Royalist Command

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Painting by Alan Tuckey (with one exception), basing by me.

His Majesty, Charles I.


Prince Rupert of the Rhine and Boye. Poodles - not really a 'manly dog' are they? And who were they trying to kid calling it a war poodle?


As yet unnamed generals


This one is from Matchlock, and is one of my paint jobs.


And finally a priest, looking suspiciously sympathetic to the Pope and the Church of Rome.


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The Sealed Knot - ECWS: re-enactors

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Bank Holiday weekends usually mean that The Sealed Knot, and The English Civil War Society are re-enacting somewhere. If you have never been to a re-enactment they usually take on two forms - a small demonstration with maybe just one regiment, or major battle with horses, cannon and hundreds of foot soldiers.


The Sealed Knot recently put on one of their major meets at Deene Park in Northampton. Here's a photo album as painting inspiration, or as a taster of what to expect.

The living history camp...


Prior to the battle 

the apprentices regiment drilled...

...and Hesilrigge's Lobsters rode out

The battle


The resident kites weren't sure what to make of it all








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Hovels Ancients Range

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Always on the look out for buildings and scenery that 'works' with Peter Pig figures, and matches Hovels and Peter Pig buildings I returned to the Hovels website. This time I had a look at the Ancient 15mm range - hidden amongst the Roman marching camp and Celtic round houses are a few wattle and daub farm buildings which have seventeenth century potential.

My rationale to myself: cheap construction and maintenance methods would no doubt continue to be utilised until a cheaper better option became available. Hence wattle and daub thatched outbuildings are a 'winner', but not roundhouses.

First up is the 'Raised Grain Store' 14D5.


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Last offering from the…
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A New Regiment - How Long Does It Take?

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A question that arose to myself the other day was: "I wonder how long it takes me to 'do' a regiment?"

So I've decided to time and document the process. I already had the figures, had researched which regiment it would represent (coats and flags), and emailed my request through to Maverick Models to have the flag produced. So I imagine I have excluded a fair chunk of time there. Nor have I included 'prevarication' time - all that time spent deciding what colour to chose, trying to find elusive pots of paint that aren't where they should be, deciding what music I should listen to whilst painting, cleaning brushes, filling water pots, drying time etc

This is one of my standard regiments of foot: 34 figures with separate pikes, and a casualty marker. I'm not the most accomplished painter, my painting style is more akin to waving a brush in the vaguely right direction. Nor am I the quickest. I am of the school that believes if the sculptor put the det…
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Colonel John Pickering’s Regiment of Foot

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Colonel John Pickering’s Regiment of Foot was raised in 1644 and was part of the eastern Association. Stormed Lincoln in 1644 before taking part at York, Marston Moor, Sheffield, Bolsover Castle and Second Newbury. in 1645 they were garrisoned at Abingdon before becoming part of the New Model Army.


The Regiment is re-enacted by Colonel John Pickering's Foot part of the Sealed Knot.



Pickering was a lawyer who acted as a diplomat for parliament  conveying messages and reporting back from the Scottish privy council. Pickering originally commanded a regiment of dragoons, before taking command of his regiment of foot.


Pickering's was my guinea pig unit answering my 'how long does it take?' question.


The regiment have a published history (Glen Foard, Pryor Publications). Out of print but available from online auction houses and ABE Books.


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Lieutenant General James Wemyss’ Regiment of Foot

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Lieutenant General James Wemyss’ Regiment of Foot were firelocks serving as artillery guard to Waller’s Army of the Southern Association. Raised in 1643 they participated at the Siege of Arundel Castle, Cheriton, Cropredy Bridge, and Second Newbury before being disbanded in 1645.




The regiment wore blue coats in 1644. Like all of my firelocks/commanded shot units they do not carry an ensign.



Wemys was a Scot who was a 'master gunner of England' and 'general of the artillery in Scotland': he was captured at Cropredy. He was held captive for many months before being exchanged in a prisoner swap.

His uncle invented a leather gun for field work, which James improved the design.

Re-instated as 'master gunner of England' by Charles II, a post he held until 1666, after which he returned to his home in Scotland, dying shortly after in 1667.
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Prince Maurice’s Firelocks

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One of two planned 'commanded shot' units for my Royalist army. Prince Maurice’s Firelocks are believed to have taken part in the Battles of Leicester and Naseby, definitely taking part in the battles of Denbigh Green and Stow-on-the-Wold.


