BKI.PER RKGIMENT. 59 



to a meeting at Derby, to promote the "united, prompt, and 

 vigorous action of all ranks of society at the present important 

 and alarming crisis." This gathering resulted in the holding of 

 hundred meetings, and eventually of parish and township meetings, 

 called by the constables, in order that the inhabitants might enter 

 into " associations either of cavalry or infantry, and of undertaking 

 to provide horses, wagons, and carts as the public exigency may 

 require." By the end of this year, three infantry corps had been 

 raised and partially equipped in the county, namely, at Derby, 

 Wirksworth, and Ashbourne. The movement now became general 

 and popular throughout England, in spite of the wealth of satire 

 poured forth upon " playing at soldiers," in which Charles Dibdin- 

 and Grimaldi took a leading part. It soon became necessary to 

 specially legislate for the regulating and disciplining of this 

 national reprisal,* and on September i6th, 1803, the Derbyshire 

 Officers of Volunteers received their first commissions. The 

 volunteer corps of the county, at that time, numbered 59, with an 

 accepted strength of 6,594 rank and file, t 



It is noteworthy that the officers enrolled included no less than 

 five clergymen ; they were : — 



The Rev. Edward Pole, Rector of Radbourne ; Colonel of the 

 Derby Volunteers, December 21st, 1804; he was also Colonel 

 of the Derby Regiment of Local Militia, September 24th, 1808 ; 



The Rev. Charles Holden, who had resigned the Rectory of 

 Aston on-Trent, April 3rd, 1796, was the Lieutenant-Colonel 

 commanding the Trent ami Derwent Corps of Volunteers, May 

 28th, 1805 ; 



The Rev. Joseph Bradshaw, Perpetual Curate of Holbrook, 

 was Captain and then Major of the Bel per, Shottle, and Holbrook 

 Volunteers, 20th April, 1804; 



The Rev. William Barber, then Perpetual Curate of Quorndon, 

 afterwards Vicar of Duffield, was Lieutenant in the Duffield, 

 Little Eaton, and Breadsall Volunteers ; and 



* 42 Geo. III., c. 66. 



t The names of all the officers, and the strength of each corps, will be 

 found in Appendix IV. 



