793. The French Revolutionary Wars saw a new phase for the English militia: they were embodied for a whole generation, and became regiments of full-time professional soldiers (though restricted to service in the British Isles ), which the regular army increasingly saw as

13912-466: The midst of the English Civil War there was some debate as to whether the militia should be a supplement or an alternative to a standing army, and a series of ordinances were passed in attempts to replace the repealed 1558 act. These reflected the ongoing struggle for control of the militia until, in the early 1660s, new legislation established the militia under the control, through the lieutenancy, of

14060-605: The militia declined after the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, the Middlesex and Westminster regiments continued to be mustered, in 1715, 1722 and as late as 1728. The Blue Regiment was described as from 'Middlesex within the Bills of mortality ' ( ie the suburban parishes included within the London health district). Under threat of French invasion during the Seven Years' War a series of Militia Acts from 1757 re-established county militia regiments,

14208-529: The militia itself. Although the militia continued to exist, it fell into neglect as attempts to introduce new legislation to regulate it failed. The beginning of the English Civil War was marked by a struggle between King Charles I and Parliament for control of the militia. The indecisive Battle of Edgehill in 1642, the first pitched battle of the war, revealed the weakness of the amateur military system, and both sides struggled with barely trained, poorly-equipped, ill-disciplined and badly led armies. While

14356-582: The militia was updated by two acts of 1557 covering musters ( 4 & 5 Ph. & M. c. 3) and the maintenance of horses and armour ( 4 & 5 Ph. & M. c. 2). The county militia was now under the Lord Lieutenant , assisted by the Deputy Lieutenants and Justices of the Peace . The entry into force of these Acts in 1558 is seen as the starting date for the organised county militia in England. Middlesex

14504-466: The militia, which was intended to serve as a counterweight to the standing army and preserve civil liberties against the use of the army by a tyrannical monarch or government. The Crown still (in the British constitution) controls the use of the army. This ensures that officers and enlisted men swear an oath to a politically neutral head of state, and not to a politician. While the funding of the standing army subsists on annual financial votes by parliament,

14652-517: The militia. Successful English settlement of North America, where little support could be provided by regular forces, began to take place in 1607, in the face of Spain's determination to prevent England establishing a foothold in territory it claimed for itself. The settlers also had to contend with frequently hostile native populations. It was immediately necessary to raise militia amongst the settlers. The militia in Jamestown saw constant action against

14800-531: The most extensive series of city defences in 17th century Europe. The Lines were completed by May 1643 and the City and suburban TB companies took their turns in manning the forts and key points, including one company on duty at Westminster. The London Militia Committee took over control of the Westminster and Tower Hamlets Liberties TBs and amalgamated those from the Middlesex parishes within the Lines of Communication with

14948-626: The motor car, Newcastle's road network was improved in the early part of the 20th century, beginning with the opening of the Redheugh road bridge in 1901 and the Tyne Bridge in 1928. Efforts to preserve the city's historic past were evident as long ago as 1934, when the Museum of Science and Industry opened, as did the John G Joicey Museum in the same year. Council housing began to replace inner-city slums in

15096-480: The name of a castle built in 1080 by William the Conqueror 's eldest son, Robert Curthose . It was one of the world's largest ship building and repair centres during the Industrial Revolution . Newcastle was historically part of the county of Northumberland , but governed as a county corporate after 1400. In 1974, Newcastle became part of Tyne and Wear . The local authority is Newcastle City Council , which

15244-412: The normal royal crown. Several of the regiments adapted this into their insignia. English militia The English Militia was the principal military reserve force of the Kingdom of England . Militia units were repeatedly raised in England from the Anglo-Saxon period onwards for internal security duties and to defend against external invasions . One of the first militia units in England were

15392-460: The north bank and Gateshead on the south bank, is the famous Newcastle-Gateshead Quayside . It is famed for its series of dramatic bridges, including the Tyne Bridge of 1928 which was built by Dorman Long of Middlesbrough , Robert Stephenson 's High Level Bridge of 1849, the first road/rail bridge in the world, and the Swing Bridge of 1876. Large-scale regeneration efforts have led to

