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155-587: 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 , and was reorganised under the Assizes of Arms of 1181 and 1252 , and again by King Edward I 's Statute of Winchester of 1285. In 1296 Edward called out the horse and foot of Somerset and Dorset to defend their counties from

310-546: A Roman Catholic French princess, Henrietta Maria . Parliament refused to assign him the traditional right to collect customs duties for his entire reign, deciding instead to grant it only on a provisional basis and negotiate with him. Charles, meanwhile, decided to send an expeditionary force to relieve the French Huguenots , whom French royal troops held besieged in La Rochelle . Such military support for Protestants on

465-591: A Scottish cavalry probe but were then subjected to an intense cannonade and eventually broke and ran. Control of the militia was one of the areas of dispute between Charles I and Parliament that led to the English Civil War . When open war broke out between the King and Parliament, the Somerset Trained Bands were split, some regiments serving on either side in the skirmishes and small sieges that characterised

620-401: 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

775-567: A brigade depot for their linked battalions, but it was not until 1879–81 that Jellalabad Barracks was built as the depot at Taunton. The 1st and 2nd Somerset Militia had adopted Leigh Camp near Taunton as their training ground in 1873. 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

930-574: A chain of outposts from north Dorset to the sea, and it claimed that it was a detachment of this regiment that captured Monmouth hiding in a ditch on the Dorset– Hampshire border. Afterwards the Yellow Regiment was allowed to use Monmouth's heraldic crest as a badge, a privilege that was later exercised by the 1st Somerset Militia . It was actually a patrol of the Sussex Militia that captured

1085-473: A charge of treason. The members had learned that he was coming and escaped. Charles not only failed to arrest them but turned more people against him. In the summer of 1642, these national troubles helped to polarise opinion, ending indecision about which side to support or what action to take. Opposition to Charles also arose from many local grievances. For example, imposed drainage schemes in The Fens disrupted

1240-447: A court case, attainder did not require a legal burden of proof to be met, but it did require the king's approval. Charles, however, guaranteed Strafford that he would not sign the attainder, without which the bill could not be passed. Furthermore, the Lords opposed the severity of a death sentence on Strafford. Yet increased tensions and a plot in the army to support Strafford began to sway

1395-717: A higher establishment by supplementaries in June. Both regiments did duty in South West England and both were at Weymouth for the summer of 1804 when the Royal Family was again in residence. In the autumn of 1805 the two regiments were part of a militia brigade at Silverhill, East Sussex . While the Regular Militia were the mainstay of national defence during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, they were supplemented from 1808 by

1550-413: A large army under his own control. After the suppression of the rebellion he suspended militia musters and planned to use the counties' weapons and militia taxes to equip and pay his expanding Regular Army , which he felt he could rely upon, unlike the locally commanded militia. The West Country militia was not mustered for training in 1687, and was not embodied when William of Orange made his landing in

1705-606: 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

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1860-579: A number of men killed or died of disease. The 4th Bn was awarded the Battle honour South Africa 1900–02 and the men received the campaign medals. After 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

2015-476: A practical means of compelling them. From the thirteenth century, monarchs ordered the election of representatives to sit in the House of Commons , with most voters being the owners of property, although in some potwalloper boroughs every male householder could vote. When assembled along with the House of Lords , these elected representatives formed a Parliament. So the concept of Parliaments allowed representatives of

2170-507: A publicity campaign, giving a rousing speech and having copies of it circulated. He proposed taking the colonelcies of both regiments himself, and appointed senior officers from across the political spectrum. By January 1759 he had obtained almost all the officers and the balloting and enrolment of the other ranks began. The 1st Somerset Militia was formed at Taunton, the 2nd at Bath, and both received their arms on 22 March 1759. They were both embodied for fulltime service on 3 July 1759. Over

2325-424: 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

2480-550: A resurgence of Protestant power, struck first , and all Ireland soon descended into chaos. Rumours circulated that the King supported the Irish, and Puritan members of the Commons soon started murmuring that this exemplified the fate that Charles had in store for them all. On 4 January 1642, Charles, followed by 400 soldiers, entered the House of Commons and attempted to arrest five members on

2635-708: A rout: the militia retained their baggage and colours and remained a formed body. Nevertheless, some of the Somerset Militia did desert and join the rebel duke – Phelips, who was not present at the action at Axminster, told Col Berkeley that most of his and Luttrell's men went over to the rebels. Stawell's Regiment was at Taunton: when the retreating men of Phelips' and Luttrell's arrived, the whole force marched off hurriedly, leaving its ammunition. The rest of Phelips' regiment had already retired towards Chard . The Somersets were ordered to rendezvous at Bridgwater next day, but apparently did not do so. Monmouth had been correct in

2790-608: A single kingdom. Many English Parliamentarians were suspicious of such a move, fearing that such a new kingdom might destroy old English traditions that had bound the English monarchy. Because James had described kings as "little gods on Earth", chosen by God to rule in accordance with the doctrine of the Divine Right of Kings , and Charles shared his father's position, the suspicions of the Parliamentarians had some justification. At

2945-478: A tactic learned while fighting in the Dutch army, where cavalry would charge at full speed into the opponent's infantry, firing their pistols just before impact. However, with Oliver Cromwell and the introduction of the more disciplined New Model Army , a group of disciplined pike men would stand its ground, which could have a devastating effect. The Royalist cavalry had a tendency to chase down individual targets after

