How to find information about an ancestor serving in the West Middlesex Militia (England) in about 1816-1833?

Question

I want to find more information about William Raper (1786: Kirby Hill, N.R.Yorkshire - 1833: Doncaster: W.R.Yorkshire) who served in the West Middlesex Militia. Some of my key questions are:

• Why the W. Middlesex Militia for someone Yorkshire born?
• Is it possible to find an enlistment date or be able to guess, what age did people usually join? In 1816 he was made a lieutenent, he would have been about 30 years old. What did that job entail?
• I think he married a woman named Sarah Langstaff who was from Yorkshire before 1823 but no record of this, and later censuses show she was a nurse. Would she have travelled with the Militia? He had at least two children born in Yorkshire in 1823 and 25, and he died there in 1833. 
• Is there a way to find where he served?

I have tried to research online but can't find much so thought I'd see if anyone else knew. 

Thanks

 

Answer 1

A cousin of mine, went to Kew, West London, several decades ago to get military records of an ancestor who served in the 54th Regiment of Foot from 1777 to 1787. Here's what familysearch.org says to answer your question:

British Military Records Genealogy - FamilySearch Wiki

https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/British_Military_Records

FamilySearch

May 16, 2016 - 10.14 Lists of Officers; 10.15 Militia Lists and Musters; 10.16 OtherRecords ... For records prior to 1707 see: England Military Records and Scotland ..... The National Archives (TNA), located at Kew, West London, houses a wealth of information on military personnel, much of it ... Hayes, Middlesex UB3 1RF

 

Answer 2

Family History Records Online Places

www.familyhistoryrecordsonline.com/places.html

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Berkshire, England, Extracted Parish Records; East Hendred : a Berkshire parish ... Hatford St George monumental inscriptions index 30 records; Mortimer West ...... Dorset, England, Militia Lists, 1757-1860 - 31,298 records; Dorset, England, ...... Guiting Power (Marriages) 1560-1812; Hailes (Banns) 1816-1833; Hampnett ...

Full text of "List of War Office records preserved in the Public Record ...

https://archive.org/.../listofwarofficer00newy_djvu.txt

 

Internet Archive

40 General and Militia (New Series) . ... 42 Russian Auxiliary Army . ..... 126 1812 127 1813 West Indies & 128 1814-1815. ...... 33 Act in England, 1816-1833. ...... Norfolk,West Middlesex, West Essex and Pembrokeshire Regiments of Militia.

Full text of "Middlesex County records .." - Internet Archive

https://archive.org/.../middlesexcountyr03middiala/midd...

 

Internet Archive

The MIDDLESEX COUNTY RECORD SOCIETY has been formed for the purpose ... forEngland's religious history, from the records of the presentments of Catholic ... &c., from George I. ; Books relating to the Militia, 1757 to 1816; and many others. ..... the indicatory references to Middlesex S. P. files by the insertion of ' West.

Comments

Thanks