POLITICAL HISTORY 



with publishing explanations -of its true meaning.'^' Two years later, 

 September 1759, the duke sent Pitt a list of those willing to take commis- 

 sions : Colonel the Marquis of Tavistock; Major Sir George Osborn, bart.; 

 Captains the Earl of Upper Ossory, Sir Philip Monoux, bart., John Marche 

 Dickinson, esq., Thomas Potter, esq., Richard Orlebar, esq., George 

 Edwards, esq., Ambrose Reddall, esq.; Lieutenants John Franklin, esq., 

 Thomas Vaux, esq., John Salisbury, esq., Thomas Lee, esq., Charles 

 Field, esq.; Ensigns George Viscount Torrington,^" George Boheme, esq., 

 Joseph Franklin, esq., John Hervey, esq.; — Freeman, gentleman-adjutant.^*' 

 The officers were selected by the lord- lieutenant, subject to a property 

 qualification, e.g., captains must possess land to the annual value of ;C2oo. 

 The period of service was three years, and men were selected by ballot from 

 those eligible ; but substitutes were allowed. The Militia was not under the 

 military authority or subject to the Mutiny Act. By the Militia Act of 

 1762, which re-enacted the provisions of the Act of 1757, adjutants received 

 6j-. per diem, sergeants u., drummers 6^., privates 5^., with allowance for 

 clothing. The Bedfordshire Regiment was first embodied in 1760 and 

 disembodied in 1761. During the American War it was embodied in 

 1778 under Colonel Stuart and disembodied in 1783. On the outbreak 

 of war in 1793 it was again embodied, under the Earl of Upper Ossory 

 (succeeded in 1795 by Col. Moore), and remained embodied for eight years. 

 In 1798 it consisted of eight companies : the Colonel's, the Lieut.-Colonel's, 

 the Major's (Grenadiers), Capt. Monoux's, Capt. Moore's, Capt. Garstin's, 

 Capt. Docwra's, Capt. Orlebar's — all light infantry. In that year the 

 regiment volunteered for service in Ireland. Next year 105 men volunteered 

 for the Line ; the depleted regiment returned home to recruit, and was 

 disembodied in 180 1. It assembled again in 1803 under Col. Moore, who 

 was succeeded in 1805 by John (afterwards Sir John) Osborn, went to Ireland 

 in 18 1 3, returned next year, and was disembodied in 18 15. From 1815 to 

 1850 it existed only on paper. 



In 1852 the Militia was reorganized and balloting suspended. The 

 Bedfordshire Regiment was called the ' Bedfordshire Light Infantry,' and wore 

 the old dark green facings. It assembled for its first annual training on 

 St. Peter's Green, 16 November 1852, under Col. R. T. Gilpin, with 

 a strength of 550 rank and file and 19 officers. During the Crimean 

 War it was sent to Berwick-on-Tweed, and 245 men volunteered for the 

 Line ; it then returned to recruit, went to Ireland at the end of 1855, and 

 returned to be disembodied in 1856. Next year the regiment was called out 

 on the occasion of the Indian Mutiny, and was again disembodied in 1861. 

 In 1869 four regiments of Militia, the Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, 

 Oxfordshire, and Hertfordshire, assembled in Woburn Park for inspection, 

 the total strength being 2,692, of which Bedfordshire furnished 600. The 

 Bedfordshire Volunteers were ordered to parade and assist in keeping the 

 ground, as the military movements were impeded by the crowd, ' but the 

 newspapers state that very few of them obeyed the order,' as many volunteers 

 had a decided objection to becoming subservient ' to an inferior force, as 



"^ Walpole, Mem. Geo. 11, iii, 41 ; Chatham Corr. i, z^j-6z. 



'" Nephew of Admiral Byng ; he was ' placed as an ensign by his own particular desire.' 

 "' Burgoyne, op. cit., from which the following account is taken. 



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