| Administrative History | From Anglo-Saxon times there existed power to assemble a local force (ultimately known as the militia) for the purposes of good order and defence. The sheriff or the justices were entrusted with this power until the 16th century when the office of lord lieutenant first came into existence but the lieutenancy only became permanent under the Act of 13-14 Ch II c3 (1662). By this Act, the lord lieutenant was given control of the militia in each county, could appoint officers and submit recommendations for the offices of deputy-lieutenant.
The Act of 31 Geo II c25 (1757) stipulated the minimum landed qualifications of deputy lieutenants and officers of the militia and the quota of militiamen to be raised in each county. The militiamen were to be provided by parishes according to population and chosen by lot. The landed qualification of deputy lieutenants and militia officers were later modified and during the Napoleonic wars the quota of militiamen increased.
Acts of 1796 provided for the raising of a supplementary militia and provisional cavalry. In 1798, by the Act of 38 Geo III c8, the supplementary militia was to be embodied with the old militia. Volunteer forces also came into existence in response to the threat from Napoleonic France.
Under the Act of 48 Geo III c111 (1808) local militia regiments were raised in addition to the county militia. The Derbyshire regiments, raised in 1808 and first assembled in 1809, were Derby, Belper, Chatsworth, Scarsdale and Wirksworth.
Troops of yeomanry cavalry and rifle volunteers were raised in the 19th century and there also appears to have been a reorganisation of the militia in about 1855. |
| Arrangement | Q/AD/1 Organisation of militia under 1761 Acts, 1763-1773
Q/AD/2-7 Records of monitoring of the state of the Militia, 1773-1828
Q/AD/8-10 Officers' qualifications, exemption from militia rate, 1770-c1849
Q/AD/11-17 Finance, 1782-1813
Q/AD/18-22 Maintenance of families, 1781-1817
Q/AD/23-25 Payments for parishes, fines and forfeitures, 1803-1806
Q/AD/26-31 Commissions: Copies of lord lieutenants commissions to deputy lieutenants and militia officers, sent to the clerk of the peace, 1832-1872
Q/AD/32-35 Administration, 1853-1877
Q/AD/36-41 Militia Buildings, 1810-1882
Q/AD/UL Unlisted records
Appointments of Deputy Lieutenants, 1660-1857 (Approx. 1 box) |