The Norfolk Militia was an auxiliary military force in the English county of Norfolk in East Anglia. From their formal organisation as Trained Bands in 1558 until their final service as the Special Reserve, the Militia regiments of the county carried out internal security and home defence duties in all of Britain's major wars. They saw active service during the Bishops' Wars, the English Civil Wars and the Second Boer War, and finally trained thousands of reinforcements during World War I. After a shadowy postwar existence they were formally disbanded in 1953.
Early history The English militia was descended from the Anglo-Saxon Fyrd, the military force raised from the freemen of the shires under command of their Sheriff. It continued under the Norman kings, and was reorganised under the Assizes of Arms of 1181 and 1252, and again by King Edward I's Statute of Winchester of 1285.Fortescue, Vol I, p. 12.Fissel, pp. 178–80.Hay, pp. 60–1.Holmes, pp. 90–1.
Norfolk was too far distant for its levies to play a role in the Plantagenet kings' Welsh and Scottish campaigns, but they were at times called upon to defend their coastline (for example during Edward III's 1335 offensive in Scotland when the coast was threatened by the French).Nicholson, pp. 210–1. In 1539 King Henry VIII held a Great Muster of all the counties, recording the number of armed men available in each Hundred, but the lists are incomplete for Norfolk, the totals for the county being 202 archers (foot and mounted) and 519 billmen (foot and mounted), of whom 163 archers and 246 billmen were 'sufficiently harnessed' (ie armoured).Fissel, pp. 180–83.Hay, p. 68.Hay, pp. 264–6.
Norfolk Trained Bands
The legal basis of the militia was updated by two acts of 1557, covering musters, Military Service (No. 2) Act 1557 (4 & 5 Ph. & M. c. 3); and the maintenance of horses and armour (4 & 5 Ph. & M. c. 2). The county militia was now under the Lord Lieutenant, assisted by the Deputy Lieutenants and Justices of the Peace (JPs). The entry into force of these Acts in 1558 is seen as the starting date for the organised county militia in England. Although the militia obligation was universal, it was impractical to train and equip every able-bodied man, so after 1572 the practice was to select a proportion of men for the Trained Bands, who were mustered for regular training.Cruickshank, pp. 17, 24–5, 130–4.Fissel, pp. 183–90.Fortescue, Vol I, pp. 12, 16, 125.Hay, pp. 11–17, 88. During the Armada Crisis of 1588 Norfolk furnished 2200 trained and 2100 untrained armed foot (out of 6340 able-bodied men), together with 80 lancers, 321 light horse and 377 'petronels' (the petronel was an early cavalry firearm).Hay, pp. 90, 95.
With the passing of the threat of invasion, the trained bands declined in the early 17th Century. Later, King Charles I attempted to reform them into a national force or 'Perfect Militia' answering to the king rather than local control.Fissel, pp. 174–8, 190–5.Hay, pp. 97–8. The Norfolk Trained Bands of 1638 consisted of over 5100 footmen in four regiments and a 400-strong regiment of horse, while the City of Norwich had it own regiment.Norfolk Trained Bands at BCW Project Regimental Wiki.Ive, pp. 227–30, 238–40. The Norfolk TBs were ordered to send contingents for the First and Second Bishops' Wars of 1639–40. However, many of those sent on this unpopular service would have been untrained replacements and conscripts: like many other contingents, the Norfolk men were disorderly, and many officers were corrupt or inefficient.Fissel, pp. 4–5, 22–3, 30, 83–4, 151, 207–8, 241, 256–61, 270–1.
Control of the militia was one of the areas of dispute between Charles I and Parliament that led to the English Civil War.Fortescue, Vol I, pp. 198–9. When open war broke out between the King and Parliament, Norfolk was part of the Eastern Association and firmly under Parliamentarian control, so the TBs were hardly used. As Parliament tightened its grip on the country after winning the First Civil War it passed new Militia Acts in 1648 and 1650 that replaced lords lieutenant with county commissioners appointed by Parliament or the Council of State. The establishment of The Protectorate saw Oliver Cromwell take control of the militia as a paid force under politically selected officers to support his Rule by Major-Generals. From now on the term 'Trained Band' began to be replaced by 'Militia'.Holmes, pp. 94–100.Hay, pp. 99–104. The resignation of Richard Cromwell from the Protectorate in 1659 plunged the regime into crisis, and the militia was reorganised under officers deemed politically reliable.Ive, pp. 217–8, 303–6.
Restoration Militia
Following the Stuart Restoration, the English Militia was re-established by The King's Sole Right over the Militia Act 1661 under the control of the king's lords-lieutenant, the men to be selected by ballot. This was popularly seen as the 'Constitutional Force' to counterbalance a 'Standing Army' tainted by association with the New Model Army that had supported Cromwell's military dictatorship, and almost the whole burden of home defence and internal security was entrusted to the militia under politically reliable local landowners.Fortescue, Vol I, pp. 294–5.Western, pp. 3–29.
