ARMY of RESERVE

*SEE BELOW ALL BOOKS AND FICHE REDUCED

With the renewal of the war with France in 1803, came the resumption of the threat on the invasion of Britain, by Napoleon Bonaparte. In order to enable the British Government to defend the realm from invasion, several Acts of Parliament were passed many dealing with augmenting the County Militia Regiments and raising Volunteer forces. However the Government realized that it needed more men. In July 1803 two Acts were passed one for England & Wales and one for Scotland.

An Act to enable His Majesty more effectually to raise and assemble, in England, and Wales an additional Military Force, for the better Defence and Security of the United Kingdom, and for the more vigorous prosecution of the War. (6^th July 1803)

An Act to enable His Majesty more effectually to raise and assemble, in Scotland an additional Military Force, for the better Defence and Security of the United Kingdom, and for the more vigorous prosecution of the War. (6^th July 1803)

Among other requirements this Act stipulates how many private soldiers should be raised by volunteer or ballot for each county and also detailed those exempt from the ballot.

The Act for England and Wales gave detailed instructions on the organisation of the ballot, a summary of some of these instructions, are included below.

Lists to be submitted to include names of all liable to be balloted, together with those exempted or who have left the parish before 22^nd June 1803. List to be affixed to doors of churches.

Exemptions included anyone serving in the Navy, Army or Marines; those, resident at university, clergyman or licensed teachers, justice of the peace, articled clerks; apprentices under 21yrs, seamen and seafaring men, dockyard workers, ordinance workers and Thames watermen; together with poor men with one child born in lawful wedlock under ten years, or infirmed; those who have served in the Militia unless their turn has come round again; person under 5' 2" who were otherwise fit to served. Balloted persons could find suitable substitutes, those balloted not being Quakers refusing to appear to take the oath or provide a substitute were fined £20 and remained on the list. Substitutes were to be provided for Quakers and a levy of £20 raised by sale of their goods and chattels. All men were to be examined by a surgeon before enrolling.

It appears that the exemptions regarding age or number of children did not apply to men who were substitutes, and as many were, then even if a man had several children under 10yrs which some did they could still volunteer to go as a substitute.

Oath

I,---------do sincerely promise and swear, That I will be faithful and, bear true Allegiance to His Majesty King George, and that I will faithfully serve His Majesty in Great Britain and Ireland, or the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey and Alderney, for the Defence of the same, for a period of Five Years, (Substitutes, Volunteers - and further until Six months after the Ratification of a Definitive Treaty of Peace with France,) unless I shall sooner be discharged.

In addition substitutes and volunteers, took an oath as follows:

I,-------do swear, That I have no Rupture, or am I subject to Fits, nor am I disabled by Lameness or otherwise, but have the perfect Use of my Limbs, and that I am not an Apprentice, or a Seaman or Seafaring Man, and that I do not belong to His Majesty's Navy, Army, or Marines, nor to the Militia.

Volunteers with the consent of the parish may be provided with a bounty. Volunteers may come from adjoining counties. If sufficient volunteers come forth then ballot can be suspended. (As far as I know this did not happened in any county.)

Balloted men shall receive a bounty of 2 guineas paid by the receiver general, when they join their regiments, battalions or corps, (this was known as marching money).

Enlisted men shall not be compelled to serve outside Great Britain, Ireland or the Channel Islands unless they freely and voluntarily enlist for general service in any Regiment and have been discharged from the Army of Reserve.

Wives and families of men raised entitled to relief under the same circumstances as the Militia.

The Act for Scotland was similar in content.

Two further Acts were later passed.

An Act to enable His Majesty more effectually to raise and assemble, in Ireland, an additional Military Force for the better Defence and Security of the United Kingdom, and for the more vigorous prosecution of the War (11^th July 1803)

An Act raising in the City of London, a certain Number of Men as an Addition to the Military Force of Great Britain, for the better Defence and Security of the United Kingdom, and for the more vigorous prosecution of the War (27^th July 1803)

Despite the City of London through various Charters being exempt from raising recruits for military service the City volunteered to raise men and offered 800, nominating the numbers from each ward of the City.

Maintaining the numbers in the Army of Reserve proved impossible, the 16 Reserve battalions were finally disbanded and merged on 24^th February 1805; the NCO's (non commissioned officers) and Private men being sent to 3 Garrison battalions.

1^st Garrison Battalion was made up of men from 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 12^th, 13^th, 15^th Reserve battalions. A mixture of English, Irish, Scots, & Welsh.

2^nd Garrison Battalion was made up of men from 1^st, 2^nd, 7^th, 11^th, 14^th Reserve battalions. A mixture of English, Irish & Scots.

