A History of Preston
in Hertfordshire
Not the Preston militia -
The militia lists of Hertfordshire are a precious primary source of information
about the men of the county in the eighteenth century.
What was the militia? The English nation was constantly fearful of invasions – either
from mainland Europe or Scotland. To combat this perceived threat, men were called-
By the 1750s, France had been destabilized by revolution. Marauding Scottish warriors
had ventured as far south as Derby in 1747. The Seven Year War against France began
in 1757. Parliament’s response was outlined in the Militia Act of 1757 that sought
to re-
Certain categories of men were excused and so the militia lists recorded a man’s occupation. Men were also exempt if they had been drawn previously. In addition, exclusion was granted due to infirmity or poverty because, if these men were drawn, their families would qualify for poor relief from the parish. So, the lists often included details of a man’s infirmity and the number of his children.
The resulting data (when it has been preserved – and Hertfordshire has a rich vein
of militia records to be mined) is effectively an annual census of men aged between
18-
The conclusions which follow are obvious – but should be stated:-
1) When a man first appears in a militia list after 1758, it is likely that either he was aged 18 in that year or that he moved into the parish about that time.
2) If a man disappears from the list, then probably he either died, or reached the
age of 45 (or 50 from 1857-
Sometimes two men with identical names are shown in the list. The clue to this possibility is a gap between the entries. The first man recorded may be a father and the second man may be the father’s son.
A change in a man’s occupation in the militia list may signal an alteration in social position. Thus, Thomas Harwood at Temple Dinsley, Preston was described as a servant and labourer in the list for ten years from 1758. Then, in 1768, he was noted as ‘Esquire’ when he became ‘Lord of the Manor’.
For the village of Preston, the militia list is particularly helpful because, while Preston is included in the parish of Hitchin, the list further specifically notes those living in Preston. Link: Preston militia lists. In the militia list for Preston, the majority of men are described as servants or labourers. A ‘servant’ was an unmarried farm servant who was ‘living in’. A ‘labourer’ was a married farm worker who was ‘living out’ or in a separate cottage.
The following are three case studies to illustrate the usefulness of militia lists when researching ancestors.
CASE STUDY ONE: Militia lists can be used to deduce information about families.
The 1851 census records a James Currell living in Norton, Herts who 79 years old
(therefore born 1771-
There is no corresponding baptism record for a James Currell at Hitchin parish (which
included Preston) in the IGI or the Hitchin parish registers. I decided to make a
chart of all mentions of male Currells/Corralls in Hertfordshire in the militia lists,
showing where and when they were living and their Christian names. The only Currell
living in Hitchin parish was Thomas Currell in 1771. The chart showed that a Thomas
Currell was living in Willian from 1758 until 1765, then Norton in 1768-
I found a baptism of a Thomas Currell at Hitchin in 1747. He married Mary in Hitchin in 1772. Although he was probably not the Thomas in Willian from 1758 – 65 (as he was only about 11 years old in 1758 and so not included in the list), he was possibly the Thomas in Norton in 1765 (when he was aged about 18) and it seemed extremely probable that as Thomas and Mary were married in Hitchin in 1772, then they were James’ parents. I was confident enough to include this data in my family tree.
After this detective work, I was delighted to find conclusive proof that my deductions
were correct. I found a Removal Order dated January 1776 which relocated Thomas and
Mary Currell from Hitchin to Norton, together with their son, James, who was two-
It emerged that Thomas Currell and my forefather, Robert Currell, were cousins.
CASE STUDY TWO: Militia lists can help to chart the movements of families. This example focuses on my greatx3 grandparents, Richard and Elizabeth Fairey.
Richard Fairey was baptized in Hitchin in 1741. The list notes that he was in Hitchin
from 1758 until 1762. He was a sack carrier and labourer. He then disappears from
the Hitchin records and appears in the Ippollitts list: 1763-
Thus, the movements of men can be researched by comparing the militia lists with parish records which may confirm their identities.
The widow, Elizabeth Fairey, then married Joseph Morgan in Ippollitts in 1783. He
is noted in the Ippollitts list in 1782 (before his marriage) as a servant and, interestingly,
in 1784-
CASE STUDY THREE: Militia lists can supply information which is not contained in parish registers.
The list for Preston catalogues Henry Ward from 1763 to 1785. In 1784, it adds that
he had three children. The Hitchin parish records state that Henry was born in 1745
in Hitchin (so he is the Henry who first appears in the list in 1763, aged 18). The
parish records show that he married Elizabeth Scrivenor at Hitchin in 1775. However,
no children by the couple are recorded as baptized in the Hitchin records – possibly
because the family were non-
The Herts Burial Index notes the burial of William Ward, son of Henry and Elizabeth, in 1804. (He was not an infant). So, William is one of the missing children. The Burial record adds that the family were living at Preston. Another example of how comparing records from a number of sources can complete the jigsaw – at least partially.
There is a list of the men who were recorded in the militia lists for Preston. Link: Preston militia list
