The Derbyshire Blues

The Derbyshire Blues were a militia regiment raised in Derby by the Duke of Devonshire in response to the invasion by Charles Edward Stuart ('Bonnie Prince Charlie') in 1745. As Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire, the Duke had responsibility for raising a militia in defence of the realm, and as a member of the Whig aristocracy he was opposed to any attempt to usurp King George II. The Militia Act 1745 made provision for calling out the militia in England during the Jacobite rising, and on 13 September 1745 the Government sent letters directing the lord-lieutenants of counties in England and Wales to call out the militia. The militia system having decayed during the years of peace, most counties found it easier to raise troops by voluntary enlistment rather than them being levied by the parishes and hundreds of the county as required under the Militia Acts.

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