3100-560: A traitor and calling out the militia while the regulars of the Royal army were assembled. The Somerset Militia's mustering towns were Bath , Bridgwater, Crewkerne , Taunton and Wells , and for this campaign the regiments were organised as follows: The colonels of the Somerset Militia had been alerted by the royal officials fleeing from Lyme even before the orders arrived from London, and they mustered their men quickly, Phelips' and Luttrell's regiments marching out from Taunton on 14 June. However,

3255-611: The British Isles ), which the regular army increasingly saw as 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 . The Somerset Militia spent the summer of 1793 in Cornwall, helping to suppress riots among the tin miners, then wintered at Salisbury . In 1794–5 it

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3410-533: The Conventicle Act 1664 . Lieutenant Edward Phelips of the Somerset Militia Horse (later Colonel Sir Edward Phelips) gained a reputation for harshness in carrying out this duty. By 1679 the Somerset Militia (4405 men) was organised in five regiments of foot, each of eight companies, and one regiment of horse in five troops, all the regiments being commanded by Members of Parliament : In 1685 there

3565-584: The Earl of Lindsey , was to die fighting for the King at the Battle of Edgehill . In early January 1642, a few days after failing to capture five members of the House of Commons, Charles feared for the safety of his family and retinue and left the London area for the north country. Further frequent negotiations by letter between the King and the Long Parliament, through to early summer, proved fruitless. On 1 June 1642

3720-677: The English Lords and Commons approved a list of proposals known as the Nineteen Propositions . In these demands, the Parliament sought a larger share of power in the governance of the kingdom. Before the end of the month the King rejected the Propositions. As the summer progressed, cities and towns declared their sympathies for one faction or the other: for example, the garrison of Portsmouth commanded by Sir George Goring declared for

3875-620: The Great West Road from London, was reinforced by the Wiltshire and Oxfordshire Militia. To the south the Berkshire and Hampshire Militia prevented Monmouth from advancing against the Royal army's communications to London, Finally the Devon and Dorset Militia reoccupied Lyme and Taunton behind Monmouth, hemming him into north-west Somerset, and preventing potential recruits from joining him. A party of

4030-522: 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

4185-541: The Jacobite Risings of 1715 and 1745 . Under threat of French invasion during the Seven Years' War a series of Militia Acts from 1757 reorganised the county militia regiments , the men being conscripted by means of parish ballots (paid substitutes were permitted) to serve for three years. In peacetime they assembled for 28 days' annual training. There was a property qualification for officers, who were commissioned by

4340-710: 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

4495-484: The Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , the young Duke of Somerset , was uninterested in military matters and somewhat lax, and left the regiments without orders. Some of them had also had not been paid, leading to resentment. Sir Edward Phelips, on the other hand, had a reputation as a martinet and for training his men hard, leading to unpopularity. The morale of the Somerset Militia was consequently low. On 15 June Luttrell

4650-568: The Magnum Concilium (the House of Lords , but without the Commons , so not a Parliament), Charles finally bowed to pressure and summoned another English Parliament in November 1640. The new Parliament proved even more hostile to Charles than its predecessor. It immediately began to discuss grievances against him and his government, with Pym and Hampden (of ship money fame) in the lead. They took

4805-573: 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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4960-578: 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

5115-561: 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

5270-572: The Second Bishops' War of 1640. However, many of those sent on this unpopular service would have been untrained replacements and conscripts: like many other contingents, the Somerset men were disorderly, accused of being 'West Country clownes'. At the Battle of Newburn , roughly 800 raw Somerset musketeers under held hurriedly-erected breastworks or 'sconces' on the bank of the River Tyne . They drove off

5425-565: The Thirty Years' War which began in 1618 and concluded in 1648. The war was of unprecedented scale for the English. During the campaign seasons, 120,000 to 150,000 soldiers would be in the field, a higher proportion of the population than were fighting in Germany in the Thirty Years' War . The main battle tactic came to be known as pike and shot infantry. The two sides would line up opposite one another, with infantry brigades of musketeers in

5580-466: The Tonnage and Poundage Act 1640 . On 3 May, Parliament decreed The Protestation , attacking the 'wicked counsels' of Charles's government, whereby those who signed the petition undertook to defend 'the true reformed religion', Parliament, and the king's person, honour and estate. Throughout May, the House of Commons launched several bills attacking bishops and Episcopalianism in general, each time defeated in

5735-511: The Treaty of Paris and both regiments were disembodied later that year. Unlike some other militia units, neither Somerset regiment was embodied during the Indian Mutiny . Thereafter, annual training (21 or 27 days) was carried out each year. The Militia Reserve introduced in 1867 consisted of present and former militiamen who undertook to serve overseas in case of war. Under the 'Localisation of

5890-743: 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

6045-542: The lines of communication and later the blockhouse lines . The 3rd SLI were embodied on 15 May 1900 and served in the Plymouth defences. Although it did not go overseas, a number of officers volunteered to serve in South Africa, some with the 4th Bn. The 3rd Bn was disembodied on 4 December, but the 4th Bn remained in South Africa until April 1902, when peace negotiations were under way. It disembodied on 14 May, having suffered

6200-524: The "Eleven Years' Tyranny". During this period, Charles's policies were determined by his lack of money. First and foremost, to avoid Parliament, the King needed to avoid war. Charles made peace with France and Spain, effectively ending England's involvement in the Thirty Years' War . However, that in itself was far from enough to balance the Crown's finances. Unable to raise revenue without Parliament and unwilling to convene it, Charles resorted to other means. One

