Footnotes - Click number to read the note - clik note number to return to place in the text

MERIONETH VOLUNTEERS 1803 to 1809

Peace did not reign long, for England declared war against France on the 18th May, 1803. The country was unprepared and panic prevailed in many districts when it was stated that the invasion of England was one of Napoleon's ambitions.

A wave of patriotism spread throughout the land and spontaneous offers of help had been made even before the introduction of any proposals by the Government for the defence ofthe realm1

Wales burst into song in its enthusiasm to raise men against the common foe, and several patriotic songs were composed. The last verse of one of them ran thus:-

Then let St. David's Sons advance
Britannia's rights to shield, Sir,
We'll show these blustering blades of France
That Britons ne'er will yield, Sir;
So shall our deeds in ev'ry clime,
Be handed down to fame, Sir,
And on her rolls to latest time,
Inscribe a Welshman's name, Sir.

Chorus

-The Britons feel
A patriot's zeal,
Attend to Honour's call, Sirs;
Resolv'd to See
Your Country Free,
Or with its freedom fall, Sir.

The words were sung to the tune of "The Vicar of Bray."

Volunteer Corps were raised in every part of the country, Wales, in particular, being prominent in its offers of assistance. The Government, however, were apathetic to the movement, and it is no exaggeration to say, that the system was forced upon them by the nation. Not only were the Government apathetic to the movement, but they placed various obstacles from time to time in the way of its. development. The system had its critics also, outside Government circles. One of the latter, an Army officer writing under the pseudonym, of "Commentarius " wrote as follows:

“That the Volunteer System has made. many young fellows soldier-mad, is evident from a variety of circumstances. A baker who had been Coming from. the oven, with a tray of pies and puddings on his head, brought his hands down at the word attention, which had been given by some little boys at play, and before he had time to recover his senses, dishes, sauces, gravy and all came coursing down about his ears.In the city, another introduced his-, 'firelock to bed with him; whether it was, loaded or not is unascertained, but the consequence was, that his wife rose, dressed. herself, retreated, and has not since been heard of and so many random shots are: flying in every direction, that it is now become dangerous to walk out in the fields ; yet three millions annually are spent upon this nonsense.2".

One of the early steps taken in the formation of the system was the issue of a circular letter 3 by Lord Hobart, the Secretary of State for War, to the Lord Lieutenants, in which he pointed out that the proportion of the Volunteers should not be less than six times the number of Militia fixed by the Militia Act of 1802,, exclusive of the supplementary militia quota.

The number of offers of service was, however, so great as to cause embarrassment to the Government, and prompted Lord Hobart to issue another circular letter4 pointing out the desirability of keeping the numbers of volunteers within bounds, and that the King would not authorise the formation of any additional Volunteer Corps where the number of effectives, exceeded six times the Militia exclusive of the supplementary quota.

In a further circular letter, dated 31st August, 1803, it was stipulated that any men over and above. the quota of six times the old Militia should be supernumeraries, and should not be entitled to exemption of any kind.

The Militia Quota of each County, apart from the Supplementary, was fixed by an -Act passed in 18025. Merionethshire's quota was 121, so that they were therefore limited to :726 Volunteers.

Meetings were convened in the several Counties to consider Lord Hobart's letter, and on the 3rd September, 1803, Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, the Lord Lieutenant, and the -Deputy Lieutenants met at the Bull Inn, Bala6.I

From the records of the Meeting, it would -appear that the number who had enrolled :in the County7 was over the quota. It was therefore necessary to apportion the statutory -quota amongst the several Hundreds,8 and this --was effected as follows:-

The meeting passed the following resolutions,"That the thanks of the Meeting be given to all those who had so gallantly offered their services in this awful crisis. That the Meeting has the fullest confidence founded in the Spirit which has, already discovered itself in the County, if the state of public affairs should hereafter require the Aid of those whose: Assistance is not wanted at present, any Exertion will be made by every individual for the Defence against the common.. Enemy."

One hundred copies of an advertisement of the number of Volunteers agreed to be raised in each hundred at the Meeting were printed in English, together with three hundred copies,. of the same, translated into Welsh.9 In addition there were printed one hundred copies of a,. Welsh address intituled, " At bawb sy'n haeddawl o'u galw'n Frytaniaid10.

