110-819: The Cambridgeshire Militia was an auxiliary military regiment in the English county of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely . From their formal organisation as Trained Bands and their service during the Armada Crisis and in the English Civil Wars , the Militia of Cambridgeshire served during times of international tension and all of Britain's major wars. The regiment provided internal security and home defence but sometimes operated further afield, relieving regular troops from routine garrison duties and acting as
220-610: A " Yellowbelly " from Lincolnshire . The historical nicknames for people from Cambridgeshire are "Cambridgeshire Camel" or "Cambridgeshire Crane", the latter referring to the wildfowl that were once abundant in the Fens. The term "Fen Tigers" is sometimes used to describe the people who live and work in the Fens. Original historical documents relating to Cambridgeshire are held by Cambridgeshire Archives . Cambridgeshire County Council Libraries maintains several Local Studies collections of printed and published materials, significantly at
330-518: A Deserter, and shall forfeit and pay the Sum of Twenty Pounds, or, in Default of Payment, shall be committed to Prison for Six Months, or until he shall have paid the said Penalty. Traditionally the uniforms and weapons of the disembodied militia were entrusted by the captains to the care of the churchwardens. A new Militia Act in 1786 assigned the responsibility for proper storage to the lord lieutenant and
440-628: A bridge of around 900 boats, probably at South Queensferry. From 1964 to 1982, a tunnel existed under the Firth of Forth, dug by coal miners to link the Kinneil colliery on the south side of the Forth with the Valleyfield colliery on the north side. This is shown in the 1968 educational film Forth – Powerhouse for Industry . The shafts leading into the tunnel were filled and capped with concrete when
550-540: A day for a musketeer's ammunition, so the three musters a year would cost 13 shillings and 8 pence for each of its 200 'shot'. In 1584 the county also had 100 bowmen and 200 ' corslets ' (signifying armoured pikemen). The Armada Crisis in 1588 led to the TBs being mustered in April. Cambridgeshire produced 1000 armed foot, of whom 500 were trained, and 170 mounted men: 50 lancers, 40 light horse and 80 ' petronels ' (the petronel
660-468: A feu de joye and 3 vollies. There was also a grand dinner at Bamford's in honour of the day, at which were present a number of ladies and gentlemen, and in the evening there was a ball. The militia were under strict military discipline while embodied: 'A man in the Cambridgeshire militia having been detected in stealing goods from Mr. Layman of this town, after receiving 150 lashes on Tuesday last,
770-557: A few miles away in nearby districts, to afford a protection from the conurbation. It was first drawn up in the 1950s. Cambridgeshire County Council is controlled by an alliance of the Liberal Democrats , the Labour Party and independent groups , while Peterborough City Council is currently controlled by a Conservative Party minority administration. The county contains seven Parliamentary constituencies : This
880-657: A fine. Thereafter the regiment was called out for its periodic peacetime training. The method of call-up for training is illustrated by this newspaper announcement: CAMBRIDGESHIRE. MILITIA. a General Meeting of Majesty's Lieutenancy for the County of Cambridge, held this Day at the Rose Tavern in Cambridge, It was Ordered, that the Militia Forces raised in and for the said County, to assemble and meet together at
990-522: A landing. In May the regiments were re-embarked and sailed back to anchor off Dunbar , later continuing to Holy Island , where they arrived on 28 May. They marched to Berwick-upon-Tweed and in June were present at the final stand-off between the armies between Birks and Duns Law on the border. After that the army was dispersed to its homes. In March 1640 Cambridgeshire was ordered to send 300 men to Great Yarmouth to be shipped to Newcastle upon Tyne for
1100-491: A new phase for the English militia: they were embodied for a whole generation, and became regiments of full-time professional soldiers (though restricted to service in the British Isles ), which the regular army increasingly saw as a prime source of recruits. They served in coast defences, manning garrisons, guarding prisoners of war, and for internal security, while their traditional local defence duties were taken over by
1210-582: A property qualification for officers, who were commissioned by the lord lieutenant. Cambridgeshire was given a quota of 480 men to raise. However, the new lord lieutenant was Viscount Royston , whose father the Earl of Hardwicke had opposed the Militia Bill in Parliament, and he was not enthusiastic. He appointed a political ally, Thomas Bromley, 2nd Baron Montfort , as Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant of
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#17327824013751320-800: A remarkable improvement. The camp was twice visited by the Commander-in-Chief , Lord Amherst : on the first occasion the Cambridgeshires could do little but march past, on the second they could perform all the movements. In 1780 the regiment was marching towards St Albans in Hertfordshire en route to Tiptree in Essex when it was stopped at Hampstead to help suppress the Gordon Riots then raging in London. The regiment
1430-750: A source of trained officers and men for the British Army . It later became a battalion of the Suffolk Regiment until its final disbandment in 1908. The English militia was descended from the Anglo-Saxon Fyrd , the military force raised from the freemen of the shires under command of their Sheriff . It continued under the Norman and Plantagenet kings and was reorganised under the Assizes of Arms of 1181 and 1252 , and again by