3^rd Garrison Battalion was made up of men from 3^rd, 8^th, 9^th, 10^th, 16^th Reserve battalion. A mixture of English & Irish.

The men, who remained as reserves attached to the regular Army Regiments were finally sent to 8 Garrison battalions on 25^th December 1806; the 4^th to 9^th having been established on that date.

1^st Garrison Battalion, men from - 2^nd battalion 6^th, 31^st 43^rd, 50^th, 83^rd, 88^th & 90^th Regiments of Foot

2^nd Garrison Battalion, men from - 2^nd battalion 8^th, 10^th, 15^th, 24^th, 25^th, 36^th, 45^th, 52^nd, 63^rd, 72^nd & 3^rd battalion 27^th Regiments of Foot

3^rd Garrison Battalion, men from - 2^nd battalion 7^th, 9^th, 23^rd, 32^nd, 38^th, 59^th, 62^nd, 82^nd, 87^th, 96^th Regiments of Foot

4^th Garrison Battalion, men from – 2^nd battalion 3^rd, 4^th, 18^th, 44^th, 56^th, 57^th, 58^th & 67^th Regiments of Foot

5^th Garrison Battalion, men from – 2^nd battalion 26^th & 42^nd Regiments of Foot

6^th Garrison Battalion, men from – 28^th 39^th & 92^nd Regiments of Foot.

7^h Garrison Battalion men from – 2^nd battalion 53^rd, 61^st & 69^th Regiments of Foot

8^th Garrison Battalion, men from – 2^nd battalion 21^st, 48^th, 66^th, & 81^st Regiments of Foot

9^th Garrison Battalion men from – 28^th, 30^th, 47^th, 48^th & 71^st Regiments of Foot

 

However initially a considerable number of men were raised by counties, and sent to the reserve.

Men recruited for the Army of Reserve who appear in TNA E182, as being in receipt of ‘marching money’, for the years 1803 & 1804 are being compiled by county and the way the counties are selected is by including all those counties sending men to the same regiment or reserve battalion.             

The indexes contain: Surname; Forename; parish*; county; balloted or substitute; Regiment/reserve battalion. *Parish is not always included, this is the place of birth or parish they represent they need not necessarily be the same place.

Published to date (ALL COUNTIES OF ENGLAND & WALES ARE NOW COMPLETED). I am hoping to be able to locate the records for Scotland & Ireland.

Men from English  & Welsh counties were sent to the below mentioned regiments & reserve battalions; in addition under the Additional Forces Acts 1804 passed on 29^th June, 10^th & 14^th July 1804; further 2^nd battalions of named regiments of foot were augmented by men raised for limited service from specific counties. London City 3^rd Regiment; Sussex 5^th Regiment, Lancashire 6^th Regiment; Yorkshire West Riding 7^th Regiment; Yorkshire North Riding 8^th Regiment; Dorset & Somerset 9^th Regiment; Essex 10^th Regiment; Bedford, Buckingham & Northampton 14^th Regiment; Yorkshire East Riding 15^th Regiment; Cornwall 22^nd Regiment; Angelsey, Carnarvon, Denbigh, Flint & Merioneth 23^rd Regiment; Warwickshire 24^th Regiment; Cumberland & Westmoreland 25^th Regiment; Devon 28^th Regiment; Huntingdon, Leicester, & Cambridge 30^th Regiment; Cheshire 31^st Regiment; Durham 36^th Regiment; Stafford 38^th Regiment; Shropshire 39^th Regiment; Dorset & Somerset, (late 2^nd battalion  52^nd Foot) 40^th Regiment; Worcester 43^rd Regiment; Nottingham & Rutland 45^th Regiment; Norfolk 47^th Regiment; Lancaster 48^th Regiment; Gloucester 50^th Regiment; Hertford, Oxford & Buckingham 52^nd Regiment of Foot; Yorkshire West Riding 53^rd Regiment; Surrey 56^th Regiment; Kent & the Cinque Ports 57^th Regiment; Derby 59^th Regiment; Northumberland 61^st Regiment; Wiltshire 62^nd Regiment; Suffolk 63^rd Regiment; Hampshire & Isle of Wight 66^th Regiment; Lincoln 69^th Regiment; Hereford, Montgomery & Radnor 81^st Regiment; Tower Hamlets 82^nd Regiment Middlesex 83^rd Regiment; Monmouth, Glamorgan & Brecknock 90^th Regiment; Cardigan, Carmarthen & Pembroke 96^th Regiment.