All the Corps in this County were Infantry. no Artillery or Cavalry being raised.

Among the steps taken to give warning upon -the approach of the enemy was the establishment of a chain of beacons". This method did not. commend itself to the Authorities in Merionethshire, for we find in a letter dated 23rd October 180311 to the Secretary of State for War12 that Sir Watkin Williams Wynn said the Magistrates of Denbighshire and Merionethshire did not think it possible to adopt the suggestion of any plan of communication by beacons or signals upon account of the particular circumstances. of each County; that on the highest part of the mountains no signal keeper could possibly live, besides which, the signals would frequently be completely concealed by the surrounding. clouds.13 In a subsequent letter dated 27th, November, 1803, he complained that the. Commanding Officer of the District14, Lieutenant-General Prince William Frederick15. had thought fit to direct Captain Cox, the Assistant Quarter Master General, to issue. his orders for the Clerk of the Peace of Denbighshire and Merionethshire to convene meetings of the Lieutenancy to fix proper places. for the erection of beacons, that he had received no notice of these meetings until the day previous to the holding of the meeting, and that the number of beacons recommended by the meeting was eleven in Merionethshire and eight in Denbighshire. He added, however, that no alteration had taken place in the opinion of either. Lieutenancy as to the propriety of such erection further, that the establishment of each beacon would involve four men at 3/-per diem and that the reason for the objection. was not a private one as the charge would be a public one.

Those who volunteered enjoyed at least two privileges.

First.-They were entitled to exemption from service in the Militia provided they attended the exercises of their Corps for a stipulated number of days16

Secondly they - were exempt from the payment of duty on hair powder 17.

Hair Powder is thus defined in an encyclopaedia :-

"A pure white powder made from pulverised starch scented with violet or some other perfume and at one time largely used for powdering over the head."

The fashion of powdering the head was at. one time extensively practised in this country, particularly amongst the nobility. By an Act. Of Parliament, the fine dust of which the powder was composed was required to be made of starch alone. On November 20th, 1746, fifty-one barbers were convicted before the Commissioners of Excise in London and fined ,£20 each for having in their keeping hair powder not of starch. Several unscrupulous persons used flour in the manufacture of the powder, with the result that the price of that commodity became dearer. This probably was -the reason why in 1795 a tax was imposed- on the use of powder. This yielded at one time £20,000 per annum. Its imposition caused the practice to be very largely discontinued, and in 1869, it was abolished. The hair would be in a queue from seven to nine inches long Queues were abolished in 1808. It is interesting to note that the Duke of Wellington disapproved of powder on hygienic grounds18

Although Volunteers were exempted from -payment of duty on hair powder, it would not have been in order for them to use it whilst on duty, as the troops were forbidden its use under an Army Order issued on the 19th of July, 179519

The following reference to this Order is made in the Order Books20 of the Merioneth Militia who Were stationed on the coast of Kent during part of , the Napoleonic Wars.

"It having been signified by Field "Marshal the Duke of York that His Majesty's Orders on the 19th July, I795 for discontinuing the use of hair powder throughout the Army shall be most strictly complied with and to which due attention in many instances has not been paid, General Sir Charles Grey'21 directs that the troops in the South district most invariably adhere to the Orders heretofore issued on this head.

WM. KETGHTLY, B.M.

M. THORLEY, B.M."

It is doubtful if the exemption from the payment of the duty was of much value to 'the Volunteers, as the only persons ordinarily using hair powder22 would be a few of the officers.

The other privilege, namely, exemption from Militia service, was, however, a real one, as quite a large number of the men would otherwise have been subject to this service, and it is not ungenerous to suggest that a number of men throughout the land were prompted to volunteer their services for this reason.  

The conditions of service of the several Corps. raised in different parts of the country varied considerably. These conditions depended partly on the terms of the offer of service as accepted by the Government, and partly on the nature of the code or regulations under which they were established. Except in the case of actual invasion or threatened invasion; some of the Corps could not be required to march beyond their immediate district, whilst others. could be called upon to march to any part of Great Britain. There is nothing on the records to shew the terms of service of the several units in Merionethshire except those of the. Edeyrnion Volunteers referred to in a later Chapter.

