404:
471:. Around 300 Scottish cavalry made a probe across the fordable river and were driven off by the concentrated fire of the musketeers. The Scots then began an intense cannonade of the sconces with their superior artillery. Although Lunsford kept his men in their defences for a while, they eventually broke and ran, many throwing away their weapons, and their gunpowder store blew up. The Scottish cannon and cavalry drove back a counter-attack by English cavalry, and they crossed the river. By early evening the whole Royal army was in full retreat to Newcastle and shortly afterwards the King had to concede a settlement with the Scots.
59:
456:
692:
41:
487:. When open war broke out between the King and Parliament, neither side made much use of the trained bands beyond securing the county armouries for their own full-time troops; some trained bands were used as garrison troops, only a few as field regiments. The Somerset Trained Bands split between the two parties. Armed with the King's Commission of Array,
379:. The counties usually conscripted the unemployed and criminals rather than send the trained bandsmen. The men were given coats and money to conduct them to the ports of embarkation. 'Coat and conduct money' was recovered from the government, but replacing the weapons issued to the levies from the militia armouries was a heavy cost on the counties.
293:(JPs). The entry into force of these Acts in 1558 is seen as the starting date for the formal county militia in England. In that year Somerset had an organised regiment of 1000 men in 10 companies, each under a nominated captain and 'petty captain'. In 1569 the Somerset contingent joined the force assembled against the
683:. From now on the term 'Trained Band' began to be replaced by 'Militia'. On 15 February 1650 commissions were issued for the field officers (colonels, lt-colonels and majors) of the reorganised Somerset Militia (two regiments each of horse and foot), including Sir Alexander Popham as a Colonel of Horse
366:
In the 16th
Century little distinction was made between the militia and the troops levied by the counties for overseas expeditions. However, in 1590 the commissioners of musters in Somerset wrote to the secretary of state saying that they had been advised by lawyers that their commissions to levy men
428:
of 1640. However, substitution was rife and many of those sent on this unpopular service would have been untrained replacements and conscripts. Like many other contingents, the
Somerset men were disorderly, complaining about pay, food and conditions. As his regiment passed through
609:: commanded by Strode after he chased Hopton out of Shepton Mallet, it served in the successful Parliamentary Siege of Sherborne Castle in September. It was later converted into a full-time Parliamentarian regiment: it is not clear whether its participation in the
511:, who claimed authority over the trained bands under Parliament's Militia Ordinance. A street fight broke out, Hopton and the Royalist supporters were chased out of town and shortly afterwards the whole county. The Somerset TBs divided as follows:
391:
attempted to reform them into a national force or 'Perfect
Militia' answering to the king rather than local control. The Somerset Trained Bands of 1638 consisted of 4000 men armed with 2403 muskets and 1597 corslets; they also mustered 82
546:
in
September, Rodney was probably replaced by a Parliamentarian, possibly Col William Strode. However, Rodney appears to have been reinstated following the Royalist victories of 1643 and the regiment took part in the
593:: Lt-Col Edward Dyer of the Somerset TB Horse was captured by Parliament at the fall of Bridgwater; he was later colonel of his own regiment of horse for the Royalists, which may have been based on the TB Horse.
297:. Although the militia obligation was universal, this assembly confirmed that it was impractical to train and equip every able-bodied man, so after 1572 the practice was to select a proportion of men for the
713:
under the control of the king's lords-lieutenant, the men to be selected by ballot. This was popularly seen as the 'Constitutional Force' to counterbalance a 'Standing Army' tainted by association with the
718:
that had supported
Cromwell's military dictatorship, and almost the whole burden of home defence and internal security was entrusted to the militia. The militia was reformed in 1662 and by 1679 the
542:, Hopton's colleague as MP for Wells. Hopton mustered the regiment in July 1642 and it took part in a skirmish at Wells in August. After the Parliamentarians overran Somerset following the Siege of
317:' (the petronel was an early cavalry firearm), with in addition 1000 untrained 'pioneers'. The trained footmen were organised into five regiments, each of 400 'shot' and musketeers, 280 '
667:
it reorganised the militia to counterbalance the power of the Army. New
Militia Acts in 1648 and 1650 replaced lords lieutenant with county commissioners appointed by Parliament or the
1301:
313:
in 1588 led to the mobilisation of the trained bands and out of 12,000 able-bodied men
Somerset furnished 4000 armed and trained, with 50 lancers, 250 light horsemen, and 60 '
1316:
1311:
372:
581:
in July 1645. It was in the besieged garrison of
Bristol, armed solely with muskets, from August to September 1645, when a detachment was in Windmill Fort.
