Wargaming the English Civil War in 15mm, home of the English Civil War travelogue.
Showcasing dreadful painting and mediocre prose.
Amsterdam
Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps
-
Amsterdam? English Civil War? Surely a questionable/tenuous link... or an excuse for a 'jolly'.
Amsterdam, party capital of the low countries, is not too synonymous with the Civil Wars, standing in the shadows of Breda and The Hague.
Detail from 'Militia Company...Bicker'
Breda's claim is strong, where many adventuring young gentlemen learned soldiering before the outbreak of the Wars; The Hague, where so many Royalists exiled themselves during the Interregnum/Protectorate.
Amsterdam wasn't too popular with exiled Royalists; however, it did become home for many exiled republicans once the Restoration had returned the monarch to the throne. These exiled republicans would help build Amsterdam's wealth.
What Amsterdam does have is a city landscape that very much entered its golden age during the mid seventeenth century. Amongst the pungent aroma of cafes, stroopwafels, extortionate chocolate shops, frites and ladies whose virtue can be easily bought, are a whole plethora of seventeenth century churches, bell towers and an unrivalled collection of artefacts at the Rijksmuseum.
Plaque commemorating The Pilgrim Fathers, English Reformed Church Amsterdam
We'll start off with the English Reformed Church Amsterdam, located in a quiet backwater in the middle of the city, the English Reformed Church is actually part of the Church of Scotland.
the English Reformed Church
During the Reformation the church was closed when the city fathers disallowed all but Reformed worship.
The church lay unused for 20 years until it was given to the English-speaking worshippers in Amsterdam in 1607. Please note that the Begijnhof is a private residential square, the bouncers at the entrance will remind you that you have to be quiet.
Amsterdam's oldest wooden house, in the Begijnhof
The Rijksmuseum is clearly the big ticket item for the seventeenth century aficionado. Please note that you can not purchase tickets at the museum, they can only be bought online.
ECWtravelogue top tip: arrive early and head to the second floor and the Gallery of Honour to avoid the crowds.
The Gallery of Honour is currently home to the recently cleaned, and restored 'Night Watch' by Rembrandt (it will soon be moving to its own gallery at the end of the Gallery of Honour). Or to give the painting its correct title, 'Militia Company of District II under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq'. Supposedly called 'The Night Watch' due to the accumulated dirt that obscured much of the detail and dulled the colours.
It was fashionable for officers in Amsterdam's Militia to have rather grand portraits of themselves surrounded by a number of their soldiers and fellow officers (as you'll see as you scroll down through this post).
'The Night Watch'
In the next bay along is Rembrandt's 'The Standard Bearer', dated 1636.
'The Standard Bearer'
However, despite the obvious appeal of 'The Night Watch', the other side of the gallery is chockful of Vermeers (be still my beating heart). So forgive me whilst I indulge myself and post 'The Little Street'. The Vermeers are incredibly useful for selecting colours for your civilians.
'The Little Street'
ECWtravelogue top tip: once you have visited the Grand Gallery I suggest you return to the basement and start the museum route in the 1100-1600 Gallery. This allows you to access all parts of the museum without having to continually go up and downstairs and revisit galleries that you have already viewed.
When you have made your way back up to the second floor, there are some interesting coins and medals in a side gallery overlooking the museum's rather spectacular looking library.
Medal commemorating the Anglo-Dutch Fishery Treaty, 1636
The route will take you to some more militia portraits. The Militia were effectively Amsterdam's Trained Bands, such a shame that the fashion of grand portraits didn't exist in England (it would have made life so much easier).
'Militia Company of District VIII in Amsterdam under the Command of Captain Roelof Bicker' by van der Helst, 1643
'Banquet at the Crossbowmen’s Guild in Celebration of the Treaty of Münster' by van der Helst, 1648
Amongst the portraits of Amsterdam's military great and good, are some military artefacts. Including a buff coat and hat worn by Ernst Casimir van Nassau-Dietz at the Siege of Roermund. The hat having a hole created by a Spanish musket ball, which killed Ernst.
'Frederik Henry, Prince of Orange' by van Mierevely, 1632
Bandolier, with powder chargers 1640s
Musket and rest
Admiral Jacob van Heemskerck's armour and sword. Missing the left cuisse as it was shattered by a Spanish cannonball which ended the Admiral's life
A rather splendid rat catcher statuette, which surely was the inspiration for Matchlock Miniature's rat catcher figure.