In some Counties, particularly in the maritime Counties on the South and East Coasts, where the people were always on tiptoe in anticipation of Napoleon's landing, the men volunteered for permanent duty, which involved. 85 days duty during the year.

Apart from and subject to this, all Corps were liable to assemble on permanent duty and pay, for a period not exceeding a month but not less than ten days in each year, if recommended by the Lord Lieutenant. Proposals, for such assemblies had to be sent from the Commandant through the Field Inspecting Officer to the Lord Lieutenant, and a duplicate forwarded to the General commanding the District. If the latter and the Lord Lieutenant agreed, the Lord Lieutenant submitted the proposal to the Secretary of State, Home Department, for approval23 During this period the Corps would be subject to military discipline. As will be seen later, all the Merioneth Corps assembled practically every year during the period of their mobilisation, but there is nothing in the records to suggest that the Government considered it necessary that any of them should undertake permanent duty to the same extent as it was undertaken by several Corps on the South and East Coasts.

The Merioneth Volunteers were trained by attending the assemblies, the inspections held by a Field Officer and also by attending on the days of exercise. It was during the assemblies that they indulged in their route marches.

With regard to the days of exercise, the men were required to attend on 24 days in order to claim exemption from the ballot.

The men did not join for any specified period, .and for a time it was thought that they could not resign during the duration of the War. It was held, however, that on giving the prescribed notice, every man had the right to leave his Corps. If he did, or was otherwise discharged, he immediately became subject to the ballot again.

Very few of the men who joined had undergone any previous military training, and this could be said of most of the officers also. It was therefore incumbent on. the Government to make some provision for the proper training of the men. This they did -by Knowing Corps,, according to their strength, to have either Adjutants or Sergeant-Majors, ,or both. If the Corps consisted of not less than five hundred. they were allowed one Adjutant and one Sergeant-Major on permanent pay. If the Corps consisted of not less than three .hundred, an Adjutant only, on permanent -pay, was allowed; but if the Corps was under three hundred, and consisted of not less than three Companies of 6o privates each, one Sergeant-Major was allowed on permanent pay.24

 Under the Regulations, pay on the prescribed scale was allowed to the officers, to the non-commissioned officers and to the men when assembled under competent authority, on any invasion, or appearance of the enemy in force on the coast, or for the suppression of rebellion or insurrections ; or when voluntarily assembled with the King's approbation for the purpose of improving themselves in military exercise. With regard to the non-commissioned officer., and men they were also entitled to pay during the days of exercise and during the days of the inspection of the Corps by a Field Inspecting Officer, provided such inspections did not exceed six a year.

Subject to what has been stated with regard to the occasions on which the Officers and men were entitled to pay25, this was as follows:-

Sergeant-Major 1/6 per day and 2/6 per week extra.

Sergeant 1/6 per day. During days of assembly 1/6¼

Corporal 1/2 per day. During days of assembly 1/2¾

Drummer 1/- per day. During days of assembly 1/1¾

Private 1/- per day.

Private men were in addition paid one penny per day in lieu of beer27, during the days of assembly. Under the regulations, each non-commissioned officer, drummer and fifer was also entitled to this allowance, but the returns of the several Merioneth Corps make, it clear that the allowance in question was confined in Merionethshire to private men only.

While the troops were in stationary quarters, the innkeeper was paid in respect of each non commissioned officer, drummer, fifer and private billeted upon him an allowance of one halfpenny per day, in return for which he was -required to furnish candles, vinegar and salt, and allow the men the use of a fire, and the necessary utensils for dressing and eating their meat.

While on the march, another scale of allowance operated. For the prescribed sum of 1/4 a day, the innkeeper was to provide diet and also small beer; each man contributed his allowance of beer money of one penny a day as well as fourpence out of his pay, the remaining eleven pence being charged to the public.

In several parts of the country, innkeepers were not at all partial to the billeting of soldiers upon them, and in some districts it was their practice upon the arrival of the troops to take down their signs and throw up their licences. As far back as 688 the War Office had occasion to take action to prevent this, ;and the practice had assumed such serious proportions in 1793 as to cause the Secretary at War to submit a case on the point for the opinion of the Law Officers of the Crown. The opinion was, that if victuallers refused to receive soldiers actually billeted by the proper officer, they were liable to conviction, but that it would probably be difficult to succeed in an attempt to obtain such conviction unless the case should appear to be very gross, and, that upon the whole. they ventured to suggest that the most advisable measure would be to apply to Parliament or proper regulations on the subject28.