657:
and Sir John
Stawell. However, it took part in the Siege of Sherborne in September and was still active at the Second Battle of Modbury in February 1643.
1306:
1089:
1067:
734:
The mounted 'petronels' of the
Elizabethan Somerset Trained Bands wore coats of a uniform colour, and the footmen of the period usually wore blue
1034:
1100:
1045:
1056:
986:
1023:
635:. After serving in the Siege of Sherborne in September 1642, its weapons were taken in 1643 to arm Popham's Regiment of Foot for Parliament.
570:
467:, roughly 800 raw Somerset musketeers under Lunsford were holding two hurriedly-erected breastworks or 'sconces' on the south side of the
440:
and his officers admitted that they had killed some of their men in self-defence. Sir John Beaumont's regiment, conscripted in Somerset,
367:
were invalid, except in time of rebellion or invasion. Nevertheless, between 1585 and 1602 Somerset supplied 1194 men for service in
919:
555:(September–December). In March 1645 it formed the garrison of Wells, and it was probably part of the garrison of Bristol when it was
508:
492:
975:
1226:
738:
and red caps. A wide range of uniform colours was used during the Civil Wars. By 1650 red coats were becoming standard.
434:
496:
1296:
1209:
632:
408:
528:(or Paulet). Paulet had commanded 800 men in June 1642, but he was a committed Royalist and the men followed Lt-Col
654:
525:
360:
504:
488:
168:
368:
646:
387:
With the passing of the threat of invasion, the trained bands declined in the early 17th Century. Later,
102:
722:
once again consisted of five regiments of foot and one of horse. In 1685 it was heavily engaged in the
700:
680:
650:
403:
301:, who were mustered for regular training (the 1558 regiment in Somerset was an early example of this).
1291:
1271:
345:
452:, attacking the property of unpopular landowners, and were accused of being 'West Country clownes'.
1078:
735:
668:
503:
with a company of horse on 1 August and attempted to call out the TBs there, he was confronted by
664:
610:
556:
224:
135:
111:
1187:
425:
259:
255:
208:
195:
in 1662. They were periodically embodied for home defence, for example in the army mustered at
706:
548:
480:
267:
123:
1199:
1236:
388:
376:
290:
278:
274:
8:
577:(April–June 1644). Afterwards it was besieged in Taunton in July 1644, and fought at the
574:
421:
294:
119:
94:
723:
617:
in February was as TBs or Regulars. Strode's Foot subsequently served through the long
578:
188:
131:
46:
1254:
1215:
1205:
618:
552:
484:
464:
286:
251:
212:
204:
127:
98:
573:, the regiment may have been present at the capture of Taunton in June 1643 and the
719:
710:
672:
628:
543:
192:
107:
676:
437:
355:'s bodyguard, and in July the whole contingent marched to join the royal army at
282:
273:
The legal basis of the militia was updated by two acts of 1557 covering musters (
230:
153:
715:
500:
310:
200:
1285:
539:
479:
Control of the militia was one of the areas of dispute between Charles I and
397:
326:
322:
298:
263:
158:
62:
1219:
614:
566:
430:
234:
163:
115:
58:
455:
211:
and their units saw considerable active service for both sides during the
459:
19th Century engraving of the Scots cavalry crossing the Tyne at Newburn.
393:
352:
691:
468:
449:
649:
by a Royalist force commanded by Henry Lunsford (Thomas's brother) ,
587:: commanded by Sir Edward Berkeley, who was captured in October 1642.
