Keep Your Powder Dry

Welcome to my Tower Hamlet's Trained Band. A unit that has had more incarnations than a Tina Turner tribute act has outfit changes. They appeared on this blog in one of the first entries with a green flag; once my knowledge of the London Trained Bands grew I realised that the flag was incorrect (I'd trusted a list on the internetz!) so the flag was replaced with the 'correct' one. Add some more LTB knowledge and I realised that they really probably shouldn't be wearing red coats either  (I'd trusted a list on the internetz - I sense a pattern emerging). So rather than repainting them, my original Tower Hamlet's Trained Band were reborn as Colonel John Birch's Regiment of Foot. So I present to you the Tower Hamlet's Trained Band mkII. Depicted wearing civilian clothes, and a hefty smattering of trained band buff, you'll be pleased to hear that they are carrying the correct flag for 1643-1647. Their flag is rather odd in so far that it doesn...

A old regiment in a new guise. Once upon a time, this regiment appeared on this blog as the Tower Hamlet's Regiment of Foot of the  London Trained Band. When I first started my ECW project I fell in to the trap of taking information on wargaming websites about coat colours as being correct. So they ended up with red coats. Regular readers (hello both of you) will know that 'the London Trained Bands wore red' is a particular bugbear of mine: so they have had a little bit of a makeover - a change of flag, and label underneath their base. The Tower Hamlet's Regiment will be raised anew in their correct attire - civilian clothes and trained band buff. But back to Colonel John Birch and his Regiment of Foot, raised in Kent in 1644 for service in Sir William Waller's Southern Association. We know that they had red coats and yellow flags, but not what design of flag. Playing it safe I've gone for the Lieutenant Colonel's flag (I've used the Gell's Lieu...

The Royalist Regiment of Horse that garrisoned Belvoir* Castle in Leicestershire: Belvoir Castle was strategically important - protecting the route from Oxford to Newark. Their battle honours, with a few exceptions, are small skirmishes close to the Castle: Ancaster Heath, Battle of Grantham, Melton Mowbray, Sproxton Heath, Cotes Bridge, Newark, Denton, Kirby Bellars, besieged at Belvoir Castle - surrendering after four months. Sir Gervase lost much of his wealth over the course of the wars, so much that he was willing to accept the post of Governor of Bombay at the Restoration, dying in the city in 1667. Brushwork on these by Alan Tuckey, basing by my own fair hand. * in case you are wondering, it is pronounced 'beaver' If you enjoyed reading this, or any of the other posts, please consider  supporting  the blog.  Thanks .

Prince Rupert's Regiment of Horse - the epitome of dashing cavaliers. Rupert was of course, King Charles's nephew, started his military career at age 14 when he accompanied the Prince of Orange on campaign.  He arrived in England in August 1642 with his brother, Maurice, and a retinue of battle hardened English and Scottish veterans of the wars in Europe. Often seen as hot bloodied, and in command when the Royalist army committed some of the worst atrocities of a brutal barbaric war, he was also capable of leniency against foes who had put up a brave fight. Of course no mention of Rupert can fail to mention his poodle Boye; Boye wasn't a 1970's toy poodle (as depicted in the film Cromwell) but instead a hunting dog. Rupert's life and career was somewhat fantastical, there is not space to summarise his life in a few short paragraphs. After what can only be described as a swashbuckling life he died in November 1682 of pleurisy. He is buried in Westminst...

Robert Dormer, the Earl of Caernarvon, served in both the Bishops Wars as a Colonel of Horse. He raised this Regiment in 1642; they fought at Southam, Edgehill Banbury, Cirencester, Cheham, Caversham Bridge, Chewton Mendip, Lansdown, Rowde Ford, Roundway Down, Bristol, Dorchester, Weymouth, Aldbourne Chase and First Newbury, where Robert fell. He was carried to an inn at Newbury, where King Charles is said to have sat with him until all hope of life was gone. Richard Neville took command of the Regiment and they went on to fight at Cheriton, Cropredy Bridge, Boconnoc House, Lostwithiel, Second Newbury, the Relief of Donnington, Langport and Torrington before surrendering in March 1646 at Truro. Robert inherited his father's title at the tender age of 6, and became the ward of King James I, James sold this wardship to the Philip Herbert 1st Earl of Montgomery and 4th Earl of Pembroke for £4000. He would marry Herbert's daughter when he was just 15.  ...

