Royal Paisley Volunteers 1798-1802+

[scooter]

Hello All,

I've been looking through the pay lists of the Royal Paisley Volunteers from 1798 - 1802 at Kew and found that after 1802 the original companies and their correspondent captains, privates etc. don't appear again and that new ones have been formed under new captains etc. I'm wondering if anyone might know what happened to the original volunteers, were they renamed something else? I know for a fact that the two men I'm researching were in the Renfrewshire Militia circa 1804/5, however they don't appear in any of the pay lists from 1803 having been recorded prior to that. I saw on the internet that there were some 'changes' in 1803, although the source doesn't state what exactly.

Any thought are greatly appreciated!

Regards,

Scott

[Currie]

Hello Scott,

Here’s a couple of newspaper snippets:

Caledonian Mercury, Saturday, October 21, 1809
“…….. the procession went through some of the principal streets of the town, and then proceeded to Inchinnan, accompanied by the band of the late 2d regiment of Paisley Volunteers, ……..”

Glasgow Herald, Friday, April 26, 1822
“ ……… his Majesty’s birthday was commemorated here with due and accustomed demonstrations of loyalty. At an early hour, the flag of the Paisley Militia who fought at Falkirk in the year 1745, and the six standards of the 1st and 2d Regiments of Paisley Volunteers and Local Militia embodied during the late hostility with France, were appropriately displayed from the turrets of the castle. ……”

It looks as though Lieut-Colonel William McKerrell “raised The Royal Paisley Volunteers at his own expense when the country was threatened by an invasion by Napoleon Bonaparte” http://heraldry-scotland.com/copgal/dis ... m=7&pos=49

There doesn’t appear to be a lot of information around about the Royal Paisley Volunteers for the period you’re interested in. By 1809 the 2nd regiment(?) was the late 2d. Perhaps they became redundant when the invasion threat eased. I imagine it would have been an expensive undertaking for the Lieut. Colonel.

There were two periods of threat, one ended with a peace treaty in 1802. Perhaps that’s why the first set of records ends then. The second threat started a year later and fizzled out in 1805 and was dead in the water after Trafalgar. I’m not sure what the 1st and 2nd regiments refer to, two separate regiments, or two separate embodiments. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon%2 ... ed_Kingdom

I’ll see if I can find anything about the Renfrewshire Militia. Perhaps the “changes” were threat related.

All the best,
Alan

[scooter]

Cheers Alan,

I agree that perhaps the historical context in which the first set of records ends was perhaps the reason why things were changed around for the second 'threat' I know for a fact that the men I'm interested in were in East Lothian (with the Renfrews) in summer 1804. There seems to be another set of documents (muster rolls I think) at Kew, starting in 1803, and I suspect that these might contain what I'm looking for.

Best,

Scott

[Adam Brown]

I thought Volunteers and Militia were different units at this time. Volunteers served voluntarily in units raised by wealthy locals. Milita units were formed by counties or groups of counties and the men were allocated by ballot.

As far as I know Volunteer units raised in the 1790s were all disbanded at the Peace of Amiens in 1802 but with the re-opening of hostilities new units were raised. This time however they were raised under the 1804 Volunteer Act (the same act which allowed the volunteers of 1859-60 which eventually became today's TA). I'm guessing this new Act meant that the units were raised diffently to the previous volunteers and had no connection so were given new names.

I'll try and find out a bit more.

Thanks

Adam

[joette]

Anybody any info on the Roslin Rifle Volunteers? We have a pewter jug-much battered thanks to the Blitzkgrieg of Adolph's airforce.It is presented to either my GGreat-Grandfather John Scott or his son as a shooting prize.As my Grandfather was also John presume that's how he came by it.I have tried to find out anything about them but have had zero success.
This is Roslin in Midlothian.They all lived Glencorse/Penicuik way.

[Currie]

Hello Joette,

In 1859 the inhabitants of Penicuik held a meeting in the Parish School. The Caledonian Mercury, on Wednesday, December 21, 1859, reported that the meeting “…….. was asked to resolve that a company of volunteer rifles be raised in the parish of Penicuik and surrounding districts, to be called the Penicuik Volunteer Rifle Company. ………..”

Hereunder is an extract from the book “The Annals of Penicuik” by John J. Wilson (1891), which has been digitised (with some OCR errors) by ElectricScotland. See the very end of chapter IV. http://www.electricscotland.com/History ... icuik4.htm

Two companies were formed in Penicuik and one in Roslin. They appear to have been part of the Midlotlhian Administrative Battalion Rifle Volunteers. That’s probably why they have been so difficult to find. If the Penicuik Companies called themselves the Penicuik Volunteer Rifle etc. the Roslin Company probably called themselves something else.