1540-627: A violent brawl that led the Vice-Chancellor to issue a decree forbidding them to play "footeball" outside of college grounds. During the nineteenth century, several formulations of the laws of football, known as the Cambridge rules , were created by students at the university. One of these codes, dating from 1863, had a significant influence on the creation of the original laws of the Football Association . Cambridgeshire
1650-476: A wide geographic area including places as far from the shore as Ben Lomond , Cumbernauld , Harthill , Penicuik and the edges of Gleneagles Golf Course . Many towns line the shores, as well as the petrochemical complexes at Grangemouth , commercial docks at Leith , former oil rig construction yards at Methil , the ship breaking facility at Inverkeithing and the former naval dockyard at Rosyth , along with numerous other industrial areas, including
1760-483: Is a bird observatory on the Isle of May. A series of sand and gravel banks in the approaches to the firth have since 2014 been designated as a Nature Conservation Marine Protected Area under the name Firth of Forth Banks Complex . The youngest person to swim across the Firth of Forth was 13-year-old Joseph Feeney, who accomplished the feat in 1933. In 2008, a controversial bid to allow oil transfer between ships in
1870-487: Is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Cambridgeshire at current basic prices published (pp. 240–253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of English Pounds Sterling. AWG plc is based in Huntingdon. The RAF has several stations in the Huntingdon and St Ives area. RAF Alconbury , three miles north of Huntingdon, is being reorganised after a period of obsolescence following
1980-495: Is also the birthplace of bandy , now an IOC accepted sport. According to documents from 1813, Bury Fen Bandy Club was undefeated for 100 years. A member of the club, Charles Goodman Tebbutt , wrote down the first official rules in 1882. Tebbutt was instrumental in spreading the sport to many countries. Great Britain Bandy Association is based in Cambridgeshire. Fen skating is a traditional form of skating in
2090-443: Is bordered by Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, Northamptonshire to the west and Bedfordshire to the south-west. The largest settlement is the city of Peterborough , and the city of Cambridge is the county town. The county has an area of 3,389 km (1,309 sq mi) and a population of 852,523. Peterborough and Cambridge, located in
2200-518: Is broadly similar to the rest of the United Kingdom, though it is drier than the UK average due to its low altitude and easterly location, the prevailing southwesterly winds having already deposited moisture on higher ground further west. Average winter temperatures are cooler than the English average, due to Cambridgeshire's inland location and relative nearness to continental Europe, which results in
2310-588: Is hereby given, THAT the Battalion of CAMBRIDGESHIRE MILITIA is to assemble at ELY, on TUESDAY the Eighth Day of May next, there to be trained and exercised for Twenty - eight Days from that Time. HARDWICKE. April 14th, 1792. The Act directs, that every Militia Man or Substitute, as well those who exercised last Year, as those who were dismissed, who shall not appear at the Time and Place appointed, shall be deemed
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#17327824013752420-424: Is home to a number of institutes of higher education : In addition, Cambridge Regional College and Huntingdonshire Regional College both offer a limited range of higher education courses in conjunction with partner universities. These are the settlements in Cambridgeshire with a town charter, city status or a population over 5,000; for a complete list of settlements see list of places in Cambridgeshire . See
2530-522: Is seen as the starting date for the organised county militia in England. Although the militia obligation was universal, it was clearly impractical to train and equip every able-bodied man, so after 1572 the practice was to select a proportion of men for the Trained Bands (TBs), who were mustered for regular training. The cost was borne by the counties: Cambridgeshire estimated that it cost 8 pence
2640-706: Is the estuary , or firth , of several Scottish rivers including the River Forth . It meets the North Sea with Fife to its north and Lothian to its south. Firth is a cognate of fjord , a Norse word meaning a narrow inlet. Forth stems from the name of the river; this is * vo-rit-ia ('slow running') in Proto-Celtic , yielding Foirthe in Old Gaelic and Gweryd in Welsh. It
2750-478: Is the county's only remaining port. Cambridgeshire has a comprehensive education system with over 240 state schools, not including sixth form colleges . The independent sector includes King's Ely and Wisbech Grammar School , founded in 970 and 1379 respectively, they are two of the oldest schools in the country. Some of the secondary schools act as Village Colleges , institutions unique to Cambridgeshire. For example, Comberton Village College . Cambridgeshire
2860-565: The Cambridgeshire Collection held in the Cambridge Central Library . Cambridgeshire's county flag was made official on 1 February 2015, after the design was selected as an entry from a design competition that ran during 2014. The design features three golden crowns, two on the top, one on the bottom that are separated by two wavy lines in the middle. The crowns are meant to represent East Anglia, and
2970-465: The Fenland . The National Ice Skating Association was set up in Cambridge in 1879, they took the top Fen skaters to the world speedskating championships where James Smart (skater) became world champion. On 6–7 June 2015, the inaugural Tour of Cambridgeshire cycle race took place on closed roads across the county. The event was an official UCI qualification event, and consisted of a Time Trial on
3080-631: The Gog Magog Hills , Rivey Hill above Linton , Rowley's Hill and the Madingley Hills. Wicken Fen is a 254.5-hectare (629-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Wicken . A large part of it is owned and managed by the National Trust . The Cambridge Green Belt around the city of Cambridge extends to places such as Waterbeach , Lode , Duxford , Little & Great Abington and other communities