This is the first of four Royalist Regiments of Horse that feature the old two part 'cavalry, hat with pistol' which sadly have been replaced by a new pack. I say sadly because, whilst the new pack figures are nice, the old hat wearing man with a pistol across his chest is one of my favourite PP sculpts. Love him. Shame he is no longer available. But I digress... The blog has already looked at Sir Charles Gerrard's Regiment of Foot, so if you would like to now more about Sir Charles have a look here . He had a habit of getting himself wounded. His Regiment of Horse were formed in Oxford, in 1642. It is thought that they fought at Ripple Field, took part in a skirmish at Oddington, stormed Bristol, fought at Aldbourne Chase, First Newbury, Andover, Winchester,  Newark, Kidwelly Castle, Cardiff, Carmarthen, Newcastle Emlyn, Laugharne Castle, Roch Castle, Haverfordwest, Pembroke, rode to the Relief of Donnington Castle, Cardigan, Huntingdon, Rowton Heath, Denbig...

Percy's were formed from detachments sent south by Newcastle in early 1643 as an escort to an ammunition convoy. Often stated as being attached to the artillery train they were a standard Regiment of Foot which served in Thomas Blagge's Oxford Brigade, Symonds recorded them as wearing white coats at the Aldbourne Chase muster. They fought at the Siege of Gloucester, First Newbury, occupied Newport Pagnell (oviously attracted to the good motorway connections), believed to have been at Cheriton, Cropredy Bridge, and Lostwithiel. At Lostwithiel Percy was dismissed from service*, Colonel William Murray taking over the command. Under Murray they fought at Second Newbury, Leicester and Naseby where the Regiment was almost entirely captured. Brushwork on these by Alan Tuckey, basing by my own fair hand * Percy was dismissed from service as it was alleged that he was complicit with Lord Henry Wilmot's secret attempts to negotiate a peace treaty with the Earl ...

Believed to be one of the first Regiments to be raised in support of the King. Sir William Pennyman commanded a  Yorkshire Trained Band which was raised in 1639 and fought in the First Bishops War (they are believed to have worn grey coats). This incarnation was raised in 1642, many of Sir William's Trained Band joining his regiment of volunteers. Believed to have been at the siege of Hull, they fought at Edgehill, Brentford and were present at the Turnham Green standoff. They stormed Marlborough before taking up a garrison posting in Oxford. Venturing out of Oxford with Prince Rupert to storm Cirencester, and fight at the Battle of Caversham Bridge. Sir William died in the Oxford 'epidemic' of August 1643 (Pennyman Papers held at Hull University  Archives). It is believed that there was a large outbreak of typhus in the Thame valley, and this was what the phrase 'the epidemic' referred to; although outbreaks of plague were also common place,...

The ECW Travelogue returns with it's first socially distanced entry. The First Battle of Middlewich, 13th March 1643 St Michael and All Saints The First Battle saw Sir William Brereton's Parliamentarian army  take on the Royalists of Sir Thomas Aston. Aston arrived in Middlewich with 500 horse, about 1000 Trained Band soldiers, and 3 pieces of artillery on Saturday 11th March. The next day Brereton sent a small detachment of dragoons to harass Aston's men. Meanwhile Lord Brereton was marching from Chester with another Royalist force. Sir William Brereton called for Parliamentarian reinforcements from Nantwich. Booth Lane, taken from near the site of the Parliamentarian battery during the second battle. By the Monday morning the Nantwich reinforcements had failed to materialise, so Sir William attacked with 200 musketeers and all of his cavalry. Aston sent dragoons to distract Sir William's men, and was told not to engage with the enemy. Unfortunately th...

