Reference code: IE LA P10
Extent: 4 Items
Scope & Content
The collection held by Limerick City Archives consists of two volumes of accounts and volunteer lists (P10/1-2), as well as receipts and bills, and a small correspondence file of the Limerick County Militia. The volumes with volunteer lists and accounts are useful sources for military historians and family historians. They volunteer lists include valuable genealogical information, such as name of volunteer, length of service, and reasons for discharge. Additionally the accounts can help researchers reconstruct the living conditions of the Limerick County militia, as it contains information regarding their food and mess supplies. The Limerick Water Works Collection (P9) held by Limerick Archives also contains reference to Quarter Master Robert Kane, who acted as an agent for the Limerick Water Works Company.
Subjects
Limerick County Militia
Creator(s)
Limerick County Militia
Biographical / Historical Note
The 1793 Militia Act was passed in order to meet the threat of widespread Defender activity and unrest in Ireland and France . It resulted in the raising of the Irish militia, as an infantry force. Thirty-eight different regiments and battalions were formed in Ireland and each corps was allocated a numerical prefix in order of precedence as settled by a ballot of 8 August 1873. The legislation was notable because it gave Irish Catholics, the right to own firearms, which had been forbidden under the penal laws. The officers of the Militia were almost exclusively Protestant, and their ranks were largely Catholic.
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions: N.A.
Use Restrictions: N.A.
Related Materials: The National Archives of United Kingdom holds extensive records relating to the Irish Militia and records relating to the Limerick County Militia in the War Office collections under the Militia Ireland sub series (WO/13).
Collection Content
A. Account Books and Volunteer lists (1797-1845)
PDF File: P10/1. 7 February 1797- 3 April 1813
Miscellaneous volume of accounts and volunteer lists. Includes the accounts of Quarter Master Richard Kane (13 March 1803-24 September 1810), Mess Accounts (1797-1810), Band Account (1803-1807) and lists of men recruited of men who joined line regiments, and of casualties (1803-18130. The Mess Account is dated 7 February 1797 to November 1810, arranged under debit and credit headings and includes entries such as 'cash paid for grinding knifes', 'cash paid for 2 plate warmers' and 'cash paid for washing and painting mess room'. (6 ff). The Band Account is dated 7 August 1803 to 26 January 1811, arranged under debit and credit headings and includes entries such as 'paid for Master of Bands clothing', and 'paid carriage of Kettle Drum and Long Drum to Antrim' (7 ff). The abstract accounts of Quarter Master Richard Kane are arranged chronologically, and according to 'Sums Paid' and 'Sums received down or required to be remitted'. Entries are generally made monthly under various headings which include 'date', 'day', 'officer', 'men', 'extra allowance to innkeepers in lieu of beer’,’ extra price of bread', 'horses', levy money' 'recruiting or bounties paid’,’ contingencies', and 'deduct sums over charged' (20ff). The volume includes various lists of returns of volunteers enlisted for from the Limerick County Militia between 1803 and 1813 . The lists are titled according to date and whether volunteers were raised as consequence of an Order or a circular letter and are arranged under headings such as 'no', 'name', 'to what regiment volunteered', 'whether for life or for limited service', 'dates of attestation', 'bounties paid', 'subsistence, beer and monthly money', 'total expenditure for each month', and 'remarks' such as 'deserted and received no pay', and 'enlisted subsequent to the period allowed by the act'. Other details occasionally recorded relate to by whom enlisted, by whom intermediate approval, by which final approval, whether dead, rejected, discharged, or deserted and that date, the date of joining headquarters and pay list, and in what company first charged. The volume also includes various lists of list of casualties and of volunteers enrolled to replace them between 1803- 1805 which generally detail the name of the casualty, whether dead, discharged or deceased, the date, bounties paid, and names of replacements.
Extent: c. 120pp
Access Rules: N.A.
Incomplete volume of accounts which record payments made and items purchased by Limerick County Militia. Includes accounts for the band (24 March 1811-3 February 1818), the Mess (14 April 1811-18 April 1826), newspapers (20 August 1806-20 July 1812), Postage and Stationary (13 September 1808- 24 June 1818), regimental school and clothing for school boys (9 July 1812-24 Dec 1814), mess wine account with the mess man (3 August 1812- 30 March 1816), and with wine merchants 12 July 1813-13 July 181, and a contingent account for postage, stationary and repair of arms (5 August 1818-8 July 1829). Includes loose pages with statements of contingent allowance accounts and generally signed by Richard Kane, Quarter Master. Also includes index to accounts.
Extent: c. 60ff
Access Rules: N.A.
B. Receipts and Bills (1801-1810)
PDF File: P10/3. 21 May 1801-7 November 1810
File of receipts and bills from creditors of Limerick County Militia mainly relating to items purchased for Mess. Receipts include acknowledgement of payments for items such as '2 large baskets for packing of ware', '12 yards of 4/4 HB linen', and 'Etruscan table ware'.
Extent: 24 Items
Access Rules: N.A.
C. Correspondence (1846)
PDF File: P10/4. 29 October 1846-30 October 1846
Correspondence between John de Blaquire, Adjuntant to Colonel K. Fitzgibbon, and Richard Kane, relating to list of plate belonging to County Limerick Militia.
Extent: 2 Items
Access Rules: N.A.