3190-471: The List of Cambridgeshire settlements by population page for more detail. The town of Newmarket is surrounded on three sides by Cambridgeshire, being connected by a narrow strip of land to the rest of Suffolk . Cambridgeshire has seen 32,869 dwellings created from 2002 to 2013 and there are a further 35,360 planned new dwellings between 2016 and 2023. Cambridgeshire has a maritime temperate climate which
3300-555: The Member of Parliament (MP) for Cambridgeshire , Sir John Hynde Cotton, 4th Baronet , the Deputy Lieutenants met on 9 April and demanded the dismissal of Lord Montfort. Lord Royston (now 2nd Earl of Hardwicke) was uneasy at this, but Cotton advised that 'if there was no precedent for turning a peer out of a commission there was also none for such a peer having one'. Montfort had sold all his property in Cambridgeshire and so
3410-738: The New Model Army to control the country. During the Scottish invasion of the Third English Civil War in 1651, English county militia regiments were called upon to supplement the New Model Army. On 1 August Col Valentine Walton (by now governor of King's Lynn ) was ordered to assemble a regiment of 1000 men, five companies to be drawn from the regular garrisons the other five from the Militia of Norfolk, Suffolk and
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3520-683: The Restoration of the Monarchy , the English Militia was re-established by the Militia Act of 1661 under the control of the king's lords lieutenant, the men to be selected by ballot. This was popularly seen as the 'Constitutional Force' to counterbalance a 'Standing Army' tainted by association with the New Model Army that had supported Cromwell's's military dictatorship, and almost the whole burden of home defence and internal security
3630-686: The Second Bishops' War . The campaign collapsed when the English army was defeated at the Battle of Newburn . Control of the TBs was one of the major points of dispute between Charles I and Parliament that led to the First English Civil War . When open warfare broke out between the King and Parliament, neither side made much use of the TBs beyond securing the county armouries for their own full-time troops who would serve anywhere in
3740-476: The Soke of Peterborough , which was part of Northamptonshire. The north and east of the county are dominated by the Fens , an extremely flat, drained marsh maintained by drainage ditches and dykes. Holme Fen is the UK's lowest physical point, at 2.75 m (9 ft) below sea level. The flatness of the landscape makes the few areas of higher ground, such as that Ely is built on, very conspicuous. The landscape in
3850-511: The Statute of Winchester of 1285. Under the Tudors the legal basis of the militia was updated by two acts of 1557 covering musters ( 4 & 5 Ph. & M. c. 3) and the maintenance of horses and armour ( 4 & 5 Ph. & M. c. 2), which placed the county militia under a Lord Lieutenant appointed by the monarch and assisted by deputy lieutenants . The entry into force of these acts in 1558
3960-875: The United Kingdom , compared in importance to Balbridie in Aberdeen, Scotland. Must Farm quarry, at Whittlesey , has been described as "Britain's Pompeii due to its relatively good condition, including the 'best-preserved Bronze Age dwellings ever found in the UK'". A great quantity of archaeological finds from the Stone Age , the Bronze Age , and the Iron Age were made in East Cambridgeshire . Most items were found in Isleham . The area
4070-533: The Volunteers and mounted Yeomanry . By 8 August 1793 the regiment, with 8 companies, was part of a militia concentration at Warley Camp. The Cambridgeshires were strictly disciplined and had to return to their tents in the early evening, while their neighbours the Huntingdonshires did not. This resentment led to a riot and a longstanding feud between the two regiments. The argumentative Lt Tolver
4180-504: The river Granta ). Covering a large part of East Anglia , Cambridgeshire today is the result of several local government unifications. In 1888 when county councils were introduced, separate councils were set up, following the traditional division of Cambridgeshire, for In 1965, these two administrative counties were merged to form Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely . Under the Local Government Act 1972 this merged with
4290-610: The 25th instant (the day on which the said Militia was embodied): This is therefore to give Notice, That unless they immediately join the said Militia, they will be proceeded against as Deserters. By Order the Lieutenancy, JOHN INGLE, Clerk to the General Meetings. CAMBRIDGE, March 30th, 1803. Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs. ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia . It
4400-458: The 6th, and a Gran Fondo event on the 7th. The Gran Fondo event was open to the public, and over 6000 riders took part in the 128 km (80 mi) race. The River Cam is the main river flowing through Cambridge, parts of the River Nene and River Great Ouse lie within the county. In 2021 the latter was used as the course for The Boat Race . The River Cam serves as the course for
4510-579: The Cambridge TBs mustered 1000 foot armed with 540 muskets and 460 corslets, and 80 mounted men consisting of 30 carabiniers and 50 dragoons . The TBs were called upon to send contingents for the First Bishops' War in 1639, and Sir Simon Harcourt 's Regiment of Foot was drawn from the Cambridgeshire, Essex and Suffolk TBs. The King's commander, the Marquis of Hamilton , complained that
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4620-512: The Cambridge and Essex men were almost entirely untrained and improperly armed. The officers were inexperienced, and Hamilton had too few trained TB men to provide enough non-commissioned officers (NCOs). In April 1639 Harcourt's regiment was one of those shipped to the Firth of Forth and landed on the island of Inchcolm . However, the Covenanters onshore were too strong for Hamilton to attempt