6355-429: The "Great Rebellion". Some historians, notably Marxists such as Christopher Hill (1912–2003), favoured the term " English Revolution ". Each side had a geographical stronghold, such that minority elements were silenced or fled. The Royalist areas included the countryside, the shires, the cathedral city of Oxford, and the less economically developed areas of northern and western England. Parliament's strengths spanned

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6510-589: The ' Kitchener's Army ' battalions of the SLI. The SR resumed its old title of Militia in 1921 but like most militia units the 3rd SLI remained in abeyance after World War I. By the outbreak of World War II in 1939, no officers remained listed for the 3rd Bn. The Militia was formally disbanded in April 1953. The mounted 'petronels' of the Elizabethan Somerset Trained Bands wore coats of a uniform colour, and

6665-458: The 'Active Army', even though these formations were entirely theoretical, with no staff or services assigned. The 1st or 'West Somerset' and the 2nd Somerset Militia were both assigned to 1st Brigade of 3rd Division, IV Corps in Ireland. Both regiments were redesignated as light infantry, on 1 November 1875 (1st) and 12 February 1876 (2nd). The Childers Reforms took Cardwell's reforms further, with

6820-542: The 1648 Second English Civil War resulted in the execution of Charles I in January 1649, and establishment of the Commonwealth of England . In 1650, Charles II was crowned King of Scotland, in return for agreeing to create a Presbyterian church in both England and Scotland. The subsequent Anglo-Scottish War ended with Parliamentarian victory at Worcester on 3 September 1651. Both Ireland and Scotland were incorporated into

6975-483: The 1st were told that the order to disembody had been countermanded. The War of 1812 had not yet ended and the regiment was sent back to Dartmoor to guard American prisoners-of-war. In April 1815 there was a serious riot, with the militia guards opening fire, leading to several deaths and numerous wounded. In the same month Napoleon returned from Elba , sparking off the short Waterloo campaign . The 1st Somerset continued in service until January 1816, but although some of

7130-519: The 3rd Bn. The 3rd Battalion was embodied on the outbreak of World War I and went to the Plymouth Garrison where it trained and prepared reinforcement drafts for the SLI battalions serving overseas. In 1917 it moved to Northern Ireland for the rest of the war. It was disembodied in September 1919. The 3rd Battalion also formed the 9th (Reserve) Battalion at Plymouth to train reinforcements for

7285-551: 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

7440-486: The Church more ceremonial, replacing the wooden communion tables with stone altars. Puritans accused Laud of reintroducing Catholicism, and when they complained he had them arrested. In 1637, John Bastwick , Henry Burton , and William Prynne had their ears cut off for writing pamphlets attacking Laud's views – a rare penalty for gentlemen , and one that aroused anger. Moreover, the Church authorities revived statutes from

7595-705: The Church. In the spring of 1639, King Charles I accompanied his forces to the Scottish border to end the rebellion known as the Bishops' War , but after an inconclusive campaign, he accepted the offered Scottish truce: the Pacification of Berwick . This truce proved temporary, and a second war followed in mid-1640. A Scots army defeated Charles's forces in the north, then captured Newcastle . Charles eventually agreed not to interfere in Scotland's religion. Charles needed to suppress

7750-515: The Commonwealth, and Britain became a unitary state until the Stuart Restoration in 1660. The term English Civil War appears most often in the singular, but historians often divide the conflict into two or three separate wars. These were not restricted to England alone, as Wales (having been annexed into the Kingdom of England ) was affected by the same political instabilities. The conflicts also involved wars with Scotland and Ireland and civil wars within them. Some historians have favoured

7905-557: The Continent potentially alleviated concerns about the King's marriage to a Catholic. However, Charles's insistence on giving command of the English force to his unpopular royal favourite George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham , undermined that support. Unfortunately for Charles and Buckingham, the relief expedition proved a fiasco (1627), and Parliament, already hostile to Buckingham for his monopoly on royal patronage , opened impeachment proceedings against him. Charles responded by dissolving Parliament. This saved Buckingham but confirmed

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8060-495: The Duke hiding near Blandford Forum , though Portman was present and ensured that the duke was taken alive. Four days after Sedgemoor King James ordered the militia to be stood down across the country, but those of the West Country still had work to do in hunting down rebels and pacifying the countryside. The most detailed account of the militia in this campaign contends that James II deliberately belittled their performance to play down Monmouth's skill and to bolster his own plans for

8215-427: The Elder , a member of the King's Privy Council, who refused to confirm it in Parliament out of loyalty to Charles. On 10 April 1641, Pym's case collapsed, but Pym made a direct appeal to the Younger Vane to produce a copy of the notes from the King's Privy Council, discovered by the Younger Vane and secretly turned over to Pym, to the great anguish of the Elder Vane. These notes contained evidence that Strafford had told

8370-465: The English Book of Common Prayer to Scotland in the middle of 1637. This was violently resisted. A riot broke out in Edinburgh, which may have been started in St Giles' Cathedral , according to legend, by Jenny Geddes . In February 1638, the Scots formulated their objections to royal policy in the National Covenant . This document took the form of a "loyal protest", rejecting all innovations not first tested by free Parliaments and General Assemblies of

8525-414: The English Militia was compiled for the 1697 muster. The Somerset Militia (3703 men) was organised as follows under the Duke of Ormond as Lord Lieutenant: The regiments of foot were each of eight companies, raised from a 'Division' of eight or nine of the Hundreds. However, the Militia passed into virtual abeyance during the long peace after the Treaty of Utrecht in 1712, and few were called out during

