Royal Downshire Militia Infantry

Monthly Pay lists of 1799-1800

County Down

The Royal Downshire Militia was one of many militia, a citizen's army established in Ireland in 1793 to deal with the threat of the French Revolutionary War spreading to Ireland. The militia operated as part-time units and were in theory a part of the regular army. Arthur Hill's Royal Downshire was the largest of the Ulster militia. Details of Arthur Hill's role in the militia movement is available in Ivan F. Nelson�s book, "The Irish Militia, 1793-1802, Ireland's Forgotten Army".


Regiment of Colonel Arthur Hill, 2nd Marquess of Downshire

Lieut. Colonel Francis, Earl of Annesley

June 1799

Capt. Prices late Company of Grenadiers

Robert Milligan, private, paid �1. 10s.

Robert Milligan, private, paid �. 10s^.

Note: ^Major�s Sharps shooting company led by Major George Matthews.


September 1799

Major Matthew�s Company

Robert Milligan, private, paid �. 10s.

Robert Milligan, private, paid �1. 10s^.

Note: ^Capt John M. Read�s Company of Grenadiers.


December 1799

Company of Major George Matthews, Rifles

Robert Milligan, private, paid �1 10s.

Company of Capt. John Read.

Robert Milligan, private, paged �1 11s.

Company of Capt. Thomas Smith

Hugh Milligan, private, paid �1 11s.


January 1800

Company of Major George Matthews, Rifles

Robert Milligan, paid �1 11s.

Company of Capt. John Read.

Robert Milligan, paged �1 11s.

Company of Capt. Andrew Trevor

James Milligan, �embodied� �3 10s.

Company of Capt. Thomas Smith

Hugh Milligan, paid �1 11s.

Marquess of Downshire vigorously exerted himself against the Union of Great Britain and Ireland in 1800, and was punished by the Government for his opposition by being dismissed from the Governorship of Down and the colonelcy of the Royal Downshire Militia, and struck off the roll of the Privy Council, on February 12, 1800. The Militia was divided in 1800 into the Royal South Down Militia and the Royal North Down Militia. The same year, James Stevenson Blackwood, Lord Dufferin and Claneboye, joined the North Downshire Militia as Colonel and Andrew Savage of Portaferry as Major.


Royal North Down Militia

March 1800

Company of Major George Matthews

Robert Milligan, paid �1 11s.

Company of Capt. John Read.

Robert Milligan, paged �1 11s.

Company of Capt. Andrew Trevor

James Milligan, �sick� �1 11s.

Company of Capt. Thomas Smith

Hugh Milligan, �duty� paid �1 11s.


June 1800

Company of Capt. John Read

Robert Milligan, paid �1 11s.

Company of Capt. Nevin.

Robert Milligan, paged �1 11s.

Company of Capt. Thomas Smith

Hugh Milligan, �duty� paid �1 11s.


September 1800

Major Andrew Savage

Company of Capt. John Read

Robert Milligan, corporal, paid �1 15 7s 1/2p.

Richard Milligan, private, paid �1 10s.

Company of Capt. Nevin

Robert Milligan, private, paid �1 10s.

William Milligan, private, paid �1 10s.

Company of Capt. Thomas Smith

Hugh Milligan, private, paid �1 10s.


December 1800

Company of Capt. John Read

Robert Milligan, corporal, paid �1 16 7s 1/2p.

Richard Milligan, private, paid �1 11s.

Company of Capt. Nevin

Robert Milligan, private, paid �1 11s.

Company of Capt. Thomas Smith

Hugh Milligan, private, paid �1 11s.

William Milligan, private, paid �1 11s.

[Source: PRONI T1115/4A]


PRONI D374 contains the records of the Royal Downshire Militia, 1793-1855, comprising a Courts Martial Book, October 1793 to September 1796, three correspondence and order books, October 1799 to September 1812, and some loose army circulars and memoranda, 1855. The Courts Martial Book contains summaries of the evidence, etc., at courts-martial of non-commissioned officers and men of the Downshire regiment. The other three contain copies of circulars and letters to and from officers at headquarters in Dublin and elsewhere, as well as reports of courts-martial of commissioned officers in militia regiments and in line regiments at home and abroad. In the volume for 1793-6, a portion of which is missing, there are recorded 228 courts-martial. There are a few instances of something like an under court-martial, or Court of Enquiry, composed of non-commissioned officers and men, trying a private.



To Irish Records Index


Queries To