The Government made the Volunteers an allowance of one pound per man for three years towards uniforms but in several cases. throughout the country the allowance was so inadequate as to compel the officers to make up the deficiency out of their own pockets.

The following were the Volunteers formed in the County of Merioneth:-

The Penllyn Volunteers.

The Edeyrnion Volunteers.

The Cader Idris Volunteers.

The Barmouth Volunteers.

Each of the above units is treated separately later in this book.

It may seem strange that no Volunteer Corps or Company was raised in the Towyn District also at this time, having regard to the fact that there must have been a nucleus from the old Company which had been so recently disbanded.

That there was a proposal to raise a Company is clear from a letter - written by Captain Corbet29 to Lord Hobart, dated 21st August, 1803. In this letter Captain Corbet writes:

“I have it in command from His Royal Highness Prince William commanding this District, to propose to your Lordship the raising of two. Company's of Volunteers to form a legion, one part to consist Of 20 Light Dragoons, another part of a sufficient number of men to work a Light Field Piece and the remainder Light Infantry agreeable to the former order of Lieutenant General Grinfield,30 to convey intelligence from the coast to Head Quarters during his command here in the last war. I am likewise ordered to acquaint your Lordship that the people of this County are too poor to, admit of Volunteers without being paid for their time as in the last war 2/- per week throughout the year. The Horses to be bought and. kept and the Dragoons regularly paid as upon, actual service by Government. Your Lordship will be pleased to signify by a letter to me here whether your Lordship approves and His Majesty accepts these Proposals, as I am commanded to report your Lordship's reply to his Royal Highness at Liverpool." Inasmuch as no Corps was formed in the Towyn District, it may be concluded that the proposals were not acceptable to the Government. It is, moreover, quite possible that Captain Corbet was not as enthusiastic as he was in 1795, having regard to the unsympathetic manner in which he had been treated by the Government authorities during his administration of the Towyn Volunteers from 1795 to 1800.

In the matter of arms, Volunteers were provided with muskets and pikes 32, of which, muskets, however, only formed a small proportion. This caused considerable discontent in many Corps throughout the land, and in some instances the Corps had to wait a considerable .time before being given arms of any kind.

Discipline was not one of the strong points, of many of the Volunteer Corps raised at this period, and cases of insubordination were not infrequent. According to the official records, -the men of the Merionethshire Corps would -appear to have been men of good character, and -to have been well behaved. The only exceptions mentioned are in the 1804 Returns of the Penllyn Corps, which shew that two vacancies in two of the Companies were caused through one man being in gaol and the other being. dismissed for "ill-behaviour"

It will be seen later. in the chapter dealing with the Cader Idris Corps, that independent witnesses testified to that body being well disciplined, but as will be observed in the chapter on the local Militia, there were hints that there had been some trouble in the ranks for which the Officers were looked upon as the cause.