8680-474: 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) ). English Civil War Parliamentarian victory 1643 1644 1645 1646 England The English Civil War

8835-421: The Forces' scheme introduced by the Cardwell Reforms of 1872, militia regiments were brigaded with their local regular and Volunteer battalions. Sub-District No 36 (Somersetshire) was formed at Taunton: The militia now came under the War Office rather than their county lords lieutenant. Around a third of the recruits and many young officers went on to join the regular army. The sub-districts were to establish

8990-427: The French while he was away campaigning in Scotland. In 1315 Sir John de Clyveden and Sir J. Dunmere were ordered to array the men of Somerset because of the Scots' invasion. In 1322 de Clyveden and others were ordered to raise 1000 footmen (later increased to 2000) from Somerset and Dorset for service against invading Scots and Baronial rebels that culminated in the Battle of Boroughbridge . Later that year de Clyveden

9145-405: The Irish Catholic gentry to pay new taxes in return for promised religious concessions. In 1639, Charles had recalled Wentworth to England and in 1640 made him Earl of Strafford, attempting to have him achieve similar results in Scotland. This time he proved less successful and the English forces fled the field at their second encounter with the Scots in 1640. Almost the whole of Northern England

9300-522: The King in 1638. The fines imposed on people who refused to pay ship money and standing out against its illegality aroused widespread indignation. During his "Personal Rule", Charles aroused most antagonism through his religious measures. He believed in High Anglicanism , a sacramental version of the Church of England , theologically based upon Arminianism , a creed shared with his main political adviser, Archbishop William Laud . In 1633, Charles appointed Laud Archbishop of Canterbury and started making

9455-435: The King's ministers. Finally, the Parliament passed a law forbidding the King to dissolve it without its consent, even if the three years were up. These laws equated to a tremendous increase in Parliamentary power. Ever since, this Parliament has been known as the Long Parliament . However, Parliament did attempt to avert conflict by requiring all adults to sign The Protestation , an oath of allegiance to Charles. Early in

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9610-433: The King, but when Charles tried to acquire arms from Kingston upon Hull , the weaponry depository used in the previous Scottish campaigns, Sir John Hotham , the military governor appointed by Parliament in January, refused to let Charles enter the town, and when Charles returned with more men later, Hotham drove them off . Charles issued a warrant for Hotham's arrest as a traitor but was powerless to enforce it. Throughout

9765-403: The King, "Sir, you have done your duty, and your subjects have failed in theirs; and therefore you are absolved from the rules of government, and may supply yourself by extraordinary ways; you have an army in Ireland, with which you may reduce the kingdom." Pym immediately launched a Bill of Attainder stating Strafford's guilt and demanding that he be put to death. Unlike a guilty verdict in

9920-430: The Local Militia, which were part-time and only to be used within their own districts. These were raised to counter the declining numbers of Volunteers, and if their ranks could not be filled voluntarily the Militia Ballot was employed. Many of the remaining Volunteer units transferred en masse to the Local Militia, and the rest were disbanded. Instructors were provided by the Regular Militia. Somerset's Local Militia quota

10075-416: The Long Parliament, the house overwhelmingly accused Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford , of high treason and other crimes and misdemeanors. Henry Vane the Younger supplied evidence of Strafford's claimed improper use of the army in Ireland, alleging that he had encouraged the King to use his Ireland-raised forces to threaten England into compliance. This evidence was obtained from Vane's father, Henry Vane

10230-413: The Lords. Charles and his Parliament hoped that the execution of Strafford and the Protestation would end the drift towards war, but in fact, they encouraged it. Charles and his supporters continued to resent Parliament's demands, and Parliamentarians continued to suspect Charles of wanting to impose episcopalianism and unfettered royal rule by military force. Within months, the Irish Catholics, fearing

10385-502: The Parliament after only a few weeks; hence its name, "the Short Parliament ". Without Parliament's support, Charles attacked Scotland again, breaking the truce at Berwick, and suffered comprehensive defeat. The Scots went on to invade England, occupying Northumberland and Durham . Meanwhile, another of Charles's chief advisers, Thomas Wentworth, 1st Viscount Wentworth , had risen to the role of Lord Deputy of Ireland in 1632, and brought in much-needed revenue for Charles by persuading

10540-405: 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

10695-400: The Somerset Militia Horse was in action alongside the regulars in a skirmish at Ashill on 19 June and in patrol actions elsewhere. Monmouth withdrew to Bridgwater as the Royal forces closed in. On the night of 5/6 July he launched a desperate attack on their camp (the Battle of Sedgemoor ), but his scratch forces were destroyed by the regulars. After Sedgemoor, Portman's Yellow Regiment formed

10850-503: The Somerset Militia became part of the SLI they lost their familiar black facings and adopted the blue that had been awarded to the 13th Foot when they became 'Prince Albert's' and hence a Royal regiment in 1842. 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

11005-512: The Somerset contingent joined the force assembled against the Rising of the North . Although the militia obligation was universal, this assembly confirmed that it was impractical to train and equip every able-bodied man, so after 1572 the practice was to select a proportion of men for the Trained Bands , who were mustered for regular training. During the Armada Crisis of 1588 Somerset furnished 4000 armed and trained foot in five regiments, together with 360 horse and 1000 untrained 'pioneers'. With

11160-448: The Somerset levies (500 archers) in 1333 for his campaign in Scotland that ended at the Battle of Halidon Hill , and again in 1335 when those actually sent comprised two ductores and eight vintenars with 151 archers, of whom 55 were Mounted infantry . In 1539 King Henry VIII held a Great Muster of all the counties, recording the number of armed men available in each hundred , but the lists are incomplete for Somerset. The legal basis of