It is inevitable that the Dutch navy is well represented in the museum, including the Royal Coat of Arms that was removed from HMS Royal Charles at the Battle of The Medway. Don't forget that prior to being Charles II's flagship, the ship was the pride of the Commonwealth's Navy, originally called Naseby.
Leaving aside the rather spectacular paintings, there is a collection of seventeenth century whaler's hats which came to light as they literally fell out of a receding glacier at Spitsbergen.
There's more seventeenth century clothing in the other side of the museum's basement in the 'special collections' galleries.
Linen shirt 1640-49, believed to have belonged to Willem Frederik
Not to mention a small, but beautifully formed arms and armour gallery.
Greenwich made cuirassier armour
An 'interesting' powder flask
Did I mention Delftware? It's everywhere.
Military camp 1660
Many Amsterdam guidebooks, and Google maps show a free gallery of the Amsterdam Museum, which is solely dedicated to Amsterdam's City watch. Depending upon your source it is either located close to the Begijnhof, or next to the H'ART Museum. Save your shoe leather. It is in neither location. Nor is it located inside the H'ART Museum. (The H'ART Museum is part of Moscow's Hermitage Museum).
And if you would like to see the Night Watch 'come to life'...
Postcodes for SatNavs English Reformed Church, Begijnhof 48
Rijksmuseum, Museumstraat 1
If you enjoyed reading this, or any of the other posts, please consider supporting the blog.
After a brief sojourn in the Marches, it's back to Scotland for the ECWtravelogue. Today's post looks at Central Scotland, and the (alleged) jewel in the crown of Scottish Castles - Stirling. Stirling Castle, from the Rose Garden The Royal palace of Stirling Castle , had fallen into "ruin and decay" when Anne of Denmark chose to travel to Stirling for the birth of her first child in December 1593. Prompting James VI (later James VI/I)to order repairs on the palace. in your face Wallace Memorial! The Royal Family would spend time here until the Union of the Crowns of 1603, when his father succeeded as King of England and the family left for London. the C astle's gatehouse battle scars formal gardens laid out for Charles & Henrietta Maria, the central 'earthwork' is the King's Knot Now effectively redundant, the Palace became a prison for persons of note. Restoration work continued, and preparation were made for the visit of Charles I, who stayed ...
Spurred into action by Radio 4's Food Programme trotting out the 'Cromwell banned Christmas' line, time for the annual public service clarification... It being that time of year, it is only right and proper to debunk the commonly held 'fact' that Cromwell banned Christmas. The Puritans who held the majority in Parliament effectively banned Christmas as a) they believed it to be wasteful and a sin, and b) as an attempt to persuade the Scots Presbyterians that only by supporting Parliament could they achieve their goal of religious tolerance. Whilst I do err with the belief that Christmas has become a festival of mass consumption and over commercialism, and has forgotten what the mid-winter festival is actually about, I wouldn't be up for banning it outright. Whilst happy to celebrate my Parliamentarian heritage and leaning (my great × lots uncle became General Treasurer of Lancashire for Parliament in 1643), if Parliament was against cake I may well have to be...
The next five minute's of fame spotlight falls upon George Dodding's Regiment of Horse. This short lived regiment probably only numbered two troops, as Dodding only claimed pay as a Captain of Horse (he also claimed pay as a Colonel of Foot ). What troops they had, appear to have been hastily assembled - Captain Cripps' troop was mustered two days before Marston Moor, and numbered just 50 men. The Regiment fought at Lathom House; Marston Moor; a skirmish at Ribble Bridge; a skirmish at Witten Cop; Ormskirk; and the siege of Greenhalgh Castle. If you enjoyed reading this, or any of the other posts, please consider supporting the blog. Thanks .
Due to continual 'ah, but I need to represent this unit' type scenarios I came to the conclusion that I needed some more artillery for my armies. This coincided with the demise of Naismith-Roundway and I thought I wouldn't be able to get matching limbers. Thankfully, I discovered KeepWargaming who have a dwindling stock of Naismith figures. I quickly purchased all of the limbers in their stock room. (So expect similar artillery posts about the Covenanters and the Royalists.) So here are my final planned Parliamentarian figures: two minions, crews and limbers. Figures from PP, the gun is listed as light gun. I must confess that I wasn't totally happy with my cannons. Historically the metalwork was most probably black, but it just looked much too flat. So I decided to paint these differently. I decided to use Foundry blackened barrel. I have two shades of the paint, the lighter version being used for the wheel tyres (my thinking being that the paint would be more worn)...
