The Fencible Regiments in Britain and Ireland, 1793-1802

The Fencible Regiments were temporary British military units established for home defence during times of war, primarily in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Originally created as a solution to the impracticality of deploying quasi-conscripted county militia in post-Jacobite Scotland, their success led to the expansion of the scheme across the rest of Britain and Ireland.

Like the militia, the Fencible Regiments were restricted to service within the British Isles, allowing regular British Army units to be deployed abroad. Consequently, they have often been viewed as either Scottish ‘clan’ regiments or as an ‘amateur’ auxiliary force. This perception has led to them being largely overlooked in the military history of this period.

In fact, they operated as part of the regular army – and were recruited and administered as such – playing a notable role during the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

In this talk, Rory Butcher will draw on original research to explore the reality of service in the Fencible Regiments. Were they neglected by the government of the time? Were they overlooked by the civilians they interacted with? And are they truly forgotten today?

About Rory Butcher

Rory Butcher is a recent doctoral candidate at the University of Leeds. His research focuses on military and civilian experiences during the period of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (1793-1815), addressing themes of national identity, martial masculinity and negotiated authority.

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