Keep Your Powder Dry

The ECWtravelogue returns to Essex, a county about as far away from Château KeepYourPowderDry without getting your feet wet, or having your passport checked. But first, for other Essex Civil War related locations please see:- Colchester Combined Military Services Museum Essex was Eastern Association territory, so it barely saw any disquiet during the Wars, apart from the the events that unfolded in 1648 in Colchester. Audley End House was the home of Royalist, James Howard the 3rd Earl of Suffolk. He would spend the Wars at Oxford at the King's Parliament. The house would be untroubled by the Wars. Audley End is a fine example of Jacobean architecture. Alas no photography inside, lots of Wars related portraiture, alas not originals more copies 'from the school of...'. Oodles of buildings in Saffron Walden will have witnessed the events of the Wars Saffron Walden became a 'base' for the Army Newly Modelled, and has a number of connections to events from this time. T...

The inappropriately named ECWtravelogue returns across the border into Wales, this time dipping its toe into Monmouthshire. The entrance way to Chepstow Castle Chepstow was an important trade route on the River Wye, and into the Welsh Marches. Understandably the stronghold of Chepstow Castle dominates the river, towering over the river, situated on top of the cliffs. Chepstow looming over the Wye During the First Civil War the castle was surrendered to Waller's Parliamentarian forces who had surrounded the castle (but never really besieged it) for two years, in autumn 1645. With the resumption of war, Chepstow was again garrisoned for the King by Sir Nicholas Kemeys.This time the Parliamentarian besiegers were a little more proactive, and successful. Their artillery shot away the castle's parapets, inhibiting the defenders from mounting their guns. The Parliamentarian artillery breached the castle walls near Marten's Tower, Kemeys refused to surrender and the Parliamentar...

Just when you think that things can't get any more complicated, along comes James Dillon and his regiment. Only there are two James Dillons; well, that's not strictly true, there's load of them. Initial research brings back lots of information, and a flag design, but then you realise that it is Dillon's Regiment serving the exiled James II in France, and the French in the Williamite wars (which has its roots in this Regiment). Oh, and just to confuse matters, 'our' James Dillon had two regiments, one of horse and one of foot, and it isn't always clear which is which. With that caveat, I hope I have this right... James  was born in 1600, the eighth son of Theobald, 1st Viscount Dillon, and Eleanor, the daughter of Sir Edward Tuite of Tuitestown, Co. Westmeath, and widow of William Tuite of Monilea.  His father, Theobald, was appointed chief sergeant, and general collector and receiver, for Connacht and Thomond in May 1582. In 1585 he acquired ownership of the...

Irish flags... a conundrum. I knew that a number of flags were recorded, but without any reference to allocation to particular regiments. I also remember reading one internet reference that stated that each flag had two different sides. But I'd never come across the source material supporting this claim, or even a secondary source that described/illustrated the flags thus. Until now... But first a little bit of flag nomenclature (which if you want to impress people you can call vexillology). If you cut a flag down its middle and spread it out on a table, positioning the pole sleeve in the middle, the left hand side is the 'reverse' and the right hand side is the front of the flag, or 'obverse'. Regular readers, hello all twenty of you, will have realised that clothing issue 'floats my boat', I'm not really very good on flags. Most of my flag knowledge is gleaned from secondary sources, and the handful of more readily accessible primary sources.  The sour...

The modern County of East Yorkshire (or East Riding as Yorkshire folk would have it) saw the first symbolic act of the First English Civil war take place here.  Those of you in need of further  Yorkshire adventures should check out:   West Yorkshire , South Yorkshire ,   North Yorkshire  , York and Marston Moor  and Adwalton Moor . Let us start with Hull , the symbolic birthplace of the First Civil War, when Sir John Hotham denied King Charles entry to the town and barred the Beverley Gate. As a consequence Hull became a significant target for Charles's ire, being besieged in 1642 and again in 1643. Hull was Yorkshire's second largest town, only York was bigger. It was a very important port and possessed a large arsenal prior to the outbreak of hostilities (the second largest arsenal in England after London). Sir John Meldrum led raiding sorties out of the town, during the siege, attacking Royalist positions: a lack of coordination of the Royalist forc...