The 4th Earl of Southampton was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk in September 1660 and he began appointing his deputies and militia officers. None of the officers of the Norfolk Militia in 1659 was reappointed in 1660. Sir Horatio Townshend, 3rd Baronet, who took command of the regiment of horse, had been a Militia Commissioner under the previous regime, but had secretly been one of the county's leading pro-Restoration conspirators. Many of the other officers now appointed had held commissions at the end of the First Civil War in 1646 but had afterwards been purged as politically unreliable, such as Sir William D'Oyly, 1st Baronet, who was once again a colonel of foot, or Sir John Holland, 1st Baronet, who had commanded a county foot regiment before the civil war. Others came from families who traditionally provided the company officers in their hundreds:Ive, pp. 219–23, 271–3, 308. Sir Horatio Townshend – regiment of horse (8 troops) Sir John Holland - regiment of foot Sir Ralph Hare - regiment of foot Sir William D'Oyly - regiment of foot Thomas Richardson, 2nd Lord Cramond - regiment of foot
The militia were frequently called out during the reign of King Charles II; for example, the Norfolks were alerted in 1666 because of a French and Dutch invasion threat, and in 1673 were sent to guard Yarmouth against a possible Dutch attack. However, the deputy lieutenants and justices were reported to have used the militia to intimidate Norfolk voters during elections in the 1670s.Petre, pp. 368–9.Western, pp. 53, 66.
In 1690 the 7th Duke of Norfolk, as Lord Lieutenant, reported the organisation of the county militia, and a national muster was also held in 1697, listing the Hundreds from which the companies were recruited:Harvey, pp. 9–12.Sumner.Hay, pp. 124–5. Regiment of Horse, Col the Duke of Norfolk – six troops) Blew (Blue) Regiment, Col Sir Jacob Astley, 1st Baronet – seven companies from Holt, North and South Erpingham, Tunstead, Mitford, Happing and Eynsford Yellow Regiment, Col Robert Walpole – seven companies from Smithdon, Launditch, Freebridge Marshland, Clackclose, North Greenhoe, Freebridge Lynn, and Gallow & Brotherclose Purple Regiment, Col Sir Thomas Knyvett (1690), Col Edmund Woodhouse (1697) – seven companies from Forehoe, Depwade, Humbleyard, Shropham & Guiltcross, Diss, Wayland & Grimshoe, and South Greenhoe White Regiment, Col Sir William Cooke (1690), Sir Richard Berney (1697) – seven companies from Blofield & Walsham, Taverham, Clavering, Henstead, Earsham, East & West Flegg, and Loddon Yarmouth Regiment – four companies clothed in red King's Lynn – two companies clothed in red City of Norwich Regiment, Col the Duke of Norfolk – six companies clothed in red Total 4532 foot in 40 companies, 335 horse in six troops
However, the Militia passed into virtual abeyance during the long peace after the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, and few units were called out during the Jacobite Risings of 1715 and 1745.Fortescue, Vol II, p. 133.Western, p. 73.
1757 reforms
Under threat of French invasion during the Seven Years' War a series of Militia Acts from 1757 reorganised the county militia regiments, the men being conscripted by means of parish ballots (paid substitutes were permitted) to serve for three years. In peacetime they assembled for 28 days' annual training. There was a property qualification for officers, who were commissioned by the lord lieutenant. An adjutant and drill sergeants were to be provided to each regiment from the Regular Army, and arms and accoutrements would be supplied when the county had secured 60 per cent of its quota of recruits.Fortescue, Vol II, pp. 288, 299–302.Hay, pp. 136–44.Western, pp. 124–57, 251.
Norfolk's quota was set at 960 men in two battalions, Norwich contributing 151 of the men. The Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk, the 3rd Earl of Orford, was an enthusiast for the militia, and made rapid progress with the assistance of the Townshend family, particularly Col George Townshend, MP for Norfolk, who promoted the militia legislation in parliament. A number of old soldiers were recruited as sergeants to train the balloted men, and a number of volunteers to the ranks were appointed as corporals. Both battalions received their arms on 7 October 1758 and paraded at Fakenham in November. Orford appointed George Townshend as colonel of the 1st or Western Battalion and Sir Armine Wodehouse, 5th Baronet, of the 2nd or Eastern Battalion. The two battalions were embodied for fulltime service on 24 June 1759 and on 4 July marched by four 'divisions' (half battalions) to Portsmouth to do duty under Major-General Holmes. Due to the heat, they set off soon after midnight, but were described as being in good spirits. The Western Battalion would have been under the command of Lt-Col William Windham, because Townshend was serving as a brigadier in Wolfe's expedition to Quebec. En route the two battalions passed through London and under Orford's command were reviewed by King George II in front of Kensington Palace. They were the first of the reformed militia regiments 'which offered to march wherever they might be most serviceable to the public defence', and the King ordered that they 'should be distinguished by the title of Militia Royal', but this was never done. The Prince of Wales (soon to be King George III) also showed the Norfolk Militia favour.Frederick, p. 220.Harvey, pp. 23–34, 289; quotes Ipswich Journal, 7 & 14 July 1759; London Evening Post 10–12 & 17–19 July 1759; and WO Militia Marching Orders.Harvey, 'List of Officers in the Regiment', pp. 252–88.Chambers, pp. xcvii–ci.Parkyn.Western, pp. 124, 141, 157–9, 179.Western, Appendices A & B.
By August the divisions of the two battalions were alternately guarding prisoners of war and undergoing training. While at Hilsea Barracks, Portsmouth, Windham published a drill manual, A Plan of Discipline, Composed for the Use of the Militia of the County of Norfolk, probably drawing on Townshend's knowledge, and which Townshend revised in 1768 after Windham's death.A Plan of Discipline composed for the use of the Militia of the County of NorfolkM.J.D.C., 'Standing Orders''Militia Regiments of Great Britain'.Western, p. 405. This is said to have become one of the most important drill manuals employed during the American Revolution.
Hilsea Barracks proved to be infected with Smallpox, Dysentery and Typhus, and the men from isolated Norfolk villages with little immunity succumbed in large numbers. Casualties were severe, and those who did not die suffered long convalescences. In October the Norfolks were relieved by the Warwickshire Militia, but only after the barracks had been thoroughly cleaned.Western, pp. 384, 393.