Officer's grenadier cap worn by Lieutenant J B Harrison, South Battalion Hampshire Militia, 1760 (c)

Metal and silk thread embroidery on velvet, 1760 (c).

Ad-hoc units like the Hampshire Militia stand in a tradition of part-time soldiers who have supplemented the standing Army. These forces were often assembled to resist invasion or for maintaining domestic order. Later examples include the Yeomanry, Territorials and Home Guard.

This cap depicts the white horse of Hanover, emblem of the ruling royal dynasty. Its Latin motto translates as 'The sickles are forged into blades'. This no doubt reflected the fact that most militia recruits were agricultural workers.