In 1803 men from Scotland were raised and sent to regiments or reserve battalions; the counties of Ayr, Berwick, Bute, Dumfries, Edinburgh, Haddington, Kirkcudbright, Lanark, Linlithgow, Peebles, Renfrew, Roxborough, Selkirk, Stirling, Wigton went to 26^th (Cameronians) Regiment of Foot or 14^th & 5^th Reserve battalions; Aberdeen, Argyll, Banff, Caithness, Clackmannan, Cromarty, Dumbarton, Elgin, Fife, Forfar, Inverness, Kincardine, Kinross, Nairn, Perth, Ross, Sutherland, to 42^nd (Royal Highland) & 92^nd (Gordon Highlanders) Regiments of Foot or 5^th or 14^th Reserve battalions. Under the Additional Forces Act 1804 further men were raised. Men from Lanark, Wigton, Dumfries, Kirkcudbright, Selkirk & Roxburgh, went to the 1^st(Royal) Regiment; Renfrew & Ayr to 21^st (Royal North British Fusiliers) Regiment; Edinburgh City & County, Linlithgow, Peeble, Berwick & Haddington to 26^th (Cameronians) Regiment; Ross, Cromarty, Sutherland & Caithness to 42^nd (Royal Highland) Regiment; Stirling, Dumbarton, Fife, Kinross, Clackmannan, Kincardine & Forfar to 71^st (Highland) Regiment; Aberdeen to 72^nd (Highland) regiment; Bute, Argyle & Perth to 91^st (Argyllshire Highlanders) Regiment; Nairn, Elgin, Inveness & Banff to 92^nd (Gordon Highlanders) Regiment.

In 1803 men from Ireland were raised and sent to designated regiments or reserve battalions; there were 4 Regiments of Foot, the 18^th(Royal Irish) Regiment; 44^th(East Essex); 58^th(Rutlandshire) Regiment; & 67^th(South Hampshire) Regiment. (I have yet to establish which counties went to which regiment.) Men also sent to the 2^nd, 13^th & 16^th Reserve battalions; Under the Additional Forces Act 1804, further men were raised, Donegal, Londonderry, Tyrone & Antrim sent men to the 18^th (Royal Irish) Regiment; Fermanagh, Monaghan, Armagh & Down to the 27^th (Inniskilling) Regiment; Kildare, Wicklow, Carlow, Westmeath, King’s County & Queens County to 44^th(East Essex) Regiment; Cork City & County, & Kerry to 58^th(Rutlandshire) Regiment; Dublin City & County, Roscommon, Longford, & Meath to 67^th(South Hampshire) Regiment; Tipperary, Galway & Clare to 87^th(Prince of Wales Irish) Regiment; Cavan, Louth, Leitrim, Sligo, & Mayo to 88^th(Connaught Rangers) Regiment; Wexford, Kilkenny, Waterford & Limerick City & County to 89^th Regiment.

 

                                                                                                                                                    

NOW AVAILABLE ON CD COMBINED INDEX FOR THE ARMY OF RESERVE 1803 ENGLAND & WALES A TOTAL OF 26,316 NAMES COST £12 INCLUSIVE OF POSTAGE & PACKING ADD FURTHER £2 FOR OVERSEAS POSTAGE

 

VOLUME 1 contains 2,461 records of men who joined either the reserve of the 66^th (Berkshire) Regiment of Foot or the 12^th Battalion of Reserve and were drawn from the counties of:

Berkshire, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, & Wiltshire     Reference TNA E182, 251, 358, 921, 1099 & 1100 ;

Fiche (£2)  £1 including UK postage & packing add a further 50p for overseas postage. Now only available on fiche or on combined CD

VOLUME 2 contains records of 1,521 men who joined the reserve of the 81^st (Loyal Lincolnshire Volunteers) Regiments of Foot or the 6^th Battalion of Reserve and were drawn from the counties of:

Angelsey, Breconshire, Caernarvonshire, Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Glamorganshire, Herefordshire, Merionethshire, Monmouthshire, Montgomeryshire, Pembrokeshire, & Radnorshire.

Reference TNA E182/387, 388, 80, 1247, 1248, 1249, 1290, & TNA WO12/10764

Book (£3.25) £2 including UK postage & packing add further £2 for overseas postage; Fiche (£2)  £1 including UK postage & packing add further 50p for overseas postage.

VOLUME 3 contains 2,225 records of men who joined the 47^th  (Lancashire) Regiment of Foot or the 7^th Battalion of Reserve and were drawn from the counties of:

Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk. Reference TNA E182/325, 718, 719 & 973

Fiche (£2)  £1 including UK postage & packing add further 50p overseas postage. Now only available on fiche or on combined CD

VOLUME 4 contains 2,426 records of men who joined the 48^th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot or the 8^th Battalion of Reserve and were drawn from the counties of:

Cumberland, Lancashire & Westmoreland. Reference TNA E182/149, 502 & 503

Book (£3.50) £2 including UK postage & packing add further £2 for overseas postage; Fiche (£2)  £1 including UK postage & packing add further 50p for overseas postage.