11315-482: The Supplementary Militia, a compulsory levy of men to be trained for 20 days a year in their spare time, and to be incorporated in the Regular Militia in emergency. Somerset's new quota was fixed at 2960 men, and two additional battalions ('Eastern' and 'Western') were embodied from these men as well as bringing the 1st up to full strength. The supplementaries were trained by detachments from the 1st Somerset, and

11470-485: 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

11625-580: The United Kingdom was revived by the Militia Act 1852 , enacted during a renewed 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 the counties failed to meet their quotas). Training was for 56 days on enlistment, then for 21–28 days per year, during which

11780-623: 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

11935-484: The West Country in 1688 (the Glorious Revolution ). However, Francis Luttrell and his family raised a regiment for William of Orange in three days – this later became the 19th Foot . The militia was restored to its former position under William III. In August 1690 the Somerset Militia were ordered to send two regiments of foot and two troops of horse to defend Exeter against a threatened French attack. A full return of

12090-412: The ability and authority to collect and remit the most meaningful forms of taxation then available at the local level. So, if the king wanted to ensure smooth revenue collection, he needed the gentry's cooperation. For all of the Crown's legal authority, its resources were limited by any modern standard to the extent that if the gentry refused to collect the king's taxes on a national scale, the Crown lacked

12245-446: The centre. These carried matchlock muskets, an inaccurate weapon which nevertheless could be lethal at a range of up to 300 yards. Musketeers would assemble three rows deep, the first kneeling, second crouching, and third standing. At times, troops divided into two groups, allowing one to reload while the other fired. Among the musketeers were pike men, carrying pikes of 12 feet (4 m) to 18 feet (5.5 m) long, whose main purpose

12400-418: The centuries de facto powers of enough significance that monarchs could not simply ignore them indefinitely. For a monarch, Parliament's most indispensable power was its ability to raise tax revenues far in excess of all other sources of revenue at the Crown's disposal. By the 17th century, Parliament's tax-raising powers had come to be derived from the fact that the gentry was the only stratum of society with

12555-402: The conflicts in the three kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland had similarities, each had their own specific issues and objectives. The First English Civil War was fought primarily over the correct balance of power between Parliament and Charles I . It ended in June 1646 with Royalist defeat and the king in custody. However, victory exposed Parliamentarian divisions over the nature of

12710-456: 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,

12865-583: The early fighting in the West Country . As Parliament tightened its grip on the country after winning the First Civil War it reorganised the militia to counterbalance the power of the Army. The Somerset Militia now comprised two regiments each of horse and foot. The establishment of The Protectorate saw Oliver Cromwell take control of the militia as a paid force to support his Rule by Major-Generals . From now on

13020-506: 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

13175-605: 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

13330-577: 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

13485-454: The face of the advancing Gloucestershire Militia and Royal forces. In fact, after their retreat from Axminster the Somerset force had quickly reassembled ('they soon came to their arms and so we retreated', Phelips wrote), and fell back towards Bruton . They now barred the way for Monmouth to enter south-aast Somerset, while the detachment securing Bath, with its bridge over the Avon and control of

13640-708: The first personal union of the Scottish and English kingdoms . As King of Scots, James had become accustomed to Scotland's weak parliamentary tradition since assuming control of the Scottish government in 1583, so that upon assuming power south of the border, the new King of England was affronted by the constraints the English Parliament attempted to place on him in exchange for money. Consequently, James's personal extravagance, which resulted in him being perennially short of money, meant that he had to resort to extra-parliamentary sources of income. Moreover, increasing inflation during this period meant that even though Parliament

13795-637: The first militia units in England were 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

13950-553: The following years the Somerset regiments saw service in the Plymouth garrison, in Surrey and elsewhere on home defence duties, and guarded prisoners-of-war at Exeter and Bristol. The regiments were ordered to disembody on 30 December 1762, shortly before hostilities were ended by the Treaty of Paris . The officers and men of the Somersets left so quickly that it was difficult to settle up

14105-533: The footmen of the period usually wore blue cassocks and red caps. The Restoration Militia mainly wore red coats like the Regular Army: Portman's Regiment during the Sedgemoor campaign wore yellow facings , hence it was known as the Yellow Regiment. The Bath Regiment probably wore blue facings in 1697. When the militia was revived in 1759 the Somerset Militia wore red uniforms with black facings – black being

14260-412: 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

14415-459: The impression that Charles wanted to avoid Parliamentary scrutiny of his ministers. Having dissolved Parliament and unable to raise money without it, the king assembled a new one in 1628. (The elected members included Oliver Cromwell , John Hampden , and Edward Coke .) The new Parliament drew up a Petition of Right , which Charles accepted as a concession to obtain his subsidy. The Petition made reference to Magna Carta , but did not grant him

14570-659: The industrial centres, ports, and economically advanced regions of southern and eastern England, including the remaining cathedral cities (except York, Chester, Worcester). Lacey Baldwin Smith says, "the words populous, rich, and rebellious seemed to go hand in hand". Many officers and veteran soldiers had fought in European wars, notably the Eighty Years' War between the Spanish and the Dutch, which began in 1568, as well as earlier phases of

14725-436: The initial charge, leaving their forces scattered and tired, whereas Cromwell's cavalry was slower but better disciplined. Trained to operate as a single unit, it went on to win many decisive victories. The English Civil War broke out in 1642, less than 40 years after the death of Queen Elizabeth I . Elizabeth had been succeeded by her first cousin twice-removed , King James VI of Scotland , as James I of England, creating

