Irish Volunteers (18th Century) - Organisation

Organisation

Originally each Volunteer company was an independent force typically consisting of 60 to 80 men In some parts of the country, a company could consist of between 60 and 100, and were raised in each parish where the number of Protestants made it viable. Alongside the parish companies, towns had one or more companies. For officers a company had as its highest rank, a captain, followed by a lieutenant, and ensign. They also had surgeons and chaplains. Local Volunteer companies would later amalgamate into battalions led by colonels and generals, some of which consisted of ten to twelve companies.

Volunteer members accepted no pay, however the more wealthy amongst them shared their funds with their poorer comrades, with officers donating towards the companies stock purse.

An example of the amalgamation of Volunteer companies is that of First Ulster Regiment, County Armagh. The First Armagh Company was raised in Armagh city on 1 December 1778, and in 13 January 1779, Lord Charlemont became its captain. As many new Volunteer corps were being raised throughout the county, a meeting was held at Clare on 27 December 1779, where they discussed forming these corps into battalions, with commanding officers appointed and the raising of artillery companies to compliment them. This saw the creation of the Northern Battalion and Southern Battalion of the First Ulster Regiment.

Unlike the volunteer militias formed earlier in the 18th century, which had Crown commissioned officers, the private members of Volunteer companies in a form of military democracy appointed their own, and were "subject to no Government control". These officers were subject to being dismissed for misconduct or incapacity.

An example of Volunteers taking action against their own officers would be two officers commissioned to the Southern Battalion of the First Ulster Regiment: Thomas Dawson (commander) and Francis Dobbs (major). Both would also accept commissions in a Fencible regiment. This met with great disapproval amongst local volunteer companies who found them no longer acceptable as field officers. Lord Charlemont's own company, the First Armagh Company, even protested against the formation of Fencible regiments. By 1 January 1783, both Dawson and Dobbs had received their Fencible commissions and ceased to be volunteers.