Hope that’s right,
Alan

PENICUIK VOLUNTEERS.

Since the beginning of the present century, the inhabitants of Penicuik, owing to the proximity of Glencorse garrison, have been very familiar with the sight and sound of arms. Even before that time, however, many parishioners had loyally responded to the call for enrollment in the Midlothian contingent of the Scottish Volunteer Militia, their hearts being stirred up to give willing service in the defence of their native land against threatened French invasion. After the renewal of hostilities between the two countries in 1803 this corps was embodied, and continued so till the 3d of April 1815.

The next great volunteer military movement which sprang up in the country, and in which Penicuik shared, was in the year 1859. Its occasion was the return of time French Emperor from his victorious Italian campaign, and the general alarm which prevailed lest his next efforts should be directed against Great Britain. These fears were probably groundless, but they l)roitglit forth evidence of the loyalty and bravery of the British people. Within it few weeks 200,000 men were under drill, of whom 40,000 were reported able to take their place in line of battle.

Two Companies were formed in Penicuik, with a third small sub-division in Roslin, all under the command of Captain Sir James Clerk, Bart. No. 1 Company was in charge of the Commandent with Lieut. E. S. M'Dougal and Ensign Tait as subalterns. No. 2 had for senior officer Captain Cowan of Beeslack, Lieut. Charles J. Wallah, and Ensign George Cowan, while the Roslin Company had two commissioned officers in the persons of Hezekiah J. Merricks and William Merricks. No. 1 Company vas largely composed of farmers, village merchants, and tradesmen, many of whom were constitutionally unfit for hard service, but who yet, on 7th August 1860, went through the fatigues of that famous Queen's Review day in Edinburgh with a spirit and determination not surpassed by any of their younger and more agile brothers in arms.

After the transference of the school carried on under the active patronage of the late Miss Clerk to new and more commodious premises, the Volunteers secured the old school-room as an armoury for the store of their weapons. In May 1572 they also erected a large drill-hall at the foot of Kirkhill Road, in which their annual -presentation of prizes has since taken place. It also provides accommodation for the ordinary purposes of drill when the weather is unpropitious for open-air exercise. The shooting range at Blackburn is one of the finest in the kingdom, up to 600 yards distance. Its sheltered position has not, however, been helpful to local marksmen when competing at windswept ranges. For a number of years Penicuik has been the headquarters of the 6th Voltunteer Brigade Royal Scots, formerly known as the Midlotlhian Administrative Battalion Rifle Volunteers. The Penicuik E and F Companies, which form part of the brigade, are at present under the command of Captain Robert G. Craster, who succeeded to that position on the retirement of Major A. ,M`Gregor.

[Adam Brown]

Joette

If you can get access to a copy of "Records of the Scottish Volunteer Force, 1859 - 1908" by Major General James M. Grierson (William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh 1909) and look up the section on the 9th V.B. Royal Scots it will give some background to the companies which formed that unit in 1881. There might be something about the Roslin Coy.

In the early days of the movement 1860s - 1870s each company chose its own uniform and called itself what it wanted (quite often using 'Rifle Volunteers' in the title). It wasn't until 1880 that the Administrative battalions were formed and 1881 before they were affiliated to regular regiments (in this case Royal Scots) when they would lose their individual unit titles. I don't know how it ties in with you G-G-grandfather's age but I would date the tankard to 1860-1880

Regards

Adam

[Adam Brown]

Having a quick look at the internet shows that a downloaded copy is now available on Archive.org

http://www.archive.org/details/recordso ... 00grieuoft

I can't access it on this pc to confirm what the 9th VB RS chapter says but it will be worth a look.

Regards

Adam

[joette]

Adam & Alan you little dancers.I have tried everywhere to find this info including the Lothian Family History Society.
The Royal Scots are "the family regiment" In fact when my Dad's cousin joined the RAF instead of the Royal Scots his Father didn't speak to him for about ten years!
Spot on with the tankard date I think it's 1865-hence it could be my GGreat-grandfather or my G-Grandfather's brother.
They were a patriotic,Royalist lot my Midlothian Scotts/Youngs.
So happy will be having a good read tonight! Thanks again gentlemen.

[Adam Brown]

Joette

Glad to have helped. On page 190 of Grierson he mentions that the Roslin Coy disbanded in 1864 so that narrows the date down even further.

Unfortunately this copy doesn't show the colour prints of the original which may have shown what uniform he wore.

Kind regards

Adam