1 See " A History of the Voluntary Forces " (by C. M Sebago Montefiore), and " The County Lieutenancies " (by the Hon Sir John W. Fortescue.)
2 The Military Senate shewing the Great Advantages arising to the Nation from a Consultative Government of the British Army," written in 1806. and published in 1809.
3 Dated 30th July, 1803
4 Dated 18th August, 1803
5 42 Geo. III. c. 90. Under Section 90 of this Act, the quota of the other Welsh Counties and of Monmouthshire was as follows: - County of Anglesey 128 Brecknock 204 Cardigan 244 Carmarthen, with the County Borough of Carmarthen 405 Caernarvon 128 Denbigh 344 Flint 201 Glamorgan 403 Montgomery 279 Pembroke, with the town and County of Haverfordwest . 201 Radnor 140 Monmouth 280'Under Section 146 of the same Act, the King had power in cases of invasion or rebellion to augment the number fixed by the Act by one-half on calling Parliament together within 14 days.
6 The Deputy Lieutenants present were Sir R. W. Vaughan, M.P., afterwards the Commandant of the Cader Idris Corps; Bell Lloyd; R. W. Price, afterwards Commandant Penllyn Volunteers; Robert Evans; and R. Richards (of Caerynwch), afterwards the Right Honourable Sir Richard Richards, last Chie Baron of the Court of Exchequer, born 1752, died 1823. M.Q.S.R., (Hilary), 1804.
7 The population of Merionethshire, according to Answers and Returns made under 41 Geo. III. c. 15. was: males, 13,896; females, 15,610. M.Q.S.R. (Trinity), 1801
8 These Hundreds practically correspond with the present day divisions, known as Petty Sessional Divisions. Mawddwy, however, is now merged in Talybont.
9 M.Q.S.R (Michaelmas), 1803
10 To all those who are worthy of being called. Britons
11 This method of signalling was well known to the ancients. See letter in " Notes and Queries," 1857. Volume IV., p. 439. Compare the system of"' Watch and Ward " in the Isle of Man whichprevailed from prehistoric, times down to the 18tcentury. The following was the penalty forfailure to carry out the Prescribed duties: First, that Watch and Ward be kept through your land as it ought, upon pain of Lyfe and Lyme; for whomsoever fails any nigh in his Ward, forfeiteth a Wether to the Warden; and to the Warden the second, night a Cowe; and the third night Lyfe and Lyme to Lord."See "Watch and Ward, in A.D. 1627. " Published in Natural history and Antiquarian (isle of Man) Proceedings," Vol. III. 1930. William Cubbon). Beacons; were lit on the Pembrokeshire hills on the&night of the French landing in Fishguard
12 I.D.M.H.O. 65/1803
13 An interesting letter is printed in " Notes, and' Queries," Volume V., 1858, page 55, upon the question as to the distance from which the light of a beacon can be ~n. The light of a beacon in Malvern was altogether invisible in many. places in the immediate vicinity.
14 North Western, comprising Cheshire, Salop, Lancashire, and North Wales
15 Duke of Gloucester, 1776-1834. Field Marshal in 1816.
16 . They were not, however, exempt from the ballot. If drawn, e they were immediately liable to serve on quitting their Corps, or on being discharged for misconduct. Cecil Sebag-Moniefiore, History of the Volunteers," page 325
17 35 George III. c. 49.39 and 40 George III. c. 32.44 George III. c. 54.
18 The Duke," by Philip Guedella. p. 101. 
19 W.O. 3/14. p. 72. P.R.O.
20 I have to acknowledge the kindness of Major General John Vaughan, C.B., D.S.O., of Nannau, for granting me the loan of these Order Books
21 Afterwards first Earl Grey, born 1729, died 1807. Had a very distinguished military career. He was known as General "No flint " Grey in allusion to an incident in the American War of Independence. In 1777, Major General Grey. as he then was, carried out a successful night attack with the bayonet. He made all his men remove the flints from their muskets so that no shot should be fired.
22 In the List of Certificates granted to persons in for using hair powder in Merionethshire at this period none were taken out by the officers in respect of themselves, but duty was paid by two of the officers, Sir R. W. Vaughan. the commanding officer of the Cader Idris Corps, and the Rev. R. Hughes, Chaplain of the same Corps, in respect, of their respective housekeepers
23 W.O. Circular, 10th March, 1804.
24 History of the Volunteer Forces.," Cecil Sebag Montefiore. Pages 319 and 320.
25 The pay specified here was that actually paid to the Merioneth Volunteers, and is taken from the various returns made, and filed at the Public, Record office
26 Also paid an allowance of 2/7d. per diem for contingencies. 
27 As from 25th March, 1800, the small beer, which had previously been supplied in kind to soldiers on home service when in barracks or billeted, was discontinued, and an allowance of 1d. per diem granted in lieu thereof.
28 “Military Forces of the Crown." C. M. Clode.Vol. 1. pp. 573-575.
29 H.O. 50. 350 Volunteers
30 Colonel, 86th Foot. 25th March, 1795. Died, Barbados, 19th October, 1803
31 These particulars were given me by Mr. A. S. White, the Assistant Librarian of the War Office. They .have been worked out by him from a Key Plan on a Print, with the following- heading, namely: A view of the Volunteer Army of Great Britain in the Year 1806, designed to commemorate the great and united spirit of the British People armed for the defence and support, etc. Dedicated to George, Prince of Wales." By G. James Willson. 
32 Commonly called Pig-prodders