19th century portrait military officer 5th Royal Lancashire Militia,East Lancashire Regiment
A fine 19th century oil on canvas portrait stated to be Captain Paul John Henry Butler, 5th Royal Lancashire Militia, half length, wearing breast star. Housed in a gilt frame which is glazed to protect the painting
The size of the painting being 61x 73 cm whilst overall the size is 79 x 89 cm
In overall very good condition ready to hang.Face smooth not mottled as appears in photo ( due to glazing)
It is stated in the London Gazettes " GC Paul John Henry Butler, Gentleman, to be Supernumerary Lieutenant, 16th November, 1860 , promoted January 1867"
The 5th lancashire militia became the Third battalion East lancashire regiment

The 5th Royal Lancashire Militia (5th RLM) was an auxiliary regiment raised in the county of Lancashire in North West England just before the Crimean War. It later became part of the East Lancashire Regiment. Although primarily intended for home defence, it saw two years' active service during the Second Boer War. After conversion to the Special Reserve (SR) under the Haldane Reforms it supplied reinforcements to the fighting battalions during World War I and carried out internal security duties in Ireland. After a shadowy postwar existence the unit was finally disbanded in 1953.
5th Royal Lancashire Militia
The long-standing Militia of the United Kingdom was revived by the Militia Act 1852, enacted during a period of international tension. As before, units were raised and administered on a county basis, and filled by voluntary enlistment (although conscription by means of the militia ballot might be used if the counties failed to meet their quotas). Training was for 56 days on enlistment, then for 21 28 days per year, during which the men received full army pay. Under the Act, militia units could be embodied by Royal Proclamation for full-time service in three circumstances

1. 'Whenever a state of war exists between Her Majesty and any foreign power'.
2. 'In all cases of invasion or upon imminent danger thereof'.
3. 'In all cases of rebellion or insurrection'.
With the threat of war against Russia, the three Lancashire regiments were ordered to recruit up to their full establishment of 1200 men. Additional infantry and artillery militia regiments were also formed in Lancashire at this time including the 5th Royal Lancashire Militia (5th RLM) raised at Burnley on 22 March 1853 under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant Charles Towneley of Towneley Hall (commissioned on 16 March 1853), with his brother John as one of the majors.[ Soon there were seven militia infantry regiments in Lancashire, each with a defined recruiting area after 1855: the 5th at Burnley also recruited from Accrington,