Militia Families 1800+

[Fire Fox]

Hi

We have 'lost' the baptisms for all but one of the (at least) five children of my ancestor who was in the Berkshire Militia and his Devon wife. They married in Tiverton in 1800, where the family was still living in 1816 minus husband said to be in Bedlam! My only lead for the children at present is a possible baptism in Portsmouth and a burial of a child from Portsea Barracks.

My question is was it usual for Militia wives/ families at that time to remain at home awaiting their husbands leave? Would the wives also visit the husbands occasionally or would the families travel with the Militia some of part of the year?

Also I know the Militia was disembodied in 1802 and re-embodied in 1803. If my ancestor was with his wife in Devon in the intervening months how would he know to join the Berks Militia again? And by what method would he communicate and send money to his family whilst away? His father being a labourer, he probably could not read or write (tho his wife could!), and I believe postage was very expensive.

[ermin]

Hi

Women often had to apply to the parish for financial support while their husbands were serving away from home with the militia.  I believe that their appeals will be found in the parish records in the church warden's accounts.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Ermin

[Fire Fox]

Thank you for your reply Ermin, strangely enough I had just revisited this branch after two years!  We already have copies of three letters from the mother in Tiverton in Devon to the home parish of Abingdon in Berkshire, but these were applying for relief only once the father was in Bedlam. Would dearly love to fill in the blanks and work out where the family were between 1800 and 1816 and where at least some of the children were baptised.