The Militia Ordinance was a piece of legislation passed by the Long Parliament of England in March 1642, which was a major step towards the civil war between the King and Parliament of England. Previously the King had the sole right to appoint the Lords Lieutenant, who were in charge of the county militias (also known as the trained bands). These militias were the only land forces available in peacetime, because England had no regular standing army. As relations between King and Parliament deteriorated, control of the militia became a very controversial issue. After Charles I attempted to arrest five members of the Commons and one Lord in January 1642, Parliament did not trust him and tried to deny him control of any military forces which he could use against them. On March 5, 1642 the anti-royalist majority in the House of Lords passed an Ordinance appointing their choice of Lords Lieutenant, although a royalist minority protested (House of Lords Journal, March 5, 1642). The House of Commons agreed to the Ordinance the same day (House of Commons Journal, March 5, 1642), but according to English custom no legislation could become law until it received the royal assent. The King refused to give his assent to the bill, but on March 15, 1642 Parliament declared that "the People are bound by the Ordinance for the Militia, though it has not received the Royal Assent" (House of Lords Journal, March 15, 1642). This was the first time that Parliament had ever put a law into effect without royal assent. Such an unprecedented assertion of Parliamentary sovereignty made war far more likely. The Long Parliament is the name of the English Parliament called by Charles I, in 1640, following the Bishops Wars. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ... Events January 4 - Charles I attempts to arrest five leading members of the Long Parliament, but they escape. ... The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations that took place between Parliamentarians (known as Roundheads) and Royalists (known as Cavaliers) from 1642 until 1651. ... English parliament in front of the king c. ... Flag of a Lord-Lieutenant The title Lord-Lieutenant is given to the British monarchs personal representatives around the United Kingdom. ... Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. ... March 5 is the 64th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (65th in leap years). ... Events January 4 - Charles I attempts to arrest five leading members of the Long Parliament, but they escape. ... This article is about the British House of Lords. ... March 5 is the 64th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (65th in leap years). ... Events January 4 - Charles I attempts to arrest five leading members of the Long Parliament, but they escape. ... The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... March 5 is the 64th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (65th in leap years). ... Events January 4 - Charles I attempts to arrest five leading members of the Long Parliament, but they escape. ... // The granting of Royal Assent is the formal method by which a constitutional monarch completes the legislative process of lawmaking by formally assenting to an Act of Parliament. ... March 15 is the 74th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (75th in Leap years). ... Events January 4 - Charles I attempts to arrest five leading members of the Long Parliament, but they escape. ... March 15 is the 74th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (75th in Leap years). ... Events January 4 - Charles I attempts to arrest five leading members of the Long Parliament, but they escape. ...

The Militia Ordinance and the King's Commissions of Array were statements of intent and tests of loyalty but had little practical impact on the raising of armies. The main Parliamentarian army commanded by the Earl of Essex was formed entirely with regular regiments raised from volunteers who enlisted in the summer of 1642. Local trained bands often had divided loyalties or refused to serve outside their own counties. The biggest exception was the London Militia, which was placed under the control of the London Militia Committee by the Militia Ordinance. London was by far the most populous city in England and had a large and well trained militia. The London trained bands marched out to link up with Essex's army at Turnham Green in November 1642, blocking a royalist advance on London. In subsequent years London trained bands regiments were used to reinforce the armies of the Earl of Essex and Sir William Waller, and the Essex trained bands took part in the siege of Reading in 1643. A commission given by royalty to officers or gentry in a given territory to muster and array the inhabitants, or see them in a condition for war. ... Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, (January 11 1591 – 14 September 1646), was the son and heir of the unfortunate Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, and succeeded to his fathers title in 1604, three years after the previous earl had been executed for treason. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Events January 4 - Charles I attempts to arrest five leading members of the Long Parliament, but they escape. ... Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, (January 11 1591 – 14 September 1646), was the son and heir of the unfortunate Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, and succeeded to his fathers title in 1604, three years after the previous earl had been executed for treason. ... For the former governor of Mississippi, see Bill Waller. ... Essex is a county in the East of England. ... Statistics Population: 143,096 (Borough, 2001) 232,662 (Urban area, 2001) Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SU713733 Administration Unitary authority: Borough of Reading Region: South East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Berkshire Historic county: Berkshire Services Police force: Thames Valley Police Fire and rescue... // Events January 21 - Abel Tasman discovers Tonga February 6 - Abel Tasman discovers the Fiji islands. ...

The Long Parliament continued to pass and enforce Ordinances without the royal assent throughout the 1640s. Most of these were declared void after the Restoration, but Charles II continued the excise duty, which was originally brought in by an Ordinance of Parliament in 1643 (Wheeler, 1999:148). The Long Parliament is the name of the English Parliament called by Charles I, in 1640, following the Bishops Wars. ... King Charles II, the first monarch to rule after the English Restoration. ... Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was the King of England, King of Scots, and King of Ireland from 30 January 1649 (de jure) or 29 May 1660 (de facto) until his death. ...

References

• Journal of the House of Commons
• Journal of the House of Lords
• Wheeler, J. S. (1999). The Making of a World Power: War and the Military Revolution in Seventeenth Century England, Stroud: Sutton. ISBN 0750920254.