Another wargamer's favourite, on account of having an interesting flag. Their flag is often shown as blue and yellow, although the 'yellow' might more properly be a browny gold (Symonds described as 'fillemot' rather than 'or'). The flag also  has a central laurel wreath design - the significance of this is unknown. Raised in Lancashire at the outbreak of war, initially part of the Earl of Derby’s army, they marched south and served with the Oxford Army. Fought at the siege of Manchester, Edgehill (where Gerard was badly wounded), present at the Turnham Green standoff before garrisoning Oxford. Took part in Rupert's storming of Cirencester, and possibly Birmingham too.  Gerard was wounded (again) at the siege of Lichfield. The Regiment  besieged Reading, fought at First Newbury, and they were led at Cheriton by Lt Col Windebank; Gerard retaking command for a number of sieges and stormings (Kidwelly Casstle, Carmarthen, Cardigan, Newcastle Eml...

Buckle your swash in Merry Olde England ™ from British horror movie stable Hammer House. Renamed The Crimson Blade in the colonies, it stars Lionel Jeffries (Grandpa Bungie Potts in Chitty Bang Bang) as a wicked New Model Army Colonel. A young Oliver Reed is his captain. Set after the Battle of Preston, an underground Royalist movement plots to rescue Charles I from Hampton Court... This is a film for a wet Sunday afternoon, with a pot of tea and a good packet of biscuits. Just don't think too hard: not as fanciful as Cromwell (1970), it does stretch historical facts a touch. It's entertainment, not an accurate historical docudrama. It really does look the part, and gives a good feel for the period, despite showing its fifty plus years. My highlights are the fight scenes: keep a close eye on the daggers and swords being used by the extras, judging by how some of them wobble they must be made from a very flexible rubber. If you enjoyed reading this, or any of the ot...

Sir Henry Bard inherited the Regiment from Colonel Thomas Pinchbeck, who had managed to get himself killed at First Newbury. Originally raised in Northumberland, they were sent to Oxford not long after formation, to reinforce the King's Oxford Army. Not long after arriving in Oxford the Regiment was split and Lord Percy's Regiment was formed from part of the Regiment. As Pinchbeck's they garrisoned Oxford before venturing to Newbury where Pinchbeck fell. Early in 1644 Sir Henry was commissioned as Colonel of the Regiment. Noted as wearing grey coats at the February 1644 Oxford muster by Symonds in his diary.  They carried white flags with unorthodox heraldic devices - a large cross, with a smaller cross in each quarter. Peachey and Prince tantalisingly state that they would discuss these devices in their second volume of ECW Flags..., but unfortunately they never got around to writing it. Bard's (finally I hear both my regular readers shout) first outing ...

The regiment was probably formed from troops released by the Cessation in Ireland, and commanded by Colonel John, then his brother Sir Gilbert. Symonds records the Regiment as wearing yellow coats and carrying six white flags with ‘Talbot Hound’ devices.  Sadly Symonds didn't record the 'hounds' clearly, so it is possible that they might be another heraldic animal, but a 'Talbot hound' is the most probable. John was commissioned to raise the Regiment in 1643.  The majority of the Regiment fought as part of Hopton's army at Cheriton, Cropredy Bridge, Lostwithiel, and Second Newbury.  The Regiment went on to garrison Tiverton Castle, which too fell in 1645 (October).  Painted by Alan Tuckey, basing by myself Both brothers are buried at St Michael's Church, Salwarpe, Worcester. If you enjoyed reading this, or any of the other posts, please consider  supporting  the blog.  Thanks .

As I was about to post about the Tower Hamlet's Regiment of the London Trained Bands, and about to go down my usual ranty rabbit hole about coat colours I thought it better to write a general post about Trained Bands. This got out of hand a little and became the coat colours series, without even touching upon the Trained Bands.  When I first started my ECW project I took at face value lots of information from what I believed to be 'trusted' sources: it only took a little  cursory reading to quickly realise that many of these 'trusted' sources replicate the same errors. Which is why my original Tower Hamlet's Regiment wore red coats and carried the 'wrong' flag. They were quickly given the correct flag, but the red coat issue was slowly nagging me. They have since been rechristened John Birch's, and the Tower Hamlets LTB has been raised anew. This post is a bit more than  Coat Colours Part 5 Introduction   Part 1  Parliamentarian coat colours Part ...