Regular readers (hello all seven of you) will be familiar with my tit-for-tat army expansions. So just as Parliament had an artillery expansion, so the King's Army requires one too. With the apparent demise of Naismith-Roundway, I thought I wouldn't be able to get hold of any of my preferred 'light' limbers. Thankfully, I discovered KeepWargaming (no relation) who have a dwindling stock of Naismith figures. I quickly purchased all of the limbers in their stock room. So here are my final planned Royalist figures: two minions, crews and limbers. Figures from PP, the gun is listed as light gun. Regular readers will be aware that I wasn't totally happy with my cannons. Historically the metalwork was most probably black, but it just looked much too flat. So these have painted using my new paint recipe: instead of matt black I now use Foundry blackened barrel. I have two shades of the paint, the lighter version being used for the wheel tyres (my thinking being that th...
The last of the Royalist regiments of horse to take their moment in the spotlight. Sir Charles Lucas is probably most famous for his execution, or "The Loyall Sacrifice" as the Royalist newsbooks would describe it. Charles learned his soldiering, as so many did, in the Netherlands during the 1630s, before returning to fight in the Bishops' Wars. He would be knighted for his efforts in 1639 and be appointed governor of Richmond (the Yorkshire one). As the King was raising his banner, Sir Charles would raise his Regiment of Horse. The Regiment would have their first taste of combat at a skirmish at Padbury; followed by First Newbury; Hunsborough Hall; Bradford; Boldon Hill; Chester-le-Street; and Marston Moor. Lucas would be wounded and taken prisoner. He would help to identify the eminent Royalist dead for honourable burial. It is said he wept at their numbers. The Regiment would continue fighting at Malpas; Dorchester; were possibly at the storming of Ledbury; skirmishe...
After the excitement of Captain Frances Dalyell's Troop, recruiting the Army Of Montrose comes down to earth with a bump. Sorry. A very short-lived troop of horse that we don't really know much about. Raised by the Victorian's very own action hero, The Marquis of Montrose, to serve on Clavering’s brief campaign on the Scottish Border in early 1644. Reputedly boasting Scots gentry amongst their numbers. Their very brief fighting history being the taking of Dumfries; the siege of Morpeth; and a skirmish at Sunderland. And that, gentle reader, is pretty much all that is known about them; other than Blount described their cornet in The Art of Making Devises. I've chosen to present them as lancers, as I originally intended just to have the Gordon Horse as Montrose's harquebusiers. Mostly straight from the bag PP lancers. As I was being a cheapskate I rummaged in my spares box to find a trumpeter and a pair of mounted dragoon command figures - all three have had heads...
Sir John Gell was a bit of a favourite here at Château KeepYourPowderDry due to the Derbyshire connection, and having oodles of his belongings survive in museums. However, a little bit of research into the man himself reveals that even by seventeenth century standards he could be described as somewhat misogynistic. We've already met his Regiment of Foot (another wargamer favourite - possibly the only military unit that we can, hand on heart say we know what their coats and flags looked like); Gell also had a Regiment of Horse. Well, when I say a Regiment it only existed as a 'Regiment' on paper. In reality it was independent troops who came together for the rumble at Hopton Heath, and were nominally under Gell's command. Obviously as Gell was a little busy commanding the army, actual command of the 'Regiment' fell to Major Thomas Saunders. Gell and Saunders didn't really get on too well. Some of their mildly acrimonious letters still exist. Whilst there is...
Not a 'new' Regiment, but another in the series of 'briefly mentioned, I'd better go into a bit more detail' posts. So here is fifteen minutes of fame for the Earl of Buccleugh's Regiment of Foot. Later known as Colonel Walter Scott’s, then Colonel William Baillie’s Regiment of Foot, they were also known as the Tweeddale Foot. The Tweeddale Foot were raised in August/September of 1643 by Francis Scott, the 2nd Earl of Buccleugh (now spelled Buccleuch). The majority of its men came from the presbytery of Selkirk. Numbering 1200 men they joined Leven's army in January 1644 and marched south into England. Their first engagement was at the Battle of Hylton to the west of Sunderland (also known as the Battle of Boldon Hills), closely followed by joining the besiegers of York. They were brigaded with Loudon's Glasgow Foot at Marston Moor, but fled the field after being broken by the left wing of the Royalist horse. They were then quartered in South Yorkshire, ...
Comments
Post a Comment