None of my commanded shot units carry ensigns, and are probably much too large in comparison to my regiments of foot, as they were most likely only a company or two of musketeers. No coat colours are recorded so I've plumped for red.


Maurice was Rupert's younger brother, he was given his first command in 1643 leading an army, reasonably successfully, against Waller in the Welsh borders. Eventually he took command of the King's western army, before surrendering and being banished from England in 1646.

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The Battle of Nantwich, 25th January 1644

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1643, Charles had signed a Cessation with the Irish and recalled soldiers from Ireland to reinforce his armies. Several regiments were sent to Cheshire where a  new army was being raised. Lord Byron took command of that army in December of that year, and immediately started an offensive against the Parliamentarian forces in the County.

These troops returned to England with a sense of brutality, not seen before in the conflict. One incident in particular shocked the population, no doubt adding fuel to the Parliamentarian fire. When a group of Royalists plundered the village of Barthomley, villagers took refuge in the tower of St Bertoline's Church. The Royalists made a fire at the base of the tower to smoke them out, which forced them to surrender. The Royalists stripped and executed twelve of the villagers and wounded eight others.

Alan Garner's novel "Red Shift" uses this incident for one of the three stories within a story.





Sir William Brereton, the Parliamentarian …
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Regiments of Foot

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Inspired by Streeter's representation of infantry blocks on his Naseby engraving, I set about planning my regiments of foot with the Peter Pig website.

I decided on wings of 8 musketeers, which handily is a pack; a pike block of 12 pikemen (1 1/2 packs); command strip of 4 (1/2 pack), and a couple of halberdiers (1/4 pack). So a regiment was 4 1/4 packs or 34 individuals.

Basing - rather than base for a particular ruleset (not important if I am providing both armies) led to the following idea. Base figures  on 15mm × 40mm. This would suit strips of 4 figures, with halberdiers based 1 per 15×40. A couple of blank bases would make everything neat and tidy for a  120mm × 60mm movement tray. This would also give the option of having the command strip at the front or at the back once the roughtie toughtie stuff starts.

Here's a couple of views of Colonel Charles Fairfax’s Regiment of Foot to illustrate my infantry organisation. Pretty pleased with how they have come out.




Currently…
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Colonel Hugh Fraser’s Regiment of Dragoons

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Colonel Hugh Fraser’s Regiment of Dragoons were raised in 1643 and are most famous for their pivotal role at Marston Moor; the regiment also fought at  Corbridge, Penshaw, York, Doncaster, Newcastle, Carlisle, Hereford, and Newark.

The Regiment was disbanded at Kelso, apart from Colonel Fraser's troop that continued as part of the Scots New Model Army.


Command 
Figures from Peter Pig's new range of dragoons, every single figure having a headswap.


Let the headswaps begin
The Regiment are re-enacted as part of the Sealed Knot's Scots Brigade, I shamelessly copied their guidon. A crime which Stuart at Maverick Models was an accessory to.


The fighting men of the regiment
As much as I like the look of my dragoons, I have to say I am very pleased that I will probably never* have to paint another unit of them. It's like painting a small regiment of foot and a large regiment of horse at the same time.


Lots of horses and horseholders
*To utilise the title of a second rate Bond fil…
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Streeter, Streater, Sprigge or Sturt?

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The famous engraving of the order of battle at Naseby is generally known as Streeter's map. In fact that is how I refer to it throughout this blog.

Eagle eyed amongst you will notice that there are two versions of the plan of Naseby, one with a portrait of the Fairfax top right, and one without. The Royal Collection, and the British Museum both have a copy with Fairfax on and attribute these to Streeter.

Robert Streeter, sometimes Streater, 1624-80 (or 1621-79 depending upon your source material) was a painter and etcher. Widely known and celebrated he was mentioned by Pepys in his diaries.


This is where Sprigge comes in: the plan is sometimes attributed to Joshua Sprigge as the illustration appeared in his book "Anglia rediviva: England's recovery: being the history of the motions, actions and successes of the army under the immediate conduct of His Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax, Captain-General of all the Parliament's forces in England". Sprigge wrote the book …
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