©Transcribed for the Dorset OPC by Joy Waters
Militia List 1798
Dorset History Centre
The Dorset History Centre provides the following background on these records:
English militias were part-time military units established at the county level for home defence. After a dormant period following the Civil War, they were reinstated by the 1757 Militia Act. When volunteers proved insufficient, a parish selected men by ballot. These men then either served or found a substitute to take their place.
The Lord Lieutenant for each county was responsible for arming, training and mustering able-bodied men. When the Militia was raised, each county was given a quota of men and the Lord Lieutenant would allocate this number between the hundreds in his county.
Lists of able-bodied men between 18 and 50 (after 1762 the age was lowered to 45) in each tithing were drawn up and from these lists the names of those who were to serve in the militia were selected by ballot. Ministers of Religion, apprentices, doctors and parish officers were exempt from militia service.
Militia list 1798
for Gillingham
A true list of all persons usually and at this time dwelling within the Tything of Gillingham between the ages of 18 and 45 distinguishing their Ranks and Occupations, Family, Size, Exemptions and Infirmities. Dated the 17 th day of November 1798
| Name | Rank or Occupation | Wife | Children | Size | Size | Exemptions or Infirmities |
| <10yrs | Ft | Ins | ||||
| Enoch Lush | Labourer | 5 | 5 | |||
| George? Sibber? | ||||||
| Robert Lush | Carter | 5 | 5 | |||
| James (son of James Light) | Carpenter | 5 | 8 | |||
| William Hatch | Labourer | 5 | 6 | |||
| John King | Weaver | 5 | 5 | |||
| Thomas King | Weaver | 5 | 6 | |||
| Silas Matthews | Labourer | 5 | 6 | |||
| Silas Hull | Labourer | 5 | 8 | |||
| James Snook | Labourer | 5 | 6 | |||
| Farmer Burne | Yeoman | 5 | 6 | |||
| Edward (illegible) | Yeoman | 5 | 8 | |||
| Robert George | Farmer? | 5 | ||||
| James Dowding | 5 | 7 | ||||
| William Ings | Glazier | 5 | 7 | |||
| Stephen Arnold | 5 | 5 | ||||
| Edward Reeve | Mercer | 5 | 6 | |||
| William Bell | Gent | 5 | 6 | |||
| John Green | Smith | 5 | 6 | |||
| Samuel Harris | Clockmaker | 5 | 7 | |||
| Stephen Green | Labourer | 5 | 6 | |||
| Robert Phripp junr. | Mason | 5 | 4 | Deaf | ||
| Ephraim Sly | Yeoman | 5 | 10 | |||
| George Horder | Servant | 5 | 6 | |||
| Charles Morgan | Yeoman | 5 | 5 | |||
| Daniel Read | Labourer | 5 | 6 | |||
| William Cassle | Labourer | 5 | 6 | |||
| Thomas Light | Carpenter | 5 | 5 | |||
| John Doggrell | Labourer | 5 | 3 | |||
| William Doggrell | Labourer | 5 | 8 | |||
| Albinus Coward | Labourer | 5 | 4 | |||
| George Hix | Labourer | 5 | 3 | |||
| George Top | Weaver | 5 | 6 | |||
| James Watt | Weaver | 5 | 8 | |||
| George Read | Weaver | 5 | 7 | |||
| Morgan Sanger | Cordwainer | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 | |
| John Brier | Labourer | 5 | 7 | |||
| Isack Hayter | Weaver | 1 | 1 | 5 | 8 | |
| James White | Glover | 5 | 3 | |||
| Thomas Edwards | Cooper | 5 | 8 | |||
| John Edwards | Roper | 5 | 7 | |||
| John Edwards | Collar Maker | 5 | 2 | |||
| Joseph Chappel | Cordwainer | 5 | 7 | |||
| George Wobourne | Weaver | 5 | 2 | |||
| Robert Phripp | Labourer | 5 | 8 | Absconded for an assault | ||
