Derbyshire Militia

The Derbyshire Militia was an auxiliary military force in the county of Derbyshire in the North Midlands of England. From their formal organisation as Trained Bands in 1572 until their final service as the Special Reserve, the Militia regiments of the county carried out internal security and home defence duties in most of Britain's major wars, relieving regular troops from routine garrison duties, and acting as a source of trained officers and men for the Regular Army. The regiments later became battalions of the Sherwood Foresters 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. Under this statute 'Commissioners of Array' would levy the required number of men from each shire. The usual shire contingent was 1000 infantry commanded by a millenar, divided into companies of 100 commanded by centenars or ductores, and subdivided into platoons of 20 led by vintenars.

By the end of the 13th Century the men of Sherwood Forest and the Peak District were renowned for their skill in archery (as immortalised in the legends of Robin Hood) and Derby and Nottingham were the only counties not on the Welsh border that sent foot soldiers to all of King Edward I's Welsh Wars. He alsoemployed well-organised men from Derbyshire in his later Scottish campaigns. Similarly, King Edward III levied troops from Derbyshire for service against the Scots in 1327, in 1332, and again in 1333 for his campaign that led to the Siege of Berwick and the Battle of Halidon Hill.