VOLUME 5 contains 3,313 records of men who joined the 26^th (Cameronians), 53^rd (Shropshire) & 61^st (South Gloucestershire), Regiments of Foot or the 5^th or 15^th Reserve battalions and were drawn from the counties of:

Durham (61^st Foot), Northumberland 61^st & 26^th Foot (the men from Berwick on Tweed were sent to 26^th Foot & 5^th Reserve battalion), Ridings of Yorkshire (53^rd Foot).

TNA references E182/283, 284, 1169 &1170.

NO LONGER AVAILABLE IN FICHE OR BOOK FORMAT; AVAILABLE ON COMBINED INDEX ON CD SEE ABOVE FOR DETAILS

VOLUME 6 contains 1,772 records of men who joined the 57^th (West Middlesex) Regiment of Foot or the 11^th Reserve battalion and were drawn from the counties of:

Kent, Surrey and Sussex TNA references E182/456-457, 1004-1005 & 1040

Book (£4) £2 including UK postage & packing add further £1.50 overseas postage; NO LONGER AVAILABLE IN FICHE; AVAILABLE BOOK FORMAT & ON COMBINED CD

VOLUME 7 contains 2,567 records of men who joined the 39^th (East Middlesex, to December 1807, then Dorsetshire) Regiment of Foot or the 9^th Reserve battalion and were drawn from the counties of:

Cheshire, *Shropshire, Warwickshire & Worcestershire references E182/100-101, *WO12/5252, 5310, 10775, E182/1066-1068 & 1127

*Shropshire E182 records for 1803 & 1804 were never received by TNA so the Regimental and Reserve battalion muster had to be used. So no locations are shown for the names referenced WO12, but most men are from Shropshire. NEWS update some information relating to 230 men drawn for Shropshire has now been found in a Somerset Record for 1804 and a list has been compiled which will now be included with the index. Ref E182/869 14^th May 2005

Book (£4.50) £2 including UK postage & packing add further £1.60 for overseas postage; Fiche (£2)  £1 inclusive of postage & packing add further 50p for overseas postage

VOLUME 8 contains 2,545 records of men who joined the 28^th (North Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot or the 10^th Reserve battalion and were drawn from the following counties:

Cornwall, Devon & Somerset references TNA E182/127; 208, 209; 866 & 868

NO LONGER AVAILABLE IN BOOK OR FICHE; AVAILABLE ON COMBINED CD

VOLUME 9 contains 2,101 records of men who joined the 30^th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot or the 4^th Reserve battalion and were men drawn from the following counties:

Bedford, Buckingham, Cambridge, Hertford, Huntingdon, Leicester, Northampton & Oxfordshire references E182/10, 56, 80, 407, 421, 541-542, 751-753 & 798-799

NO LONGER AVAILABLE IN BOOK OR FICHE; ONLY AVAILABLE  ON  COMBINED CD

VOLUME 10 contains 2,685 records of men who joined the 69^th (South Lincolnshire) Regiment of Foot or the 3^rd Reserve battalion and were drawn from the following counties:

Derby, Lincoln, Nottingham, Rutland & Stafford E182/168-169, 574-575, 772-773, 751, 949-950. NO LONGER AVAILABLE IN BOOK OR FICHE FORMAT ONLY ON  COMBINED CD

VOLUME 11 contains 2,170 records of men who joined the 3^rd (Buffs) Regiment of Foot or the 1^st Reserve battalion (all men were initially sent to the 1^st Reserve battalion, but many were almost immediately transferred to the 3^rd (Buffs) Regiment of Foot. The men were drawn from City of London, County of Middlesex & Tower Hamlets. References for all these places are found in E182/635 & 636

Book (£4.50) £2 inclusive if UK p & p, add further £1.50 for overseas postage; NO LONGER AVAILABLE IN FICHE; AVAILABLE  IN BOOK FORMAT & ON COMBINED CD

Index search £3 per SURNAME (+SAE,) total of 5 entries for multiple entries of same name, (add 70p for overseas postage.) Information can be supplied by e mail on receipt of payment.

The indexes contain: Surname; Forename; parish*; county; balloted or substitute; Regiment/reserve battalion. *Parish is not always included, this is the place of birth or parish they represent or place of enrolment they need not necessarily be the same place.

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