4730-565: The Cambridgeshires trained 50 selected men as marksmen, but afterwards it proved hard to find ranges for them to practice. In a fresh attempt to have as many men as possible under arms for home defence in order to release regulars, the Government created the Supplementary Militia in 1796, a compulsory levy of men to be trained in their spare time, and to be incorporated in the Militia in emergency. Cambridge's additional quota
4840-452: The Forth Bridgehead area, encompassing Rosyth, Inverkeithing and the southern edge of Dunfermline , Burntisland , Kirkcaldy , Bo'ness and Leven . The firth is bridged in two places. The Kincardine Bridge and the Clackmannanshire Bridge cross it at Kincardine , while further east the Forth Bridge , the Forth Road Bridge and the Queensferry Crossing cross from North Queensferry to South Queensferry . The Romans reportedly made
4950-410: The Forth road and rail bridges by carrying about 870,000 passengers each year. Despite its initial success, the project was cancelled in December 2011. The inner firth, located between the Kincardine and Forth bridges, has lost about half of its former intertidal area as a result of land reclamation, partly for agriculture, but mainly for industry and the large ash lagoons built to deposit spoil from
5060-806: The Georgian period. These came from different companies. The Lincoln Circuit included, at various times, Wisbech and Whittlesey. The Wisbech Georgian theatre still survives as an operating theatre now known as The Angles Theatre . In Cambridge the ADC Theatre is the venue for the Footlights . The county is covered by BBC East and ITV Anglia . Local radio includes BBC Radio Cambridgeshire , Greatest Hits Radio East , Heart East , Smooth East Midlands (only covering Peterborough ), and Star Radio . The community radio stations are Black Cat Radio in St Neots; Cam FM and Cambridge 105 in Cambridge; Huntingdon Community Radio ; and Peterborough Community Radio and Salaam Radio in Peterborough. Firth of Forth The Firth of Forth ( Scottish Gaelic : Linne Foirthe )
5170-420: The Government augmented the strength of the embodied militia in 1794, the men recruited by voluntary enlistment and paid for by county subscriptions. Cambridgeshire was assessed to raise an additional 50 men in this way. As adjutant, Charles Wale calculated that he could raise the men at a cost of 6 guineas (£6. 6s. 0d.) each, and the eventual cost was £7. Cambridgeshire also raised Troops of 'Fencible Cavalry' by
5280-409: The Isle of Ely, with their militia weapons. Under the command of Major Blake the regiment marched towards a rendezvous at Barnet , north of London, then was redirected towards Northampton and then Buckingham . It then took part in the Battle of Worcester . Meanwhile the rest of the Cambridgeshire Militia had been ordered to a militia rendezvous at Oxford , but was not present at Worcester. After
5390-407: The South Lincolnshires. Later in the winter the Cambridgeshire and West Kent Militia shared Norwich Barracks, where training facilities were good. The militia were accused of a series of robberies in the city, but when the robbers were caught they turned out to be civilians. After their trial Lt-Col Nightingale and his opposite number of the West Kents took out newspaper advertisements declaring that
5500-428: The Wisbech Gallery, South Brink since 2023. Cambridge Open Studios is the region's large arts organisation with over 500 members. Every year, more than 370 artists open their doors to visitors during four weekends in July. The annual Fenland Poet Laureate awards were instigated for poets in the North of the county in 2012 at Wisbech & Fenland Museum . The county was visited by travelling companies of comedians in
5610-401: The annual muster were treated as deserters, and lists of those not attending were published. On this occasion nearly 100 were named: REGIMENT of CAMBRIDGESHIRE MILITIA. WHEREAS the following Private Militia Men belonging to the above named Regiment did not join the Regiment at annual exercise for the year 1789, pursuant to the act of parliament in that case made. CAMBRIDGESHIRE MILITIA. NOTICE
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#17327824013755720-506: The badly-disciplined South Lincolnshire regiment. There was trouble between the regiments until a senior general was sent to take command, after which gthings improved, but the Cambridgeshires were still plagued by drunkenness. On 17 February 1797 it was announced that the militia were to be formed into brigades for their summer training. The Cambridgeshires, together with the East Norfolks , West Suffolks and Warwickshires, formed 2nd Brigade of Gen Sir William Howe 's Division. At its 1798 camp
5830-434: The coal-fired Longannet Power Station near Kincardine . Historic villages line the Fife shoreline; Limekilns , Charlestown and Culross , established in the 6th century, where Saint Kentigern was born. The firth is important for nature conservation and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest . The Firth of Forth Islands SPA ( Special Protection Area ) is home to more than 90,000 breeding seabirds every year. There
5940-441: The coast until 21 July when peace was signed. The militia continued to function fitfully during the rest of the century, being called out during an invasion scare in 1690. In 1697 the counties were required to submit detailed lists of their militia. Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely had five independent companies of foot and three troops of horse: A total of 677 foot and 1561 horse. The Militia passed into virtual abeyance during
6050-473: The colonel to 'consider the business of the Regiment now as your principal and indeed sole occupation'. He frequently sought leave from his parliamentary duties to attend to the regiment. 'I did not come into this d–––d Regiment for amusement', he said, and promised to stay till the war ended 'if all the Devils in Hell were in it'. The improvement in the regiment after Philip Yorke took over had gained praise when it went through its exercises in 1792, but when it
