Militia (Ireland) Act 1802

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Militia (Ireland) Act 1802
Act of Parliament
Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (1801-1816).svg
Long title An Act for the more speedy and effectual Enrolment of the Militia of Ireland; and for filling up Vacancies therein.
Citation 43 Geo. 3. c. 2
Territorial extent  Ireland
Dates
Royal assent 17 December 1802
Commencement 17 December 1802 [a]
Repealed6 August 1861
Other legislation
Amended by Militia (Ireland) Act 1803
Repealed by Statute Law Revision Act 1861
Relates to
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

The Militia (Ireland) Act 1802 (43 Geo. 3. c. 2) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom affecting the Militia, a locally raised force for home defence. It applied only to the Kingdom of Ireland, with the Militia Act 1802 (42 Geo. 3. c. 90) and Militia (Scotland) Act 1802 (42 Geo. 3. c. 91) applying elsewhere in the country.

Contents

Provisions

The act brought together a number of the Militia Acts which had been passed during the French Revolutionary Wars (1794-1802), repealing them but broadly re-enacting their content. It provided for a Militia with an established strength of 15,000 men in Ireland (set against 51,489 in England and Wales, and 8,000 in Scotland). [1]

The Irish militia was to be raised entirely from volunteers, unlike units in England, Wales, and Scotland, which were recruited by ballot. This was a deliberate decision to avoid civil unrest. The Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland was empowered to recruit volunteers over a four-month period after the Act was passed, paying a bounty of two guineas to each recruit. Men were liable to serve for five years or, if called into active service in this period, until the Militia was disembodied. [1]

Subsequent developments

The sum set aside for recruiting was £40,000, enough to recruit 19–20,000 men, though the notional strength was only 15,000. In the event, this was insufficient; the Militia (Ireland) Act 1803 (43 Geo. 3. c. 33) was passed in April 1803 to double the bounty to four guineas, as not enough volunteers had come forward to make up the desired numbers. [1]

Militia (Ireland) Act 1809 [b]
Act of Parliament
Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (1801-1816).svg
Long title An Act for amending and reducing into One Act of Parliament the several Laws for raising and training the Militia of Ireland.
Citation 49 Geo. 3. c. 120
Territorial extent  Ireland [c]
Dates
Royal assent 19 June 1809
Commencement 19 June 1809 [a]
Repealed6 March 1975
Other legislation
Repeals/revokes
Amended by
Repealed by Northern Ireland (Lieutenancy) Order 1975
Relates to
  • Militia (Ireland) Act 1802
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

The Militia (Ireland) Act 1809 (49 Geo. 3. c. 120) consolidated enactments of the Parliament of Ireland relating to the Irish Militia.

The whole act was repealed by section 1 of, and the schedule to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1861 (24 & 25 Vict. c. 101).

Notes

  1. 1 2 The Acts of Parliament (Commencement) Act 1793.
  2. The citation of this act by this short title was authorised by section 1 of, and the first schedule to, the Short Titles Act 1896. Due to the repeal of those provisions it is now authorised by section 19(2) of the Interpretation Act 1978.
  3. Preamble.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Fortescue, John (1909). The county lieutenancies and the army, 1803-1814. London: Macmillan and Co.