14880-448: The issue. On 21 April, the Commons passed the Bill (204 in favour, 59 opposed, and 250 abstained), and the Lords acquiesced. Charles, still incensed over the Commons' handling of Buckingham, refused his assent. Strafford himself, hoping to head off the war he saw looming, wrote to the king and asked him to reconsider. Charles, fearing for the safety of his family, signed on 10 May. Strafford

15035-602: The king failed to issue a proper summons, the members could assemble on their own. This act also forbade ship money without Parliament's consent, fines in distraint of knighthood, and forced loans. Monopolies were cut back sharply, the courts of the Star Chamber and High Commission abolished by the Habeas Corpus Act 1640 , and the Triennial Act respectively. All remaining forms of taxation were legalised and regulated by

15190-855: The linked battalions forming single regiments. From 1 July 1881 the 13th Foot became Prince Albert's (Somersetshire Light Infantry), or more familiarly the Somerset Light Infantry (SLI) with the 1st and 2nd Somerset Light Infantry Militia as its 3rd and 4th Battalions. At the start of the Second Boer War 1899, most of the regular battalions were sent to South Africa, the Militia Reserve was mobilised to reinforce them and many militia units were called out to replace them for home defence. The 4th SLI were embodied on 4 December 1899 and volunteered for overseas service. The battalion arrived in South Africa in April 1900, where its duties included garrisoning

15345-476: The livelihood of thousands after the King awarded a number of drainage contracts. Many saw the King as indifferent to public welfare, and this played a role in bringing much of eastern England into the Parliamentarian camp. This sentiment brought with it such people as the Earl of Manchester and Oliver Cromwell , each a notable wartime adversary of the King. Conversely, one of the leading drainage contractors,

15500-510: The livery colour of Earl Poulett, the Lord Lieutenant of Somerset and colonel of the 1st Somersets. The Regimental Colour would also have been black, displaying the Poulett coat of arms . After the Earl of Cork became colonel in 1784, he changed the facing colour to lemon yellow. By about 1811 the 1st Somersets reverted to black velvet facings, but the 2nd retained yellow until the 1850s. When

15655-460: The lord lieutenant. An adjutant and drill sergeants were to be provided to each regiment from the Regular Army , and arms and accoutrements would be supplied when the county had secured 60 per cent of its quota of recruits. Somerset's quota was set at 840 men in two regiments, each of seven companies. The Lord Lieutenant of Somerset, Earl Poulett , was an enthusiast for the militia, but even he

15810-470: The men broke and ran, one writing that 'fear gripped our ranks and most were driven off backward'. The rebels picked up some discarded militia coats and weapons as they followed up, but 'nothing very much happened'. The historian Lord Macaulay inflated this hurried retreat into a fullscale rout, with the countryside being strewn with abandoned weapons and uniforms. Macaulay has been followed uncritically by many authors, but modern historians find no evidence for

15965-794: 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 1st and 2nd Somerset Militia were both revived in 1852, with younger officers promoted or appointed. 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. The 1st Somersets were embodied on 2 May 1854 and served at Plymouth, Taunton, and Aldershot Camp . The 2nd Somersets were embodied on 25 September 1854 and sent to Ireland, serving at Cork and Dublin . The war ended in March 1856 with

16120-466: 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

16275-529: 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

16430-404: The militia regiments that had been disembodied were called out again, the 2nd Somerset was not among them. After Waterloo there was another long peace. Although officers continued to be commissioned into the militia and ballots were still held until 1831, the regiments were rarely assembled for training and the permanent staffs of sergeants and drummers were progressively reduced. The Militia of

16585-604: 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 (JPs). The entry into force of these Acts in 1558 is seen as the starting date for the organised county militia in England. In that year Somerset had an organised regiment of 1000 men in 10 companies. In 1569

16740-516: 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,

16895-517: 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

17050-446: The news from Axminster, exaggerating the dispersion of his men. He was ordered to leave a garrison at Bath and fall back to Bristol with the remainder (presumably from Berkeley's and Portman's regiments), destroying the bridge at Keynsham , which he failed to do completely. This allowed the rebels to cross the Avon into Gloucestershire , though they were hindered by bad weather and retired in

17205-536: 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

17360-461: 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

17515-425: The opportunity presented by the King's troubles to force various reforming measures – including many with strong "anti- Papist " themes – upon him. The members passed a law stating that a new Parliament would convene at least once every three years – without the King's summons if need be. Other laws passed making it illegal for the king to impose taxes without Parliamentary consent and later gave Parliament control over

17670-415: 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. The Somerset Trained Bands of 1638 again consisted of 4000 men in five regiments of foot and 300 troopers in a regiment of horse. Of these, Somerset was ordered to send 2000 men for

17825-489: The policy of coastal counties and inland ports such as London paying ship money in times of need, but it had not been applied to inland counties before. Authorities had ignored it for centuries, and many saw it as yet another extra-Parliamentary, illegal tax, which prompted some prominent men to refuse to pay it. Charles issued a writ against John Hampden for his failure to pay, and although five judges including Sir George Croke supported Hampden, seven judges found in favour of

17980-499: The political settlement. The vast majority went to war in 1642 to assert Parliament's right to participate in government, not abolish the monarchy, which meant Charles' refusal to make concessions led to a stalemate. Concern over the political influence of radicals within the New Model Army like Oliver Cromwell led to an alliance between moderate Parliamentarians and Royalists, supported by the Covenanter Scots . Royalist defeat in