6160-409: The colonel. The Act reduced the number of permanent NCOs and drummers, and decreed that a third of them should always be at the new armoury, under the command of the adjutant. Lieutenant Tolver was therefore established in a house at Ely, with a rented storeroom for the armoury and an armourer employed there. From 1802 the lieutenancies were empowered to hire or erect storehouses at county expense, giving
6270-444: The country, many of whom were former trained bandsmen, or as auxiliary units for garrisons. Cambridgeshire was firmly under Parliamentary control as part of the Eastern Association . In July 1643 Oliver Cromwell was appointed Governor of the Isle of Ely and given command of the TB unit (of 8 companies ) called out to garrison the city of Ely . This may have been an 'auxiliary' unit called out for extended garrison service, rather than
6380-519: The county to the west, Huntingdon and Peterborough , which had been formed in 1965, by the merger of Huntingdonshire with the Soke of Peterborough (the latter previously a part of Northamptonshire with its own county council). The resulting county was called simply Cambridgeshire. Since 1998, the City of Peterborough has been separately administered as a unitary authority area. It is associated with Cambridgeshire for ceremonial purposes such as Lieutenancy and joint functions such as policing and
6490-399: The crowd down Pump Lane towards St Mary's and inflicted several casualties. At length Montfort dismissed his men, ordering the guard to lock their door, while the university Vice-chancellor ordered all college gates to be locked. n 1775 Montfort fled to Paris to avoid his creditors but retained command of the Cambridgeshire Militia because of the patronage he could bestow on his friends, and
6600-427: The death of Lt-Col Ward. The militia was already being called out when Revolutionary France declared war on Britain on 1 February 1793. Hardwicke commissioned his younger brother Charles Philip Yorke into the regiment in 1793. As one of the MPs for Cambridgeshire , Charles Yorke felt that he should set an example to the county's gentry. With the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars he encouraged his brother
6710-409: The departure of the USAF, to be the focus of RAF/USAFE intelligence operations, with activities at Upwood and Molesworth being transferred there. Most of Cambridgeshire is agricultural. Close to Cambridge is the so-called Silicon Fen area of high-technology (electronics, computing and biotechnology) companies. ARM Limited is based in Cherry Hinton . The inland Port of Wisbech on the River Nene
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#17327824013756820-415: The fire service. In 2002, the conservation charity Plantlife unofficially designated Cambridgeshire's county flower as the Pasqueflower . The Cambridgeshire Regiment (nicknamed the Fen Tigers), the county-based army unit, fought in the Boer War in South Africa, the First World War and Second World War. Due to the county's flat terrain and proximity to the continent, during the Second World War
6930-498: The following year when the Dutch carried out a devastating Raid on the Medway in June. The distinguished soldier Lord Berkeley of Stratton was appointed Lieutenant-General of Militia for Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely, and by 13 June he and his staff had established the regional defence headquarters at Harwich . After the Medway raid, the Dutch fleet cruised off the Suffolk coast before landing to attack Landguard Fort on 2 July. A Troop of Cambridgeshire Militia Horse
7040-519: The honour of their men had been vindicated. Nevertheless, desertion and drunkenness were problems. Wales thought it best to mount guard in the mornings instead of the evenings, to avoid having to punish men for being drunk on duty. The regiment hired Johann Gottfried Lehmann from Hanover to be bandmaster in 1794. In 1796 he was in trouble for taking a private gig: he responded that he did not consider himself under military discipline. The regimental band had been in existence since at least 1781 when Hardwicke
7150-402: The long peace after the Treaty of Utrecht in 1712, although elements were called out during the Jacobite risings of 1715 and 1745 . Under threat of French invasion during the Seven Years' War a series of Militia Acts from 1757 resuscitated the county militia regiments, the men being conscripted by means of parish ballots (paid substitutes were permitted) to serve for three years. There was
7260-467: The men were generally well-behaved. As early as 1762 Lord Royston criticised Lord Montfort's behaviour, such that no gentleman wished to serve under him. Of the subalterns appointed under Montfort's command, few had any education, one was an innkeeper, one a breeches-make, and another had ambitions to be a butler. At the end of the training on Friday 27 May 1774, the men were paraded on Market Hill in Cambridge to hand in their weapons and uniforms. Montfort
7370-418: The military built many airfields here for RAF Bomber Command , RAF Fighter Command , and the allies USAAF . In recognition of this collaboration, the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial is located in Madingley . It is the only WWII burial ground in England for American servicemen who died during that event. Most English counties have nicknames for their people, such as a " Tyke " from Yorkshire and
7480-422: The militia permanent headquarters and regimental depots for the first time. Lieutenant-Col Ward's financial mismanagement of the regiment had long been a concern, but the change in regulations in 1786 allowed the Cambridgeshires to be commanded by a full colonel, and Hardwicke took advantage of this to supersede Ward. He appointed his nephew and heir, Philip Yorke , as colonel of the regiment on 31 January 1788. At
7590-610: The moderating maritime influence being less strong. Snowfall is slightly more common than in western areas, due to the relative winter coolness and easterly winds bringing occasional snow from the North Sea. In summer temperatures are average or slightly above, due to less cloud cover. It reaches 25 °C (77 °F) on around ten days each year, and is comparable to parts of Kent and East Anglia. Various forms of football have been popular in Cambridgeshire since medieval times at least. In 1579 one match played at Chesterton between townspeople and University of Cambridge students ended in
