Royal Westminster Militia (RWM)

KatysDad

KatysDad

New Member
I have an ancestor who was enlisted in the RWM in 1797 (aged 10) and appointed a Drummer Boy in 1799. In 1812 he was serving in Newry, Co Down when he resigned and joined 20th Foot on the same day. I can trace him forward in 20th Foot from then, but does anybody know anything about this RWM - not even Kew can help me out here ...?
 
According to the website below on page 16, the 5th Battalion was raised at Brentford as the 3rd Middlesex (also known as the Westminster Militia)

Maybe that could be a way to find out some more....

http://
rrflondon.2day.uk/siteFiles/files/RRFLondon_RFLocationofBattalions_1246371704.pdf
 
I have a book entitled "HEAD-DRESS BADGES of the British Army by Kipling & King which coves the 1797 period, I'm told this book is the equivalent to British Army badges as the Stanley Gibbons catalogue is to stamp collectors.

Sometimes it gives a brief run down on the regiment, so I thought I'd check it out, nowhere could I find a mention of the Royal Westminster Militia nor Westminster Militia.
 
Hello KatysDad and welcome to the forum. :)

Have you looked at the militia lists in WO 13 at Kew? This page of the Gibson guide to 'Militia lists and musters' gives details of covering dates etc.:

https://
books.google.co.uk/books?id=K2h6b2T0yJUC&pg=PA27

The National Army Museum's online catalogue returns a few results for the search 'Westminster Militia'. Some are the wrong date for you but others may be relevant. For example, there's a shoulder belt plate (c.1801) catalogued as 'Royal Middlesex (Westminster) Militia' but bearing the inscription 'Royal West Middlesex Militia'.

Popping the latter name into Google brought up this reference to 'reports and returns' of the Royal West Middlesex Militia, 1804-1814, which have somehow ended up at Manchester University.
 
The Royal Westminster Militia was a special reserve of the Royal Fusiliers during the Great War. The Royal Fusiliers were raised by James 11 to supress the Monmouth rising ( Probert Encyclopaedia-Weapons and Warfare)
The question is though, were they an attachment of the Royal Fusiliers 100 years earlier?
 
Huncamunca said:
For example, there's a shoulder belt plate (c.1801) catalogued as 'Royal Middlesex (Westminster) Militia' . . .
Click to expand...
which might be the same as the Westminster Regiment of the Middlesex Militia (Google finds numerous references to this of the right sort of date for you) but I'm getting confused now!
 
Welcome to the forum KatysDad.
I have been through about 10 google pages trying to find anything on Royal Westminster Militia to no avail except what I found in post #5.
However.......what I did come across was an old Roots Chat forum enquiry asking much the same question about the militia in the 19th century. The answer was that the Westminster Council had at the time (2011) some info in pamphlet form on the Militia. Also much the same information was available at National Archives. Perhaps that may be a start for you. Good luck.
The Royal Fusiliers were at that time 7th Regiment of Foot. (post #5)
Sue
 
The militia, a county-based, part-time reserve force, was the oldest component of the British army. It can trace its origins back to the Anglo-Saxon Fyrd, while at the time of the Civil War the county militia units were known as "The Trained Bands". The London Trained Bands were Parliament's best force until the appearance of the New Model Army. The problem, for local historians, is that the militia was only embodied in times of national crisis, after which they were stood down. The Westminster Militia would have been embodied during the Napoleonic War and stood down thereafter, so the element of continuity is somewhat tenuous - the link with the Fusiliers came later as part of the "Cardwell Reforms". The early 19th century Westminster Militia (the 35rd Middlesex) was a typical county militia regiment, which became the "Royal Westminster Militia" in 1804.
 
Sorry, I have just spotted a silly mistake that I cannot now rectify; the Westminster Militia were the 3rd Middlesex, not the "35rd".
 
Blackmogs said:
That's what Jan said at post 2 :D Edit: not the silly mistake part but the 35rd obviously
Click to expand...

I don't understand the reference to post No.2. I am merely saying that it is very difficult to show continuity with militia units, became they were only embodied at times of national emergency, such as the Armada scare or the Civil War.
 
euryalus said:
I don't understand the reference to post No.2. I am merely saying that it is very difficult to show continuity with militia units, became they were only embodied at times of national emergency, such as the Armada scare or the Civil War.
Click to expand...
Sorry Dear not being very clear. Jan said it was the 3rd Middlesex at post 2.
 
The Royal Westminister Militia of the Napoleonic Wars seems to be a unit of the Royal Middlesex Militia which I find listed in Hamilton Smith's work of the time. He shows the units (sub-units) as Royal Middlesex East, Royal Middlesex West and Royal Middlesex Westminster. Facings were blue and the lace seems to have had a blue stripe in it. to confuse matters the Middlesex are the 20th Regiment in Militia precedence.
 
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