| John Spearing | Weaver | 5 | 6 | Absconded for an assault | ||
| Robert Parsons | Plaisterer | 5 | 6 | Absconded for an assault | ||
| John Stone | Labourer | 5 | 7 | Absconded for an assault | ||
| John Reeves | Cordwainer | 5 | 5 | Absconded for an assault | ||
| Meshach Coombs | Sawyer | 5 | 8 | |||
| Thomas Taylor | Yeoman | 5 | 6 | |||
| John Leer | Yeoman | 5 | 8 | |||
| John Horder | Yeoman | 5 | 4 | |||
| Charles Whitmarsh | Labourer | 5 | 5 | |||
| William Toogood | Yeoman | 5 | 8 | |||
| James Hunt | Labourer | 5 | 5 | |||
| William Hunt | Labourer | 5 | 5 | |||
| William Edwards | Yeoman | 5 | 10 | |||
| William Lydford | Sawyer | 5 | 6 | |||
| George Gibbs | Labourer | 5 | 5 | |||
| Elias Green | Labourer | 5 | 5 | |||
| Thomas Hull | Yeoman | 5 | 7 | |||
| George Miles | Labourer | 5 | 6 | |||
| Charles Bell | Weaver | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | |
| Robert Doggrell | Yeoman | 5 | 7 | |||
| John Andrews | Cordwainer | 5 | 5 | |||
| John Gray | Labourer | 5 | 5 | |||
| John Ridout | Labourer | 5 | 6 | |||
| Hugh Matthews | Labourer | 5 | 8 | |||
| Thomas Hull | Labourer | 5 | 4 | |||
| John Jupe | Linman | 5 | 8 | |||
| Thomas Topp | Weaver | 5 | 8 | |||
| James (son of Geo. Light) | Carpenter | 5 | 5 | |||
| Edward Godwin | 5 | 6 | ||||
| John Phillips | Carpenter | 5 | 8 | |||
| George Tutton | Dealer | 5 | 6 | |||
| John Herridge | Thatcher | 5 | 5 | |||
| Gracious Miles | Weaver | 5 | 7 | |||
| Henry Shepherd | Weaver | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 | |
| Stephen Smith | Labourer | 5 | 5 | |||
| Humphrey Coak | Labourer | 5 | 4 | |||
| Richard King | Weaver | 5 | 5 | |||
| George Mullins | Servant | 5 | 3 | |||
| John Langley | Cordwainer | 5 | 8 | Two bad arms | ||
| James Langley | Cordwainer | 5 | 8 | |||
| William Francis | Cordwainer | 5 | 7 | |||
| James Hayter | Weaver | 5 | 8 | |||
| Thomas Hayter | Weaver | 5 | 7 | |||
| William Topp | Weaver | 5 | 3 | |||
| James Hamm? Harm? | Weaver | 5 | 6 | |||
| Thomas Hamm? Harm? | Weaver | 5 | 7 | |||
| John Light | Sawyer | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | |
| Christopher ? illegible | Weaver | 1 | 3 | 5 | 9 | |
| Thos. Stone | 5 | 7 | Sub. in Dorset Prov. Cavalry | |||
| William Godwin | 5 | 9 | Private in Som. Vol. Cavalry | |||
| William Hansford | Labourer | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | |
| Robert Blackmore | ||||||
| Richard Miles | 5 | 7 | Sub. in Dorset Prov. Cavalry | |||
| John Hatch | 5 | 7 | Sub. in Dorset Prov. Cavalry | |||
| Robert Read | Labourer | 5 | 7 | Balloted and excused | ||
| Thomas Gray | Labourer | 1 | 2 | 5 | 9 | |
| John Snook | Labourer | 2 | 5 | 6 | ||
| John King | Weaver | 2 | 5 | 6 | ||
| Thomas Stone | Baker | Served by substitute | ||||
| James Herridge | Weaver | Serving by substitue | ||||
| James Hedditch | Labourer | 5 | 7 | |||
All persons who think themselves aggrieved by their names being inserted on this list, or by the omission of others, may make their appeal at the Swan Inn, Sturminster Newton on Thursday next the 22 nd of this inst. At 10 o'clock in the forenoon as no appeal will be afterwards heard.
William Phripp
Tythingman Militia List 1798
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