7700-437: The normal TBs who only served for short periods. The regiment may have been represented at the taking of Sleaford and Crowland in October 1643. These towns were lost to the Royalists again in 1644, and Cromwell's TB regiment may have been involved in the siege of Crowland in October. that year. A Royalist relieving force was defeated at Grantham and Crowland surrendered in December. Lieutenant-Colonel Dodson of Cromwell's TB
7810-510: The north-west and south respectively, are by far the largest settlements. The remainder of the county is rural, and contains the city of Ely , and towns such as Wisbech and St Neots . For local government purposes, Cambridgeshire comprises a non-metropolitan county , with five districts , and the unitary authority area of Peterborough . The local authorities collaborate through Cambridgeshire and Peterbrough Combined Authority . The county did not historically include Huntingdonshire or
7920-468: The officers of the Huntingdonshires. When it was embodied the regiment was so short of junior officers that Charles Yorke felt that they should ignore the property qualification (he wanted to promote the sergeant-major, a 'discreet, grave man', to quartermaster), and if possible get officers from the Army's Half-pay list. In this way the vacancies were quickly filled, but nine out of 16 subalterns had left by
8030-530: The part-time supplementaries was a burden on the regular militia. There was a call-out of the Supplementary Militia in 1798 to replace militiamen who had volunteered to transfer to the Regular Army, and to augment the embodied militia. Charles Wale had by now left the regiment but returned on 25 April 1798 with the rank of major to command the Supplementary Militia of Cambridgeshire, with two other captains, indicating an augmentation of three companies. Part of
8140-432: The ports of embarkation. Conduct money was recovered from the government, but the cost replacing the weapons issued to the levies from the militia armouries was a heavy charge on the counties. With the passing of the threat of invasion, the TBs declined in the early 17th Century. Later, King Charles I attempted to reform them into a national force or 'Perfect Militia' answering to the king rather than local control. In 1638
8250-593: The prospect of pay if war broke out with the American Colonies. In 1776 the new adjutant , Anthony Tolver, criticised the regiment for its 'obstinate unmilitary spirit'. The militia was called out during the War of American Independence when the country was threatened with invasion by the Americans' allies, France and Spain. The Cambridgeshire Militia was embodied for permanent service on 31 March 1778. Led by
8360-627: The reason for the augmentation was the outbreak of the Irish Rebellion of 1798 , which drew away many of the regulars from mainland Britain. Legislation passed in March 1798 also allowed the militia to volunteer for service in Ireland. The Cambridgeshire Militia was one of 13 regiments that volunteered and served there in 1798–99 under Col Vaughan, while the last embers of the rebellion were put down. Charles Yorke succeeded Sir Edward Nightingale as
8470-410: The regiment still in poor shape when it arrived at Danbury Camp in Essex in the summer of 1794, but he divided it into two 'divisions', the proficient men drilling twice a day under Wale himself, the 'awkward' division three times a day under NCOs. He also introduced physical training for the men. His successes drew congratulations from the camp commander, Gen Johnston. With a French invasion possible,
8580-501: The regiment was full of new recruits once more. However, the general in command was surprised how much they could do by the end of the camp. Following the agreement of the Treaty of Paris ending the war, the regiment was disembodied in 1783 From 1784 to 1792 the militia were supposed to assemble for 28 days' annual training, even though to save money only two-thirds of the men were actually called out each year. Those failing to appear at
8690-581: The regiment's Lt-Col on 10 February 1799. Yorke's time with the regiment was limited after he joined the Government as Secretary at War from February 1801 to August 1803, and then Home Secretary until May 1804. With negotiations under way for the Treaty of Amiens to end hostilities, the Cambridgeshire Militia were ordered to march from Ipswich to their own county in November 1801, where they were disembodied in 1802 The Peace of Amiens
8800-455: The regiment, but doubted that enough qualified men could be found in the county willing to accept commissions. It took over a year to find sufficient officers and to raise the men. The government would only issue arms from the Tower of London to militia regiments when they had enrolled 60 per cent of their quota: for Cambridgeshire this was on 3 September 1759. And although the regiment carried out
8910-547: The regiment; Hardwicke and Wale offered rewards to catch the offenders. The following summer the men camped on Landguard Common but could make use of the fort's canteen. Late in 1795 the regiment was ordered to take over Yarmouth Barracks from the Huntingdonshires, who had rioted and wrecked their quarters. Wale and Nightingale complained that their men would hold a grudge against the Huntingdonshire banditti . The Huntingdonshires claimed that their men had been corrupted by
9020-514: The required musters and training, it was not embodied for full time service in the Seven Years War, unlike all the regiments previously completed, and all but one other of those completed by August 1760. In 1761 all the officers resigned, and there were delays in arranging a new ballot after the men's three-year term of service expired. Eventually, after the war had ended, Cambridgeshire reluctantly reformed its regiment in 1764 to avoid paying
