Little local military history. It was never the called the Dorsetshire Militia, there was only the Dorsetshire Regiment. And even that was changed by some pedant, who pointed out that Dorset had never been granted Shire status, so shouldn't be called Dorsetshire at all... That change came some time between the World wars (forget when) and when they amalgumated with the Devonshire Regiment in 1952, they became the Devon and Dorset Regiment.

Dorsetshire Regiment was made up of the 39th and 52nd Regiments of Foot, and the odd Militia man. The Dorset Militia were never sent abroad to fight, they were a sort of local Police/Customs support group who were there to stop Napoleon from landing (Thomas Hardy's 'The Trumpet Major' & J Meade Faulkner's 'Moonfleet' describe the tasks pretty well), smuggling and other such stuff.

The Commanding officer was usually the local squire, although Dorset had several landed families, I seem to remember the Digby family had a lot to do with their formation and upkeep. The Earl of Ilchester (Strangways) and the Lord Wynford also had connections. One Lord Wynford later went on to serve in the Dorset Regt in both world wars and lost an arm. Ilchester favoured the Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry - a regiment of Cavalry.

You can find out lots more about the Militia at the Dorset Military Museum (Website doesn't have much but gives details of the address, which should be here.... www.keepmilitarymuseum.org/ (sorry the blicky hasn't worked, can Joe Clone fix it for me please?)).

LTS - sorry, it was my best ever job working there, I get carried away.....