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 A HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE At the peace of 1783 the regiment, in common with the rest of the militia in the country, was disembodied, but in 179 3 s " it was called out again owing to the declaration of war by France and not disembodied till the peace in 1802, which was short-lived, for the year i8o3 356 saw England once more threatened by the ambition of Napoleon, so that in addition to the em- bodiment of the militia,'" volunteers were raised all over the kingdom, being encouraged to serve by exemption from service in the militia and regular army." 8 Staffordshire's share of the volunteers was represented by eight troops of cavalry with a total strength of 664, under the Hon. E. Monckton, and troops were also raised by Bilston, Uttoxeter, Stone and Eccleshall, Hands- worth, Tamworth, and Walsall, the total number of cavalry for the county being 1,090."' The infantry were raised locally by companies varying in strength from one company of eighty from Bcrkswick and Walton to six companies of eighty men each from Newcastle, the total strength of the foot being 5,425 ; 36 no artillery however was raised by the county. England was deeply stirred by the insatiable ambition of Napoleon, and Lichfield alone in August of this year raised 2,193 for clothing and arming j the volunteers within the city, 361 and six years before the firm of Robert Peel gave 10,000 to the ' voluntary contribution.' 362 In i 805 George III, with whom the regiment, owing to its good conduct and excellent discipline while quartered at Windsor, was in high favour, con- ferred upon the Staffordshire Militia the title of ' King's Own,' and the facings were changed from yellow to blue. In 1806 the Staffordshire Volunteers were included in the 'North Inland District.' 363 The strength of the cavalry was 872 men and 930 horses, but only 313 and 355 respectively were present at inspection, and of the infantry establishment of 5,440, only 3,521 were present. Both infantry and cavalry were raised locally as in 1 803, and of the former half are described as fit to act with troops of the line, two companies as ' deficient in discipline,' the rest as ' advancing in discipline.' None of the cavalry were considered fit to act with troops of the line, but were all described as advancing in discipline except the Uttoxeter troop, which was ' too few to judge of.' 8M The militia remained embodied until the peace in 1814, and on Napoleon's escape from Elba were again called upon, 365 being disembodied in 1816. After Waterloo the militia was suffered to fall into decay until just before the Crimean War, when three battalions were embodied in Stafford- shire. 8611 The first went in 1855 to the Ionian Islands, where they remained 147 Militia Muster Bk. 1793, in P.R.O. Ibid. 1803. In 1803 the First Staffordshire Militia consisted of thirty-three commissioned officers and 838 non-commissioned officers and men, under Colonel Lord Oxbridge. Militia Muster Bk. 1803. "' Clode, Military Forces of Crown,, 312. " From a list of subscribers in ' Lichfield Elections.' A collection of contemporary MSS. and extracts in Bodl. Lib. ' ' Lichfield Elections,' as above. 10 Return of Yeomanry and Volunteer Corps, printed for House of Commons in 1806. 44 Ibid. From 1793 to 1815 the Staffordshire Militia provided 100 officers and 4,000 men for the line. 270
 * ' Return of the Volunteers of the United Kingdom for 1803, printed for the House of Commons.
 * Ibid. The Commandant of the Caversall Moorland Company was the Rev. St. George Bowles.
 * Militia Muster Bk. 1815, P.R.O. * Ibid. 1853.