9130-414: The said Cambridge, on Friday the 22d of Day May instant, to be there trained and exercised for the space of twenty-eight Days together ; of which all Persons serving in the said Militia are hereby required to take Notice and attend accordingly. Dated this Eleventh Day of May, 1767. However, the regiment never mustered more than 430 rank and file at annual training out of an establishment of 480, although
9240-477: The same means. Lieutenant-Col Wortham resigned in 1794 and Edward Nightingale and Charles Yorke were promoted to Lt-Col and Major respectively on 15 December. The regiment spent the winter of 1794–5 at Landguard Fort and Harwich , where only occasional drill was possible. Captain Hudleston in temporary command had to deal with anonymous letters concerning the meat supply, which revealed chronic insubordination in
9350-434: The same time Capt Hale Wortham was promoted to Major after the resignation of Maj Stevenson, and Edward Nightingale (later Sir Edward Nightingale, 10th Baronet ) was commissioned as a captain. Philip Yorke succeeded as 3rd Earl of Hardwicke and Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire in 1790, and retained the colonelcy. Major Wortham and Capt Nightingale were promoted to lieutenant-colonel and major respectively on 15 March 1792 after
9460-514: The senior captain, William Stevenson. After its embodiment, the regiment was reviewed in May 1778 by Lieutenant-General Sir Richard Pierson before marching into Essex, where it joined an encampment. That winter it was stationed at Ipswich , which provided opportunities for socialising: Monday 18th January 1779] being her Majesty's birthday, the Cambridgeshire militia quartered here in Ipswich fired
9570-723: The south and west is gently undulating. Cambridgeshire's principal rivers are the Nene , which flows through the north of the county and is canalised east of Peterborough; the Great Ouse , which flows from west to east past Huntingdon and Ely; and the Cam , a tributary of the Great Ouse which flows through Cambridge. Cambridgeshire is noted as the site of Flag Fen in Fengate , one of the earliest-known Neolithic permanent settlements in
9680-543: The spring of 1794. Several were imprisoned for debt, fraud, or sexual assault. Of pre-war officers, former Lt-Col Fell of the East Essex Militia, and Capt George Manby commissioned into the Cambridgeshires in 1788, proved physically unfit. Yorke's own company was in some disorder in the spring of 1793, one subaltern being sick, the other too diffident. In consequence the men ran up debts in the inns in which they were billeted . The French Revolutionary Wars saw
9790-493: The substitutes from Wisbech Hundred that year were the worst he had ever seen. Ward also thought that his men were a 'sleepier sort than those of other counties', and that being almost all illiterate it was hard to find NCOs among them. However, in the summer of 1779 the regiment was sent to Warley Camp in Essex under Lt-Gen GeorgeParker ., who was a Cambridgeshire man and very helpful to the regiment. He lent it several Irish sergeants from other regiments, and these brought about
9900-435: The tunnel was closed, and it is believed to have filled with water or collapsed in places. In July 2007, a hovercraft passenger service completed a two-week trial between Portobello, Edinburgh and Kirkcaldy, Fife. The trial of the service (marketed as "Forthfast") was hailed as a major operational success, with an average passenger load of 85 per cent. It was estimated the service would decrease congestion for commuters on
10010-537: The two lines represent the River Cam and are in the Cambridge University's colours. Large areas of the county are extremely low-lying and Holme Fen is notable for being the UK's lowest physical point at 2.75 m (9 ft) below sea level. The highest point of the modern administrative county is in the village of Great Chishill at 146 m (480 ft) above sea level. However, this parish
10120-458: The university Lent Bumps and May Bumps and the non-college rowing organised by Cambridgeshire Rowing Association . There is only one racecourse in Cambridgeshire, located at Huntingdon . Cambridge is home to the Kettle's Yard gallery and the artist-run Aid and Abet project space. Nine miles west of Cambridge next to the village of Bourn is Wysing Arts Centre . Wisbech has been home to
10230-567: Was 464–477 foot and 42 dragoons. As Parliament tightened its grip on the country after the First English Civil War it passed new Militia Acts in 1648 and 1650 that replaced lords lieutenant with county commissioners appointed by Parliament or the Council of State . From now on the term 'Trained Band' began to disappear in most counties. Under the Commonwealth and Protectorate the militia received pay when called out, and operated alongside
10340-560: Was an early cavalry firearm). In the 16th Century little distinction was made between the militia and the troops levied by the counties for overseas expeditions. However, the counties usually conscripted the unemployed and criminals rather than send the trained bandsmen. Between 1585 and 1602 Cambridgeshire supplied 572 men for service in Ireland , 150 for France and 450 for the Netherlands . The men were given 'conduct money' to get to
10450-514: Was asked for a donation. In 1796 it consisted of seven of the 18 regimental drummers and eight additional musicians ranked as drummers. In 1798 Lehmann and the band refused to play as a string ensemble for an officers' ball, claiming lack of instruments but in reality seeking a gratuity. In the spring of 1797 the Cambridgeshires were stationed at the newly-constructed Prisoner-of-war camp at Norman Cross in Huntingdonshire , together with
10560-399: Was between the efficient but quarrelsome adjutant Lt Tolver and the newly-appointed major, Sir John Cotton's eldest son John, who wished to remove the older officers who were not gentlemen. Each was placed under arrest at various times and compromise between the two cliques was only brought about when there was a small mutiny among the men. Cotton eventually resigned and was replaced as major by
