James Potter and John Bright

[eileendavid]

I am trying to locate records of James Potter and John Bright both were serving in the Shropshire Militia in 1798 when they both married at Cannongate Edinburgh.  Both acted as witnesses for each other.  James Potter married Jane/Jean Holdsworth and John Bright  married Agnes Smith. 

However the Shropshire Militia I believe only went into Scotland in 1797 could anyone give me any information on these two.  James and Jane were named on the death certificate of Daniel Potter as his parents.  Can't find his baptism or any siblings.

Hoping against hope that someone can advise on this as James Potter is my 3rd great grandfather and at the moment I am brick walling on this branch. I don't have an age or a place of birth

Eileen 

[CaroleW]

Was Daniel Potter born 1799 Midlothian per 1851 census? 

Daniel married Helen Bolton in Scotland 1823 but they must have moved to England as a daughter was chestened there in 1828.  Baptism for that daughter - entry shows Daniel was a shoemaker  - same as 1851 entry. 

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J3Z7-4B5

Given that Daniel married & lived in Scotland - I wonder if his parents died in Scotland?

John Bright was probably just an army friend of James hence them acting as witnesses for each other so I wouldn't spend too much time researching him

[Ashtone]

However the Shropshire Militia I believe only went into Scotland in 1797

It appears they were in Scotland beyond 1797. There were marriages of a dozen or soldiers of the Shropshire Militia, quartered in Edinburgh Castle, during 1798.

[Neale1961]

Related thread
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=769746.msg7249390#msg7249390

[eileendavid]

CarolW - Yes Daniel was born in 1799 and did die in Scotland.  He had 10 children one of which was christened 26.12.1828 at St Pancreas why I haven't been able to ascertain.  I have only found the one child Daniel in 1799 and then nothing.  I have checked the deaths in Scotland and have found nothing but I haven't a birth for any of them.  I have also checked the christenings for all the names I mentioned.  That is why I was hoping James Potter would come up on the Shropshire Militia records as I have been advised that to be in the Shropshire Militia you had to be born in the area?  Bright is also not indiginous to Scotland and so I was advised to check him out also.

Hillhurst - The Shropshire Militia entered Scotland in 1797 and I believe they started to disband in 1802. It's the inbetween years that I am hoping to find Militia records of enlistment and payment in the hope of finding a birth and birthplace.

Neale1961 - Thanks for relating the threads I posted on the Military in the hope of finding some tangible details. I notice you have a Jardine in your history from Dumfries.  I also had the Ewart checked for a James Bolton who had a child Helen mother Elizabeth Storrie baptised she married Daniel Potter.  He was supposedly in the Northen Borders Militia but they haven't any records for him.  Someone named Jardine was a godparent. 

I am beginning to think James Potter won't be found.

Thank you all for your imput

Eileen

[eileendavid]

Military question can anyone advise how old a man had to be to join the Shropshire Militia?

[Andy J2022]

Military question can anyone advise how old a man had to be to join the Shropshire Militia?

The thing to remember is that unlike the later Volunteers, men did not volunteer* to join the militia, their names were drawn from a ballot and they had to serve unless they could find someone else to take their place. This duty arose out of the old feudal system whereby the peasantry owed a duty of military service to their lord of the manor.

I don't know the age groups for the period you were asking about (although I might be able to find them), but slightly later in 1803 the ballot was based on men between the ages of 17 and 55. They fell into 4 groups:

• Those aged 17 - 30 and unmarried, having no living child under 10 years.
• Those aged 35 - 50 and having no children.
• Those 17 - 30 who were/ had been married and had 3 or more children under 10
• All those aged 17 - 55 not in groups 1 to 3.

Their commitment was for 3 years and they could only be deployed in defence of the British Isles ie England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, although Ireland had its own militias. The militia came under the Home Office, not the War Office, for administrative purposes such as pay etc.

*Correction. By an Act of 1794 Lords Lieutenant were authorised to increase the Militia by raising volunteer Companies during embodiment on the same conditions of pay, bounty, clothing etc as the Regular Militia.

[eileendavid]

Hello Andy

Thanks for that I am really struggling with James Potter who married in 1798 in Scotland.  It was recorded he was in the Shropshire Militia.  Was there also any ruling on where they would be born/living.  I know the Shropshire Militia went into Scotland (Edinburgh) in 1797. Both these in the subject married on the same day and stood witness for each other. There were at least a dozen of these militia married in Scotland between 1798/99. James Potter also said he was a tanner by trade and on his son Daniels death cert he is recorded as a shoemaker?  I have been unable to establish payments to these two soldiers or how old they were. Lots of people have James Potter being born in Scotland but he would have needed parental consent as he was under age on the birth they have plus I haven't seen any proof. Any assistance on Militia of James would be gratefully received
 I was advised to try and find them both.  Scottish records are terrible.  Eileen

[Andy J2022]

Yes to be in the Shropshire Militia James Potter would have had to have lived in one of the towns or villages of that county. The ballot lists of the eligible men were drawn up by each parish. I suppose it's possible that he might have been a volunteer from outside the county, but as he had a trade, it seems less likely that he would have volunteered. However this was a time of heightened tension with France and so I suppose he might have been inspired to volunteer out of patriotism.

Incidentally you mentioned in an earlier posting that you thought the Shropshire Militia was disbanded in 1803.  It wasn't disbanded, but it was disembodied, that is to say the soldiers went back to their normal peacetime occupations although those who had served less than 3 years would still have been liable for embodiment again if necessary. I suspect that James would have ended his service in 1800 assuming he had joined in 1797. 

It was quite normal that once embodied, the militia would be sent to serve outside their own county. This was so that if there was civil unrest in an area the militia would not be likely to sympathise with the local civil population. 1797 was the time that the Scottish Militia was being re-organised and so English troops were needed to reinforce the garrison there.