Militia
The Militia can trace there roots back to the Anglo-Saxon
days when all able bodied freemen were required to take
part in the defense of the country. For years before
1758 different districts were responsible for certain
parts of the coast Southampton was to guard itself unto
Itchen Ferry, while other towns and villages were to
provide reinforcements to the Isle of Wight thought
to be the prime landing place of the Spaniards. In 1587
Hampshire was expected to produce 4,000 men under Captain
William Henworth who was appointed Muster Master for
the county and in 1588 precautions were increased.
The
Marquis of Winchester, Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire
was put in charge of Dorset also, Sir George Carey being
Captain of the Isle of Wight, while the famous veteran
Sir John Norris was given charge of four coastal shires,
Dorset, Hants, Sussex, and Kent, with nine captains
under him. Up until 1757 the Militia was only nominally
in existence and was only organized into properly constituted
regiments during the Seven Years War. Its reorganization
receiving Royal assent in August of that year. This
provided for 60,000 men by ballot for service in Great
Britain only. Hampshire's contingent was to be two regiments
The North Hants, and a South Hants.
Embodied
continuously until December 1762. Then in 1778 when
the French took an interest in the American colonies
the Militia was again embodied. The North Hants assembling
in March 1778 under the Duke of Chandos. Light companies
were added and another company which brought the total
to ten companies before 1780 when both regiments were
summoned to London to assist in suppressing the Gordons
Riots. At this time the North Hants had 26 officers,
566 other ranks, The South Hants having 13 officers,
500 other ranks*******************************************************************************************************
The
North Hants Militia 1757 ( Winchester )The
Duke of Bolton, the Lord Lieutenant became Colonel.
Officered by leading landowners and their sons. Consisted
of nine companies of 3 sergeants, 3 corporals, 2 drummers,
and 50 privates ( altered to 8 companies in 1759 with
60 privates per company). Moved to Bristol in 1760 to
take charge of French prisoners, and were in Bideford
in Devon later that year, and wintered around Newbury.
Spent 1761 in Berkshire. Embodied continuously until
December 1762
The
South Hants Militia 1757 ( Southampton )Commanded by Sir Thomas
Worsley, who resisted the above Dukes efforts to secure
control of both regiments. Officered by leading landowners
and their sons. Establishment of 476 all ranks, usually
stationed in Hampshire , embodied continuously until
December 1762
The
South West Hants Local Militia ( Romsey )1808-1916
The
East Hants Local Militia ( Lymington )
The
Militia amalgamation on of the The North Hants and The
South Hants formed The Hampshire Regiment of Militia
in 1853 which became the 3rd ( Militia ) Battalion The
Hampshire Regiment in 1881. Then in 1908 it formed the
3rd ( Special Reserve ) Battalion The Hampshire Regiment.
This was disbanded on the 3rd July 1919.
Hampshire
Rifle Volunteers
Administrative
Battalions HQ's
1st
Administrative Bn Hampshire Rifle Volunteers. Formed
(= 4th Hampshire R.V.C. = 4th Hampshire
after 1908)
2nd
Administrative Bn. Formed (= 3rd Hampshire
R.V.C.= 6th Hampshire after 1908)
3rd
Administrative Bn. Formed 1860 broken up in 1868
4th
Administrative Bn. Formed (= 2nd Hampshire
( Southampton ) R.V.C.= 5th Hampshire after 1908)
4th
R.V.C. Formed 1885 ( = 7th Hampshire after 1908
)
Isle
of Wight Administrative Bn. ( 1st Isle of Wight R.V.C.
(Isle of Wight Rifles)= 8th Hampshire after 1908)
The
above Administrative Battalions were formed in 1860
before this they were independent single company corps,
23 in all. This is the grouping of these Corps into
the Administrative Battalions.
1st
Administrative Bn. = 1st (Winchester), 11th (Romsey),
13th(Andover), 15th (Yateley), 16th (Alresford) and
18th Basingstoke) Corps, Head-quarters in Winchester.
2nd
Administrative Bn. = 4th (Havant), 5th(Portsmouth),
6th ( Gosport), and the 23rd (Cosham) Corps, Headquarters
in Winchester.
3rd
Administrative Bn. = 7th (Fareham), 8th (Bitterne later
Botley), 12th (Petersfield), 17th (Titchfield, broken
up before 1882), 20th (Wickham), 21st (Alton) and the
22nd (Bishop's Waltham broken up before 1882) Corps,
Headquarters in Fareham. ********* (See later notes)
4th
Administrative Bn. 2nd (Southampton), 3rd (Lymington),
10th (Christ Church), 14th (Lyndhurst) and the 19th
(Bournemouth) Corps, Headquarters in Southampton.
Arrangements
were subsequently altered the 3rd Administrative Bn
being broken up in 1868 The Botley and Alton Corps transferred
to the 1st Battalion, whose 15th and 16th Corps had
been expanded into whole companies, while the Basingstoke
Corps had been broken up( revived in 1875 as the 25th
Hants as the 24th had been taken by the County Training
College). The 7th, 12th, 17th and 20th Corps transferred
to the 2nd Administrative Bn. The 4th Administrative
Bn Headquarters moved to Lyndhurst, being brought back
later to Southampton.
Rifle Volunteer Corps
In
1880 the 1st, 2nd and 4th Administrative Battalions
became respectively the 1st, 3rd and 2nd Rifle Volunteers
Corps with their old Headquarters.
5th
Newport ( Isle Wight Princess Bertrice's ) Volunteer
Battalion.
(wear the Rifle Brigade uniform and have a Rifle
Bugle as a badge)
The
conversion of the Volunteers into the Territorial, which
took place as from April 1st 1908 were as follows.
The
Territorial Force
The
Territorial force was now organized on the pattern of
the regulars, forming fourteen Divisions with some Yeomanry,
now organized into brigades, providing its mounted troops.
The Hampshire Volunteers Battalions were now renumbered
as the 4th to 8th Battalions of the Regiment, the 4th,
5th, 6th and 7th becoming the 128th
Hampshire Brigade of the Wessex Division under Colonel
Crichton as Brigadier with Major Burford-Hancock (Hampshire
Regiment) as his Brigade Major
4th
( Winchester ). Through created the 1/4th
Bn. 2/4th Bn. And the 3/4 Bn.( Which was the reserve
Bn.)
5th
( Southampton ). Through created the 1/5th
Bn. 2/5th Bn. And the 3/5th Bn.( Which was the reserve
Bn.)
6th
( Portsmouth ) ( Duke of Connaught's Own ). Through
created the 1/6 th Bn. 2/6th Bn.
7th
( Bournemouth). Through created the
1/7th Bn. 2/7th Bn. 3/7th Bn.( Which was the reserve
Bn.)
8th
( Princess Bertrice's Isle Wight Rifles ). Through 1914
- 1918 created the 1/8th Bn. 2/8th Bn.
9th
( Cyclist ) Bn. ( Southampton ) Through
created the 1/9th Bn. 2/9th Bn.
(
Home Service ) Hampshire Volunteer Regiment ( 1st September
1916 ) ( TF ) created 1st, 2nd, 3rd, & 4th Bn.'s
In
Field Service Battalions were formed these
were the:
