Blue Regiment of Foot of the London Trained Bands
And so, dear readers (hello both of you), our attention returns to the London Trained Bands; rather than regale you with discussion about their uniforms (or lack of them) I will, instead, direct you here.
The Blue Regiment was the fourth in seniority within the London Trained Bands system. It was recruited from the wards of Bridge, Walbrook, Bread Street, Candlewick, Dowgate, Vintry, Cheap and Queenhithe. Although the London Trained Bands were used primarily to defend London, regiments marched out from the City with the Earl of Essex’s army on a number of occasions.
The Blue Regiment were at Turnham Green; went to the relief of Gloucester; fought at First Newbury; took part in a skirmishes at Aldermaston and Padworth; and returned to Newbury for the Second Battle. After Second Newbury they returned to London (the other LTB regiments returned to London not long after) as the New Model Army became Parliament's field army of choice.
After 1645 nothing really of note happened with the Blue Regiment other than changes in colonelcy: Adams was replaced by Underwood in 1645; 1658 John Ireton was made Colonel; 1659 Bolton replaced Ireton; 1660 William Vincent was made Colonel until the Regiment's demise in 1661.
A handful of headswaps with this unit and a PP collectible figure as officer - a small range of limited, free, one time only figures hidden away at the bottom of PP's front page. PP's collectible figures have recently become a way of commemorating the lives of wargamers known to PP; a wonderful and fitting memorial - well done PP. This figure represents Paul Croker, and is one of the nicest ECW sculpts from PP. I hope that the future personality packs, hinted at by PP, are of similar quality.
The Blue Regiment was the fourth in seniority within the London Trained Bands system. It was recruited from the wards of Bridge, Walbrook, Bread Street, Candlewick, Dowgate, Vintry, Cheap and Queenhithe. Although the London Trained Bands were used primarily to defend London, regiments marched out from the City with the Earl of Essex’s army on a number of occasions.
The Blue Regiment were at Turnham Green; went to the relief of Gloucester; fought at First Newbury; took part in a skirmishes at Aldermaston and Padworth; and returned to Newbury for the Second Battle. After Second Newbury they returned to London (the other LTB regiments returned to London not long after) as the New Model Army became Parliament's field army of choice.
After 1645 nothing really of note happened with the Blue Regiment other than changes in colonelcy: Adams was replaced by Underwood in 1645; 1658 John Ireton was made Colonel; 1659 Bolton replaced Ireton; 1660 William Vincent was made Colonel until the Regiment's demise in 1661.
A handful of headswaps with this unit and a PP collectible figure as officer - a small range of limited, free, one time only figures hidden away at the bottom of PP's front page. PP's collectible figures have recently become a way of commemorating the lives of wargamers known to PP; a wonderful and fitting memorial - well done PP. This figure represents Paul Croker, and is one of the nicest ECW sculpts from PP. I hope that the future personality packs, hinted at by PP, are of similar quality.
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Thanks.
Lovely varied looking unit!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Thanks Iain
DeleteGood looking stuff. I wonder if the local County Trained Bands would be quite so splendid. Maybe around wealthier towns. I always think of 'The Night Watch' painting.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dex. An interesting thought. To be eligible for membership of the trained Bands you had to have a certain status/wealth. So possibly the same. Fighting units thrown together quickly, for a town's defence say, would probably have anyone able to hold a sharp pointy thing. So these militias would most probably look a bit more raggedy.
DeleteAnother interesting article, well done that man.
ReplyDeleteThanks TWR
DeleteVery nice! I like the look of this scale.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dean, the right balance I'd say - enough detail to look good, but not so much that they take forever to paint.
Delete