15540-536: The numerous fortifications which ringed New London ( St. George's ). This standing body was created by recruiting volunteers, and by sentencing criminals to serve as punishment. The Bermudian militiamen were called out on numerous occasions of war, and, on one notable occasion, to quell rioting privateers. In 1710, four years after Spanish and French forces seized the Turks Islands from Bermudian salt producers in 1706, they were expelled by Bermudian privateers. Although

15688-461: The obligations of the citizenry to be ready for war resulted in 1558 the Militia Act, which ended the quasi-feudal system and implemented a more efficient, unified national militia system. In an attempt to remove the statutory limitations and allow the lieutenants to increase their demands on the militia, the act was repealed in 1604. This, however, succeeded only in removing the statutory basis for

15836-584: The quota. The number of militia regiments in the county was increased to five. But when the first training of the Middlesex Supplementary Militia was held, only 70 came put of 485 summoned. The Earl of Mansfield , colonel of the Eastern Regiment, complained in November 1798 that he had only received 120 of the supplementary men instead of over 700 he was due, and half of them were unfit. In 1799

15984-471: The rebellion, King James II was able to expand the army with 16 new regiments, paid for by money misappropriated from funds voted by Parliament for the militia. The Glorious Revolution of 1688 brought the Dutch King William III to the throne, and with him came interests in continental Europe. It was the defence of these interests that would lead, by the time of the Battle of Blenheim in 1704, to

16132-686: The recruits and many young officers went on to join the Regular Army. Following the Cardwell Reforms a mobilisation scheme began to appear in the Army List from December 1875. This assigned regular and militia units to places in an order of battle of corps, divisions and brigades for the 'Active Army', even though these formations were entirely theoretical, with no staff or services assigned. The 1st Royal East, 2nd Edmonton Rifles and 3rd Westminster LI constituted 2nd Brigade of 3rd Division in III Corps , while

16280-471: The regiments as 'guards', based on their role as bodyguards to the king, and it was still intended that the militia would provide the country's main force in the event of war. However, it was the army, already made more palatable to Parliament by acts of civilian service in support of the common good, that defeated the Monmouth Rebellion in 1685, the militia having proved too slow to mobilise. Following

16428-454: The regiments were rarely assembled for training and the permanent staffs of sergeants and drummers were progressively reduced. The militia was revived by the Militia Act 1852 , enacted during a period of international tension. As before, units were raised and administered on a county basis, and filled by voluntary enlistment (although conscription by means of the militia ballot might be used if

16576-573: The regulars: During the late 1890s several regiments recruiting from large conurbations, including the Royal Fusiliers and the Middlesex Regiment, were increased from two to four battalions (the KRRC already had four). The militia battalions were renumbered accordingly, the 3rd and 5th Royal Fusiliers becoming the 5th and 7th in 1898, and the 3rd and 4th Middlesex becoming 5th and 6th in 1900. After

16724-762: The replacement of former shipping premises with modern new office developments; an innovative tilting bridge - the Gateshead Millennium Bridge - integrated the Quayside more closely with the Gateshead Quayside, home to the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art (the venue for the Turner Prize 2011) and the Norman Foster -designed The Sage Gateshead music centre. The Newcastle and Gateshead Quaysides are now

16872-415: The revolution of marine propulsion and the production of cheap electricity . In 1882, Newcastle became the seat of an Anglican diocese , with St. Nicholas' Church becoming its cathedral. Newcastle's public transport system was modernised in 1901 when Newcastle Corporation Tramways electric trams were introduced to the city's streets, though these were replaced gradually by trolley buses from 1935, with

17020-619: The riverside to higher parts of the city centre and the extant Castle Keep , originally recorded in the 14th century, remain intact in places. Close, Sandhill and Quayside contain modern buildings as well as structures dating from the 15th–18th centuries, including Bessie Surtees House , the Cooperage and Lloyds Quayside Bars, Derwentwater House and House of Tides, a restaurant situated at a Grade I-listed 16th century merchant's house at 28–30 Close. The city has an extensive neoclassical centre referred to as Tyneside Classical, largely developed in