18135-406: The previous November. The regiment was disembodied at Taunton on 14 March. From 1784 to 1792 the militia ballot was used to keep up the numbers of the disembodied militia, but to save money only two-thirds of the men were actually mustered for annual training. The Somersets were not actually assembled for training until 1787, when it was held at Wells and in each of the following years. The militia

18290-471: The property-owning class to meet, primarily, at least from the point of view of the monarch, to sanction whatever taxes the monarch wished to collect. In the process, the representatives could debate and enact statutes , or acts . However, Parliament lacked the power to force its will upon the monarch; its only leverage was the threat of withholding the financial means required to implement his plans. Many concerns were raised over Charles's marriage in 1625 to

18445-438: The rebellion in Scotland but had insufficient funds to do so. He needed to seek money from a newly elected English Parliament in 1640. Its majority faction, led by John Pym , used this appeal for money as a chance to discuss grievances against the Crown and oppose the idea of an English invasion of Scotland. Charles took exception to this lèse-majesté (offense against the ruler) and, after negotiations went nowhere, dissolved

18600-471: 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

18755-461: The regiment left for duty at Plymouth, where among other duties it guarded American prisoners-of-war. During the summer of 1779 the Somerset Militia was at Coxheath Camp near Maidstone in Kent , which was the army's largest training camp, where the militia were exercised as part of a division alongside regular troops while providing a reserve in case of French invasion of South East England. After spending

18910-488: The regimental accounts. In 1763 the disembodied Somerset militia regiments were reorganised into a single regiment of 12 companies, and the 2nd Somerset Militia ceased to exist for the next 35 years. The American War of Independence broke out in 1775, and by 1778 Britain was threatened with invasion by the Americans' allies, France and Spain. The militia were called out, and the Somerset regiment assembled on 13 April. In June

19065-471: 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

19220-523: The regiments back to full strength. After being stationed in Hampshire the regiment was marched back to Somerset in November 1801. Hostilities ended with the Treaty of Amiens on 27 March 1802, and the militia were disembodied. However, the Peace of Amiens was short-lived and Britain declared war on France once more in May 1803. The 1st and 2nd Somerset Militia had already been embodied in March and were brought up to

19375-450: The right of tonnage and poundage , which Charles had been collecting without Parliamentary authorisation since 1625. Several more active members of the opposition were imprisoned, which caused outrage; one, John Eliot , subsequently died in prison and came to be seen as a martyr for the rights of Parliament. Charles avoided calling a Parliament for the next decade, a period known as the " personal rule of Charles I ", or by its critics as

19530-399: The support he received from the West Country people, at least among skilled workers and tradesmen, and as he advanced he was welcomed into Chard, Ilminster , Taunton and Bridgwater, gaining numerous recruits. Numbers of the militiamen scattered after Axminster also rallied to him. He then marched towards his next objective, the port of Bristol . The Duke of Somerset had panicked on receiving

19685-471: The sweeping Haldane Reforms of 1908, the militia was replaced by the Special Reserve (SR), a semi-professional force similar to the previous militia reserve, whose role was to provide reinforcement drafts for regular units serving overseas in wartime. While the 3rd (1st Somerset Militia) Bn became the 3rd (Reserve) Bn, SLI, the 4th (2nd Somerset Militia) Bn was disbanded, though many members transferred to

19840-456: The term The British Civil Wars . From the Restoration to the 19th century, the common phrase for the civil wars was "the rebellion" or "the great rebellion". The wars spanning all four countries are known as the Wars of the Three Kingdoms . In the early 19th century, Sir Walter Scott referred to it as "The Great Civil War". The 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica called the series of conflicts

19995-557: The term 'Trained Band' began to be replaced by 'Militia'. 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 a 'Standing Army' tainted by association with the New Model Army that had supported Cromwell's military dictatorship, and almost

20150-417: The time of Elizabeth I about church attendance and fined Puritans for not attending Anglican services. The end of Charles's independent governance came when he attempted to apply the same religious policies in Scotland. The Church of Scotland , reluctantly episcopal in structure, had independent traditions. Charles wanted one uniform Church throughout Britain and introduced a new, High Anglican version of

20305-419: The time, the Parliament of England did not have a large permanent role in the English system of government. Instead, it functioned as a temporary advisory committee and was summoned only if and when the monarch saw fit. Once summoned, a Parliament's continued existence was at the King's pleasure since it was subject to dissolution by him at any time. Yet in spite of this limited role, Parliament had acquired over

20460-422: 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

20615-402: The two embodied battalions were later designated the 2nd and 3rd Somerset. The 3rd Somerset militia was short-lived, disappearing about 1799. By the summer of 1798 both the 1st and 2nd Somerset Militia were serving in the coast defences of South West England, with their 'flank' companies detached to serve in composite Grenadier and Light Battalions. The invasion threat having receded, the militia

20770-415: 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

20925-475: The whole burden of home defence and internal security was entrusted to the militia under politically reliable local landowners. The militia were frequently called out during the reign of King Charles II ; for example, the Somersets were alerted in 1666 because of a Dutch invasion threat. Their duties also included suppressing non-conformist religious assemblies (of which there were many in the West Country) under

21080-552: The winter quartered in Berkshire the Somersets returned to Plymouth in 1780, where they were embroiled in a serious riot with the Brecknockshire Militia . Despite this the regiment returned to the Plymouth garrison during the following two summers. The Somerset Militia was in winter quarters across its home county when the warrant for disembodying the militia was issued in February 1783, a draft peace treaty having been agreed

