came. Members of the local Dorset gentry joined the militia and a number were painted in their uniforms, notably: Colonel David Robert Michel painted by Thomas Gainsborough circa 1760 Lieutenant Sir Gerard Napier painted by Joshua Reynolds circa 1762 Colonel George Pitt, First Lord Rivers painted by Thomas Gainsborough circa 1768; and then by Thomas Beach circa 1780 and Thomas Gooch circa 1782 The Dorset Militia was again raised in force in 1776 due to the majority of the regular British forces leaving to fight in the American Revolution, and thus the militia was needed to man the local garrisons. The militias were called out on active service during the Armada of 1779, and the Dorset men were tasked with building defenses on the coastline. On 22 August 1798 a force of 1,100 French soldiers landed in County Mayo to support the Irish Rebellion. The Churchwarden accounts for Fordington, Dorset show that the Dorset Militia were embarked for Ireland on 31 August 1798. They were still in transit when a decisive battle took place at Ballinamuck in County Longford and the French surrendered to become prisoners of war. Fortunately the diary of a James Ryan who was a land surveyor and present in Carrick in 1798 has survived and is held in the Waterford County Museum. This records that the Dorset Militia arrived on the 12th of September, 1798 and remained there until Michaelmas day [September 29]. One of their tasks appears to have been to search Carrick for arms but they only appear to have located rusty old guns and swords. They were despatched to Fermoy and Kerrick, which are North of Cork, but were back in Carrick on Shannon by October 22. For some time there were local uprisings or disturbances but only one is recorded involving the Dorset Militia and that was at Coolnamuck where a number of prisoners had been taken. Intelligence having been received that there was going to be trouble, a Mr Jephson preceded with a force of Yeomen [cavalry] assisted by the Dorset Militia to Coolnamuck and took into custody seven persons on 6 September 1799. That night about 300 people assembled and during the ensuing disturbances another nine were taken into custody. Things generally quietened down however and there was no longer a need for such large numbers [approx 100,000] so the Militia, including the Devon and Dorset contingents, returned to England