10670-417: Was drummed out of the regiment'. The quality of the men was causing concern. In 1778 only 60 out of the 460 rank and file were balloted men, or 'principals': the remainder were paid substitutes, and when a ballot was held the following year one of the Deputy Lieutenants, Sir Thomas Hatton, 8th Baronet , thought that not 20 out of the 353 men to be chosen would serve in person. Lieutenant-Col Ward complained that
10780-402: Was embodied soon afterwards the officers were described as inadequate and the sergeants able to do little by themselves: a bayonet charge ended in confusion, and drill was only possible in open order. Charles Yorke said that Lt-Col Wortham had 'infinite self-sufficiency' and 'not a single military idea in his head'. He made ' sad, sad work' at field days and disgraced the regiment in the sight of
10890-463: Was entrusted to the militia. James Howard, 3rd Earl of Suffolk , was re-appointed Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire (and Suffolk), having previously held the post in 1640–42. He personally held the colonelcy of the Suffolk regiment of horse militia, and was also governor of Landguard Fort at Felixstowe . The Cambridge Militia were called out in 1666 when a Dutch invasion was threatened, and again
11000-522: Was fixed at 646 men. The officer in charge of their training in 1797 was anxious that it should be done at a central rendezvous rather than their home districts, where they would be laughed at by the friends and officers issuing punishments would be in danger 'of being knocked on the head by old women and their families – I assure you I fear those viragos ... more that I do the invasion of the French'. Sending officers and NCOs back to their home counties to train
11110-411: Was historically a part of Essex , having been moved to Cambridgeshire in boundary changes in 1895. The historic county top is close to the village of Castle Camps where a point on the disused RAF airfield reaches a height of 128 metres (420 ft) above sea level (grid reference TL 63282 41881). Other prominent hills are Little Trees Hill and Wandlebury Hill (both at 74 m (243 ft)) in
11220-509: Was insulted and knocked down by members of Cambridge University who disliked him because of his links to the town corporation ( Town and gown riots were common in the town). Montfort ordered his men to come to him, but they hesitated until urged on by some bystanders. Then a fight broke out and all of the regiment except the Grenadier Company ran into the crowd, some using their musket butts, and some with fixed bayonets. They chased
11330-736: Was known as Bodotria in Roman times and was referred to as Βοδερία in Ptolemy 's Geography . In the Norse sagas it was known as the Myrkvifiörd . An early Welsh name is Merin Iodeo , or the 'sea of Iudeu '. Geologically, the Firth of Forth is a fjord , formed by the Forth Glacier in the last glacial period . The drainage basin for the Firth of Forth covers
11440-526: Was made a financial offer to surrender the adjutancy, and Capt Charles Wale , a half-pay regular officer who had seen service at the Great Siege of Gibraltar , was appointed in his place on 4 December 1793. During the winter of 1793–4 the regiment was scattered in detachments for winter quarters, which made training impossible, but in March 1794 it was possible to get six of the eighty companies together at St Ives and hold some field days. Wale considered
11550-435: Was no longer qualified for the position. Montfort complained that losing his command would mean a loss of five or six hundred pounds to him, but Hardwicke used his position to get promotion in the army for Montfort's son. He then appointed Thomas Watson Ward as Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant in his place. At first Ward was active in reforming the regiment, but he failed to address the quarrels among his officers. The worst of these
11660-581: Was placed in command of the garrison in January 1645 with 80 foot and 20 horse. Francis Russell took over from Cromwell as colonel of the regiment in August 1645, when it was ordered to be 500 foot and 100 dragoons. He in turn was succeeded in command by Col Valentine Walton in 1648. After the end of the First Civil War the regiment continued to garrison the Isle of Ely in 1646–7, when its strength
11770-535: Was present with two Suffolk troops, and came under fire from small cannon when they threatened the Dutch beachhead. The Earl of Suffolk used them to harry the Dutch retreat and evacuation from the beach after the failed attack on Landguard, though the Dutch flank guard in the hedges prevented the horse from coming to close quarters. The Earl of Suffolk discharged the militia, both horse and foot, to their homes on 10 July, even though some Dutch warships could still be seen off
11880-703: Was settled by the Anglo-Saxons starting in the fifth century. Genetic testing on seven skeletons found in Anglo-Saxon era graves in Hinxton and Oakington found that five were either migrants or descended from migrants from the continent, one was a native Briton, and one had both continental and native ancestry, suggesting intermarriage. Cambridgeshire was recorded in the Domesday Book as "Grantbridgeshire" (or rather Grentebrigescire ) (related to
11990-498: Was shortlived and the militia were re-embodied in 1803, Colonel the Earl of Hardwicke's son Lord Royston became a captain in the regiment on 6 March, and Tanfield Vatchell (captain since 13 March 1797) became major on 5 July 1803. Non-attendance at musters and desertion remained an issue: CAMBRIDGESHIRE MILITIA. WHEREAS several of the men who were sworn and inrolled to serve in the said militia have neglected to APPEAR at ELY, on Friday
12100-406: Was still struggling with a shortage of junior officers – in 1780 the former innkeeper and the would-be butler were still in the regiment, while the adjutant, quartermaster and two surgeons each had to be commissioned to make up the numbers, and there were still two vacancies. In 1782 the regiment was camped at Hopton Warren, near Great Yarmouth. The 1778 men having completed their three years' service
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