21235-479: Was a rebellion against King James II . Its leader, the exiled Duke of Monmouth , landed with his supporters at Lyme Regis in Dorset on 11 June 1685. He chose to begin his campaign in the West Country because of the level of support he expected in that strongly Protestant region, where economic recession was hurting the weavers and clothiers. As his rebels mustered the government of James II responded by declaring him

21390-603: Was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Royalists and Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms , the struggle consisted of the First English Civil War and the Second English Civil War . The Anglo-Scottish War of 1650 to 1652 is sometimes referred to as the Third English Civil War. While

21545-429: Was already being embodied when Revolutionary France declared war on Britain on 1 February 1793. The warrant for calling out the Somerset Militia was received on 8 January and the regiment assembled at Wells on 29 January. 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

21700-630: Was assessed at over 6000 men, organised into seven regiments: The local militia suffered from disciplinary problems and at the annual training in 1810, there were serious disturbances in the West Mendip Local Militia at Bath. The 1st Somerset Militia, which was stationed in Bristol and Exeter in 1808, and then in Plymouth until 1813, provided training teams for the Polden Hill Local Militia, and probably other units. The local Militia

21855-571: Was beheaded two days later. In the meantime, both Parliament and the King agreed to an independent investigation into the king's involvement in Strafford's plot. The Long Parliament then passed the Triennial Act 1640 , also known as the Dissolution Act, in May 1641, to which royal assent was readily granted. The Triennial Act required Parliament to be summoned at least once in three years. When

22010-416: 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

22165-425: Was granting the King the same nominal value of subsidy, the income was actually worth less. This extravagance was tempered by James's peaceful disposition, so that by the succession of his son Charles I in 1625 the two kingdoms had both experienced relative peace, internally and in their relations with each other. Charles followed his father's dream in hoping to unite the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland into

22320-508: 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

22475-561: Was marching from Crewkerne with his own regiment, some of Phelips', and a troop of horse, to rendezvous with the Devon Militia at Axminster . But advancing from Lyme, Monmouth was able to seize Axminster before either militia force arrived, driving out the scouts of the Somerset Militia Horse. There was a brief fight around the town and the Devons withdrew westwards in accordance with their orders. The Somersets withdrew towards Taunton, but some of

22630-615: Was occupied and Charles forced to pay £850 per day to keep the Scots from advancing. Had he not done so they would have pillaged and burnt the cities and towns of Northern England. All this put Charles in a desperate financial state. As King of Scots, he had to find money to pay the Scottish army in England; as King of England, he had to find money to pay and equip an English army to defend England. His means of raising English revenue without an English Parliament fell critically short of achieving this. Against this backdrop, and according to advice from

22785-546: Was ordered to lead a small unit of armed footmen from the towns of Somerset to join the army at Newcastle upon Tyne . In 1326 Somerset and Dorset were ordered to levy 3000 archers, light cavalry and others for the defence of the realm. By now the infantry were mainly equipped with the English longbow . The usual shire contingent was divided into companies of roughly 100 men commanded by ductores or constables, and subdivided into platoons of 20 led by vintenars . Edward III called out

22940-563: Was part of the garrison of Dover Castle then spent the summer of 1795 with a militia brigade camped on Barham Downs in Kent. After wintering in Canterbury it moved to Colchester , and from October 1796 was stationed at Yarmouth , including duty on the coastal guns. In an attempt to have as many men as possible under arms for home defence in order to release regulars, in 1796 the Government created

23095-448: 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

23250-488: Was reduced in 1799, the surplus men being encouraged to volunteer for the Regular Army: the 1st Somerset provided for officers and 260 men who preferred army life to 'hard labour and poor living' as civilians. The 1st Somerset spent the summers of 1799 and 1800 doing duty at Weymouth , where King George III was in residence. The following year some of the militiamen who had been stood down in 1799 were re-embodied to bring

23405-455: Was slow to act, finding the Somerset gentry averse, and the 'common people outrageously against it' for fear of being 'Digby'd abroad' ( Lord Digby had recently raised a regular regiment in Somerset and Dorset for home service but the men had been forcibly sent overseas). In 1758 Poulett tried to recruit officers, but the first lieutenancy meeting was a failure with only eight persons putting themselves forward out of 40 required. Poulett then began

23560-578: Was stood down in 1815 and disbanded in 1816. An Act of Parliament in 1811 permitted militia regiments to volunteer for periods of two years' service in Ireland . The 1st and 2nd Somerset both volunteered, the 2nd serving there from June 1813, the 1st from January 1814. Napoleon abdicated in April 1814 and in September the English militia regiments in Ireland were ordered back to their home counties to be disembodied. The 2nd did so, but on arrival at Taunton in October

23715-416: 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

23870-423: Was to protect the musketeers from cavalry charges. Positioned on each side of the infantry were cavalry, with a right wing led by the lieutenant-general and left by the commissary general . Its main aim was to rout the opponents' cavalry, then turn and overpower their infantry. The Royalist cavaliers' skill and speed on horseback led to many early victories. Prince Rupert , commanding the king's cavalry, used

24025-537: Was to revive conventions, often outdated. For example, a failure to attend and receive knighthood at Charles's coronation became a finable offence with the fine paid to the Crown. The King also tried to raise revenue through ship money , demanding in 1634–1636 that the inland English counties pay a tax for the Royal Navy to counter the threat of privateers and pirates in the English Channel. Established law supported

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