Militia list Q

[Merry]

Nothing to add to BK6 from this thread

If a parish has two people with the same name listed on the Militia list (1760/80s) and one of them is called John Smith jr (in this case John Smith is the real name, not an example!! lol) would I expect that he is the son of the other one?

[kiterunner]

I would expect that his father had the same name as him, but is it possible that his father was too old to be on the list and the other John Smith is someone else? Or does it say John Smith sr for the other name?

[Merry]

Excellent point - I didn't think of that! No, the other John Smith (there were about five of them, but two (inc Jr) were tailors and as all my Smiths on this line were tailors those are the two I was focusing on) was not called Sr.

So, what would the age range be to be inc on the militia list?

[kiterunner]

I was hoping you would know that!

[kiterunner]

I can't see anything about the age range in findmypast's info about their militia database, bother.

[JBee]

Merry -

Where did you find the militia lists please? Is it normal to have a parish register?

I'm looking c1812 in Scotland. Only know he was in the 11th British Militia because of what was said on his marriage.

[Merry]

JBee, I was at Herts RO and they had books of transcripts of the militia lists. They were listed alphabetically by parish and then alphabetically by surname. I thought I wrote down the years covered, but can't find it now!! In some years the mens occ was listed and in some the number of children in their family.

[Olde Crone]

Merry

Not sure of my facts but I have a dim feeling that age wasn't the criterion. It was expected that every family in the village would provide ONE man for fighting. I don't expect they took 80 year olds, lol, nor 8 year olds, but I have a feeling that more or less any fit man who wasn't the only breadwinner in a family would be expected to go.

I may be utterly wrong of course.

OC

[Merry]

Having googled, the Herts transcribed records are 1758 to 1786 and men aged between 18 and 45 or 50 years eligible for service in the militia forces of England.

[Olde Crone]

LOL, told you I wasn't sure of my facts! Maybe I'm thinking of Muster Rolls?

(Or maybe I'm just fantasising)

OC

[Merry]

OC, I was in a traffic jam on the M27 (west bound) yesterday and just in front was a pale blue Jag with the number plate OC 55 and an attractive blonde woman behind the wheel. Was that you??

[Olde Crone]

Oh, it SHOULD have been me Merry, but I was too busy catching pneumonia in Truro.

OC

[Merry]

Must have been your doppelganger :)

[JBee]

Thanks Merry

- don't think I will be lucky as the county records office didn't have anything when I went in a few years ago.

[Phoenix]

Dorset has published their militia lists. Not only was there a maximum & minimum age, they also didn't want fathers with too many children.... in case something went seriously wrong and the parish had to support all those little mouths!

So the Dorset ones tell you how many dependent kids. Oh, and the men's heights.

[Janet in Yorkshire]

In village census (and church magazines) I have refs to Hy Claxton & Hy Claxton jnr.
They were uncle & nephew, not father & son.

Jay