17168-518: The statue, and the monument plinth was designed and built by Benjamin Green. The Grainger Market replaced an earlier market originally built in 1808 called the Butcher Market. The Grainger Market itself, was opened in 1835 and was Newcastle's first indoor market. At the time of its opening in 1835 it was said to be one of the largest and most beautiful markets in Europe. The opening was celebrated with

17316-600: The streets leading to open country and set up guard posts manned by the LTBs – 20 companies were on duty each night. Then in the winter of 1642–3 volunteer work gangs of citizens constructed a massive entrenchment and rampart round the City and its suburbs, enclosing the whole of Westminster and the Tower Hamlets and several other Middlesex parishes. Known as the Lines of Communication , studded with some 23 forts and redoubts, these defences were about 11 miles (18 km) long, making it

17464-495: The streetscape on both sides of the Tyne. Tyneside flats were built as terraces, one of each pair of doors led to an upstairs flat while the other led into the ground-floor flat, each of two or three rooms. A new development in the Ouseburn valley has recreated them; Architects Cany Ash and Robert Sakula were attracted by the possibilities of high density without building high and getting rid of common areas. In terms of housing stock,

17612-422: The time. Because it was not practical to call out every man, King Edward I introduced a system whereby local gentry were authorised to conduct commissions of array to select those who would actually be called for military service. During the reign of King Edward III , feudal service was recognised as increasingly obsolete, and the feudal host was formally called out in full for the last time in 1327. During

17760-521: The tram service finally coming to an end in 1950. The city acquired its first art gallery, the Laing Art Gallery in 1904, so named after its founder Alexander Laing, a Scottish wine and spirit merchant who wanted to give something back to the city in which he had made his fortune. Another art gallery, the Hatton Gallery (now part of Newcastle University ), opened in 1925. With the advent of

17908-541: The turn of the 21st century included the Life Science Centre in 2000 and Millennium Bridge in 2001. Based at St James' Park since 1886, Newcastle United F.C. became Football League members in 1893. They have won four top division titles (the first in 1905 and the most recent in 1927), six FA Cups (the first in 1910 and the most recent in 1955) and the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969. They broke

18056-471: The urbanisation of the city. In 1817 the Maling company, at one time the largest pottery company in the world, moved to the city. The Victorian industrial revolution brought industrial structures that included the 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 -mile (4 km) Victoria Tunnel , built in 1842, which provided underground wagon ways to the staithes . On 3 February 1879, Mosley Street in the city, was the first public road in

18204-415: The weapons they used (mainly bills and longbows) prompted the creation of the more elite Trained Bands , who numbered 50,000 in 1588 (comprising about a third of the militia). This was only a partial solution however. By 1591 official records show 102,000 men on the rolls, of whom 42,000 are fully trained and furnished, plus 54,000 armed but not sufficiently trained and 6,000 neither armed nor trained. In 1588

18352-590: The west of the city are the Upper Pennine Coal Measures and further west again the sandstones and mudstones of the Stainmore Formation, the local equivalent of the Millstone Grit . In large parts, Newcastle still retains a medieval street layout. Narrow alleys or ' chares ', most of which can only be traversed by foot, still exist in abundance, particularly around the riverside . Stairs from

18500-562: The width of Britain; the Wall incorporated the Vallum , a large rearward ditch with parallel mounds, and was built primarily for defence and to prevent the incursion of Pictish tribes from the north, and probably not as a fighting line for a major invasion. However, it seems that the Vallum stopped just west of Newcastle, where its role as a secondary line of defence was performed by the River Tyne . After

18648-427: The world to be lit up by the incandescent lightbulb . Newcastle was one of the first cities in the world to be lit up by electric lighting. Innovations in Newcastle and surrounding areas included the development of safety lamps , Stephenson's Rocket , Lord Armstrong 's artillery, Be-Ro flour, Lucozade , Joseph Swan 's electric light bulbs, and Charles Parsons ' invention of the steam turbine , which led to

