A HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE 



At the peace of 1783 the regiment, in common with the rest of the 

 militia in the country, was disembodied, but in 179 3 s " it was called out 

 again owing to the declaration of war by France and not disembodied till the 

 peace in 1802, which was short-lived, for the year i8o3 356 saw England once 

 more threatened by the ambition of Napoleon, so that in addition to the em- 

 bodiment of the militia,'" volunteers were raised all over the kingdom, being 

 encouraged to serve by exemption from service in the militia and regular 

 army." 8 



Staffordshire's share of the volunteers was represented by eight troops 

 of cavalry with a total strength of 664, under the Hon. E. Monckton, and 

 troops were also raised by Bilston, Uttoxeter, Stone and Eccleshall, Hands- 

 worth, Tamworth, and Walsall, the total number of cavalry for the county 

 being 1,090."' 



The infantry were raised locally by companies varying in strength from 

 one company of eighty from Bcrkswick and Walton to six companies of 

 eighty men each from Newcastle, the total strength of the foot being 

 5,425 ; 36 no artillery however was raised by the county. 



England was deeply stirred by the insatiable ambition of Napoleon, and 

 Lichfield alone in August of this year raised 2,193 for clothing and arming j 

 the volunteers within the city, 361 and six years before the firm of Robert Peel 

 gave 10,000 to the ' voluntary contribution.' 362 



In i 805 George III, with whom the regiment, owing to its good conduct 

 and excellent discipline while quartered at Windsor, was in high favour, con- 

 ferred upon the Staffordshire Militia the title of ' King's Own,' and the 

 facings were changed from yellow to blue. 



In 1806 the Staffordshire Volunteers were included in the 'North 

 Inland District.' 363 The strength of the cavalry was 872 men and 930 

 horses, but only 313 and 355 respectively were present at inspection, and of 

 the infantry establishment of 5,440, only 3,521 were present. 



Both infantry and cavalry were raised locally as in 1 803, and of the former 

 half are described as fit to act with troops of the line, two companies as 

 ' deficient in discipline,' the rest as ' advancing in discipline.' None of the 

 cavalry were considered fit to act with troops of the line, but were all 

 described as advancing in discipline except the Uttoxeter troop, which was 

 ' too few to judge of.' 8M 



The militia remained embodied until the peace in 1814, and on 

 Napoleon's escape from Elba were again called upon, 365 being disembodied in 

 1816. After Waterloo the militia was suffered to fall into decay until just 

 before the Crimean War, when three battalions were embodied in Stafford- 

 shire. 8611 The first went in 1855 to the Ionian Islands, where they remained 



147 



Militia Muster Bk. 1793, in P.R.O. Ibid. 1803. 



In 1803 the First Staffordshire Militia consisted of thirty-three commissioned officers and 838 

 non-commissioned officers and men, under Colonel Lord Oxbridge. Militia Muster Bk. 1803. 

 "' Clode, Military Forces of Crown, \, 312. 



*' Return of the Volunteers of the United Kingdom for 1803, printed for the House of Commons. 

 * Ibid. The Commandant of the Caversall Moorland Company was the Rev. St. George Bowles. 

 " From a list of subscribers in ' Lichfield Elections.' A collection of contemporary MSS. and extracts 

 in Bodl. Lib. ' ' Lichfield Elections,' as above. 



10 Return of Yeomanry and Volunteer Corps, printed for House of Commons in 1806. 

 44 Ibid. From 1793 to 1815 the Staffordshire Militia provided 100 officers and 4,000 men for the 

 line. 



** Militia Muster Bk. 1815, P.R.O. * Ibid. 1853. 



270 



