Keep Your Powder Dry

The very last of my Royalist Regiments of Foot - that's a total of seventeen pike and shot, and three commanded shot (650 men in case you were wondering). But we've heard that before, so we'll settle on 'last' for the moment . Although... I have just learned that Sir Beville Grenville's Regiment of Foot had blue and white painted pikes and musket rests...  Allen, Alan, or Alen? Apseley or Apsely? All used, so take your pick: I'm going with Allen Apsley (as that is what is carved upon his tomb in the south ambulatory of Westminster Abbey). Raised in 1643 in Devon, the Regiment served in the West Country and with the King's Oxford Army throughout the First Civil War. Sir Allen was born on 28th August 1616, the eldest son of Sir Allen (1567-1630), Lieutenant of the Tower of London, and his third wife Lucy (St John). Apparently Sir Allen Snr was so well loved by the Tower's inmates (often lending them money) that many didn't wish to leave their accom...

When you think of a 'lifeguard' you think of a group of soldiers whose job it is to protect an individual. So the two King's Lifeguard units are a little bit of a misnomer. The Lifeguard of Foot were effectively just the King's Regiment of Foot, The same can sort of be said about the Lifeguard of Horse.  For actual protecting the King duties you need to look at the Gentlemen Pensioners. The Gentlemen Pensioners still exist as the  Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms .  The King's Lifeguard of Horse should not be confused with the Gentlemen Pensioners, they were completely separate units.  The King’s Lifeguard Regiment of Horse, served with the Oxford Army throughout the First Civil War and were led by the King's cousin Lord Bernard Stuart . Raised in Yorkshire in 1642, they were in the thick of the War from the very start being present at the Siege of Hull; Edgehill; the siege of Gloucester; First Newbury; Cropredy Bridge; Lostwithiel; Second  Newbury; the re...

Way back in the midst of time I posted some converted figures which would be used as assault parties - some harquebusiers on foot (converted from foot officers) and some figures from the storming party pack from PP. At the time of writing I mentioned that I had some unaltered figures from the storming party somewhere. Well they are back, and they are no longer unadulterated. The storming party pack contains 3 petard teams and two grenado throwers. The unadulterated figures from the pack But what is a petard, and what is a grenado? A petard was a small explosive device attached to doors and gateways which hopefully blew the door/gate up thereby allowing the attackers to breach defences. Fun fact: petard comes from the old French word for fart.  Usually carried on a stretcher type device these bombs were propped up against doors, wedged into position and lit. The brave souls who had carried the petard (technically called petardiers) then have to run away very quickly. (There is a pet...

Three more Royalist commanders, these were part of the package of figures that were listed as in absentia for a goodly while. First up Sir Ralph, Lord Hopton . My first use of my new russetted armour paint recipe. I hope that you have noticed that I've tried to give him the correct colour hair (according to his portraits), otherwise all that effort will be for nought. Regular readers (hello both of you) will know that we have already met Sir Ralph here on KeepYourPowderDry before: his story epitomises the notion of 'England tore asunder' as his opponent in battle was invariably his good friend Sir William Waller.  As a 21 year old Hopton undertook the C17th equivalent of a gap year, but instead of travelling to 'find himself' his goal was to 'learn languages'. Finding himself caught up in the Thirty Years War he joined a volunteer English force fighting for Frederick of the Palatinate (whose sons Rupert and Maurice we know quite well). He, and his good frien...