18796-503: The world transfer record in 1996 by paying £15 million for Blackburn Rovers and England striker Alan Shearer , one of the most prolific goalscorers of that era. In 2017, Newcastle was the venue for the 2017 Freedom City festival. The 2017 Freedom City festival commemorated the 50 years since Dr Martin Luther King's visit to Newcastle, where King received his honorary degree from Newcastle University . In 2018 Newcastle hosted

18944-584: Was 1000 infantry commanded by a millenar , divided into companies of 100 commanded by centenars or ductores , and subdivided into platoons of 20 led by vintenars . This procedure was continued for border campaigns under later kings. By now the infantry were mainly equipped with the English longbow . Edward III called out the shire levies for his 1335 campaign in Scotland, but Middlesex produced only 2 vintenars, 8 mounted archers and 37 foot archers. The legal basis of

19092-417: Was all but destroyed by Odo of Bayeux . Because of its strategic position, Robert Curthose , son of William the Conqueror , erected a wooden castle there in the year 1080. The town was henceforth known as Novum Castellum or New Castle . The wooden structure was replaced by a stone castle in 1087. The castle was rebuilt again in 1172 during the reign of Henry II. Much of the keep which can be seen in

19240-498: Was awarded the Battle Honour Mediterranean . Although the 4th and 5th Middlesex Militia were embodied in 1857 to relieve regular troops for service against the Indian Mutiny , the number of regiments required was smaller, and the other Middlesex regiments were not called upon. Thereafter the militia regiments were called out for their annual training. The Militia Reserve introduced in 1867 consisted of present and former militiamen who undertook to serve overseas in case of war. Under

19388-476: Was built around the town in the 13th century, to defend it from invaders during the Border war against Scotland. The Scots king William the Lion was imprisoned in Newcastle in 1174, and Edward I brought the Stone of Scone and William Wallace south through the town. Newcastle was successfully defended against the Scots three times during the 14th century. From 1530, a royal act restricted all shipments of coal from Tyneside to Newcastle Quayside , giving

19536-506: Was called out in 1778 after the outbreak of the War of American Independence , when the country was threatened with invasion by the Americans' allies, France and Spain. The three regiments of Middlesex Militia were 'embodied' for permanent duty for the first time on 31 March 1778: The Peace of Paris ended the war in 1783, but the militia had already been disembodied in 1782. From 1784 to 1792 they were assembled for their 28 days' annual peacetime training, but to save money only two-thirds of

19684-413: Was demolished in the 1960s to make way for the Eldon Square Shopping Centre , including all but one side of the original Eldon Square itself. Immediately to the north-west of the city centre is Leazes Park , first opened to the public in 1873 after a petition by 3,000 working men of the city for "ready access to some open ground for the purpose of health and recreation". Just outside one corner of this

19832-416: Was disbanded. Despite the concerns of Parliament about expense and the threat to the power it had only recently won from the Crown, it still proved necessary to maintain a small standing force in England, for the protection of the new king and to garrison coastal forts. A new army was therefore established in 1660, comprising two regiments born in the civil war; one raised in 1656 as Charles's bodyguard while he

19980-417: Was entrusted to the part-time volunteer units, a large number of which were raised in London and its suburbs. However, the Volunteers were declining nationally by 1808 and a new Local Militia was instituted, also part-time but if its ranks could not be filled voluntarily the Militia Ballot was to be employed. Nevertheless, numbers of Volunteer units remained high in London and Middlesex, and the Local Militia Act

20128-441: Was eventually stormed ("with roaring drummes") and sacked by Cromwell's allies. The grateful King bestowed the motto " Fortiter Defendit Triumphans " ("Triumphing by a brave defence") upon the town. Charles I was imprisoned in Newcastle by the Scots in 1646–7. Newcastle opened its first lunatic asylum in 1767. The asylum catered for people from the counties of Newcastle, Durham and Northumberland. The Newcastle Eccentrics of

20276-466: Was founded in 1963, followed by Newcastle Polytechnic in 1969; the latter received university status in 1992 and became the University of Northumbria at Newcastle (now known as Northumbria University ). Further efforts to preserve the city's historic past continued in the later 20th century, with the opening of Newcastle Military Vehicle Museum in 1983 and Stephenson Railway Museum in 1986. The Military Vehicle museum closed in 2006. New developments at

