A HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



in triumph through the streets, finally burned them. 1 In 1759, when there 

 was a threatened descent of the French on England, another attempt was 

 made to mobilize the Nottinghamshire militia, but so keen was the feeling 

 of the county against the ballot system that many of the local gentry refused 

 commissions and preferred to pay a fine instead. 8 From this date until 1775 

 Nottinghamshire seems to have paid heavy levies in default of raising 

 militia, but in August of that year, at a meeting held by the deputy-lieutenants 

 at the Swan Inn, Mansfield, all disputes were adjusted and the number of 

 men settled as follows: Nottingham town, 80; Bassetlaw hundred, 123 ; 

 Broxton, 93 ; Thurgarton, 70 ; Rushcliffe, 34 ; Bingham, 37 ; Newark, 46." 

 The regiment was entitled the ' Forty-second or Nottinghamshire Regi- 

 ment of Militia,' and consisted of a grenadier and a light infantry company 

 and the six ordinary companies with their three sergeants and two drummers 

 each. On 20 May, 1776, they assembled for twenty-eight days' training in 

 Nottingham, and a parade-ground was formed on the north of the town. 4 

 In 1778, when England was involved in the American War and France had 

 united with America, the militia of each county was called upon to undertake 

 home defence. Inducements were held out to recruits for the Nottinghamshire 

 militia, ' good English ordinary of roast beef and plum pudding, and a ticket 

 for the play at night and a handsome bounty.' Moreover they were to be 

 quartered ' in the delightful and plentiful town of Kingston upon Hull, 

 where excellent ale is sold at only threepence the full quart, fish of the best 

 quality at one penny per pound, and shambles meat at a lower rate than in 

 most towns of the kingdom.' 6 In June the militia, now reduced to 320 

 privates, since so many men had volunteered for the line into the 45th, 6 left 

 Nottingham for Hull in two divisions ; the first the grenadier company with 

 three others under the command of Lord George Sutton, the second the light 

 infantry with the other three companies under Major Cartwright. 7 At Hull 

 the militia gave good proof of their fitness by their ready defence of the town 

 against an intended attack by the French in November, 1778." In June, 

 1779, they were ordered into camp on Southsea Common near Portsmouth ; 

 in December the camp was broken up, and they went into winter quarters at 

 Gosport. 9 From 1780 until disembodied in 1783 the numbers of the militia 

 remained about the same, the privates of the eight companies numbering 

 about 370: drummers, 16; corporals, 21; sergeants, 21 ; surgeon, i ; quarter- 

 master, i; chaplain, i; ensigns, 5; lieutenants, 10; captains, 5; lieutenant- 

 colonel, i; colonel, I. 10 



1 Sutton, Nott. Date Book, p. 42 ; Gent. Mag. 1757, p. 430. ' Lord Robert S(a)v(i)le was near being 

 stifled by the mob, but by civility and kind entreaty he at last prevailed on them to let him have a little air 

 that he might recover himself. Several of the mob collar'd Sir George S(avile) and threatened to strike him ; 

 in short, none of the gentlemen who were present escaped without receiving marks of their resentment. The 

 cause of these outrages is said to be this : at the time when recruits were raising in that county for Col. N.'s 

 regiment the men who were inlisted were promised that not one of them should be sent abroad, since which 

 it is said that all or most of these men . . . have been sent abroad and many of them killed by the enemy.' 



'Ibid. 1759, p. 304. The number demanded was again 480, but the return nil. See Add. MSS. 

 33,060, ff. 144-6. 



3 Sutton, op. cit. p. 112. In 1774 4 hid been levied on Nottingham town as fine of 5 per man for 

 the twenty-eight men that should have been furnished in the last year. Ibid. p. 103. 



4 On 14 June a ball was given at the castle to celebrate the formation of the regiment. Sutton, 

 op. cit. p. 115. 



5 Ibid. pp. 1 19-20. 6 See infra. 'Sutton, op. cit. p. 121. 



"A. E. Lawson Lowe, Royal Sherwood Foresters, p. 1 6. 9 Sutton, op cit. p 132 



10 Muster Rolls, P.R.O. 



360 



