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Originally Posted by Jim McDougall
... References I have seen note the term arose during the war in the Peninsula with British troops referring to the style of musket/fusil used by the militia (=miguelet) there.
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Hi Jim,
That was so, at a later stage. Indeed Miquelete comes from the Catalonian
Miquelet, name atributed in this region to the mountain infantry, which came from the name of one of his first leaders, Miquelot de Prats, later becoming extensive to all Catalonian volunteers listed in time of war.In 1808 the Spanish new unit of volunteers in Catalonian provinces ( Barcelona, Tarragona, Lérida and Gerona) was named Tercios de Miqueletes, and his flag was black, whit the number of the Tercio. In 1810 the Miqueletes were transformed in " Legiones Catalanas".
Later came the calling of Miquelete to the patilha system and after to the guys or and weapons that showed up in the Peninsular war, alocated to the Portuguese side, and so called by the Brits.
Fernando