20424-401: Was in exile during the Interregnum , the other raised in 1650 as part of the New Model Army. Several conspiracies uncovered towards the end of 1660 convinced Parliament of the need for two more regiments – again, one raised in exile during the Interregnum, the other originally a New Model Army regiment – and the army was officially established by royal warrant on 26 January 1661. In

20572-450: Was made lieutenant-general of all the forces in London and Westminster. Part of the Middlesex Militia was on duty in London during the Great Fire of 1666. The militia were also called out in the Second and Third Dutch Wars , and for repression of dissent. During the Popish Plot crisis in 1678, the militia were mobilised to guard London, Westminster, Southwark and the suburbs. In 1697 the Middlesex Militia comprised: Although most of

20720-406: Was not enacted in the county. Legislation passed in 1798 and 1811 permitted English militia regiments to serve in Ireland for two years. The Royal West Middlesex and Royal Westminsters both served there, the Westminsters also serving in Jersey . From November 1813 the militia were invited to volunteer for limited overseas service, primarily for garrison duties in Europe. The West Middlesex provided

20868-436: Was one of the southern counties called upon to send troops to suppress the Rising of the North in 1569. Although the militia obligation was universal, this assembly confirmed that it was clearly impractical to train and equip every able-bodied man. After 1572 the practice was to select a proportion of men for the Trained Bands (TBs), who were mustered for regular training. The City of London and Liberties of Westminster and

21016-409: Was persuaded to sail a shipment of coal to Newcastle by merchants plotting to ruin him; however, his shipment arrived on the Tyne during a strike that had crippled local production, allowing him to turn a considerable profit. In the Sandgate area, to the east of the city, and beside the river, resided the close-knit community of keelmen and their families. They were so called because they worked on

21164-448: Was reasonably close to the truth as 183,000 militiamen were mustered in 37 counties in 1575, and in the officials returns of 1588 more than 132,000 were expected to be fielded in England and Wales. They were intended to comprise part of the armies raised to combat the Spanish invasion. There were expected to be a total of 92,000 men mustered in the south of England (including 5,300 cavalry). Their poor state of readiness and obsolete nature of

21312-425: Was resumed. The Royal West Middlesex was designated a Light Infantry regiment in 1852. The following year the Middlesex Militia was expanded from three to five regiments. A new regiment was formed in South Middlesex, and the recruiting area of the Royal West Middlesex was effectively split, with a new 5th regiment taking over the north-western part of the county in Elthorne Hundred , one of the ancient subdivisions of

21460-444: Was said to 'have found Newcastle of bricks and timber and left it in stone'. Of Grainger Town's 450 buildings, 244 are listed , of which 29 are grade I and 49 are grade II*. Grey's Monument , which commemorates Prime Minister Earl Grey and his Reform Act of 1832 , stands above Monument Metro Station and was designed and built by Edward Hodges Baily and Benjamin Green . Hodges, who also built Nelson's Column , designed and built

21608-416: Was to maintain. The first category corresponded to the feudal host, the next two corresponded to the old fyrd and the last to a general levy. The Statute of Winchester in 1285 introduced two more non-feudal categories to impose a general military obligation on all able-bodied males, including non-free, between the ages of 15 and 60, and updated the prescribed weaponry in the light of developments in warfare at

21756-404: Was to provide reinforcement drafts for regular units serving overseas in wartime. The five Middlesex battalions all transferred to the SR and were redesignated (in order of precedence): The SR was mobilised on the outbreak of World War I and proceeded to its war stations. The Royal Fusiliers were at Dover , the Middlesex and KRRC in the Thames & Medway Garrison; the 6th Royal Fusiliers spent

21904-421: Was white, carrying the Duke of Newcastle's coat of arms, and the facings of the red uniforms were also white. However, when they were embodied in 1778 all the regiments of the Middlesex Militia had blue facings (usually associated with 'Royal' regiments), long before the 'Royal' title was conferred in 1804. The Coat of arms of Middlesex had three Saxon Seaxes in pale , surmounted by a Saxon crown rather than

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