529:
445:
645:). In August 1642 the regiment (about 500 strong) was routed at the
1181:
The Bishops' Wars: Charles I's campaigns against Scotland 1638–1640
318:
314:
184:
72:
1231:
Soldiers: Army Lives and Loyalties from Redcoats to Dusty Warriors
1183:, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994, ISBN 0-521-34520-0.
1101:
Popham's Bath TB at BCW Project (archived at the Wayback Machine).
663:
As Parliament tightened its grip on the country after winning the
1201:
An epitomized history of the militia (the "Constitutional force")
441:
356:
247:
196:
76:
1090:
Strode's Foot at BCW Project (archived at the Wayback Machine).
1057:
Berkeley's TB at BCW Project (archived at the Wayback Machine).
976:
Trained Bands at BCW Project (archived at the Wayback Machine).
1274:
British Civil Wars, Commonwealth & Protectorate, 1638–1660
1243:, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1988, ISBN 0-297-79351-9.
1068:
Dyer's Horse at BCW Project (archived at the Wayback Machine).
1046:
Stawell's TB at BCW Project (archived at the Wayback Machine).
920:
Somerset TBs at BCW Project (archived at the Wayback Machine).
1035:
Rodney's TB at BCW Project (archived at the Wayback Machine).
1024:
Paulet's TB at BCW Project (archived at the Wayback Machine).
987:
Strode's TB at BCW Project (archived at the Wayback Machine).
243:
1248:
Records of the 1st Somerset Militia (3rd Bn. Somerset L.I.)
679:
take control of the militia as a paid force to support his
499:, raised the TBs there in July 1642, but when he rode into
238:
1302:
Military units and formations of the English Civil War
878:
Cruickshank, pp. 10, 25–7, 61–2, 92, 126; Appendix 2.
1317:
Military units and formations disestablished in 1650
1233:, London: HarperPress, 2011, ISBN 978-0-00-722570-5.
242:, the military force raised from the freemen of the
420:Somerset was ordered to send 2000 men overland to
1312:Military units and formations established in 1558
1176:, 2nd Edn, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1966.
183:were a part-time military force in the county of
1283:
709:, the English Militia was re-established by the
277:c. 3) and the maintenance of horses and armour (
1204:. Malpas England: R. Westlake, Military Books.
407:18th Century engraving of Sir Thomas Lunsford (
191:from 1558 until they were reconstituted as the
607:Colonel William Strode's Somerset Trained Band
1259:The King's War 1641–1647: The Great Rebellion
1019:
1017:
930:Fissel, pp. 150, 208, 244, 262–3 270–1, 286.
1110:
1108:
701:Somerset Militia § Restoration Militia
585:Sir Edward Berkeley's Somerset Trained Band
551:(August–September 1644) and the subsequent
1194:, Vol I, 2nd Edn, London: Macmillan, 1910.
783:
781:
779:
777:
351:The county sent off 600 men to join Queen
86:5–6 Regiments of Foot, 1 Regiment of Horse
1307:Military units and formations in Somerset
1014:
639:Colonel John Pyne's Somerset Trained Band
536:Sir Edward Rodney's Somerset Trained Band
37:
1105:
1007:
1005:
1003:
915:
913:
911:
856:
854:
852:
850:
729:
690:
563:Sir John Stawell's Somerset Trained Band
454:
402:
774:
1284:
1261:, London: Collins, 1958/Fontana, 1966.
1000:
908:
847:
804:
802:
225:Somerset Militia § Early History
1250:, Aldershot:Gale & Polden, 1930.
532:, MP, into the Parliamentarian army.
415:
1265:
1197:
966:Wedgwood, pp. 28, 38, 41, 65–8, 95.
686:
522:Lord Paulet's Somerset Trained Band
13:
835:Fortescue, Vol I, pp. 12, 16, 125.
799:
14:
1328:
1276:– The BCW Project (archive site)
382:
254:, and was reorganised under the
57:
39:
1153:
1144:
1135:
1126:
1117:
1094:
1083:
1072:
1061:
1050:
1039:
1028:
991:
980:
969:
960:
951:
942:
933:
924:
899:
890:
881:
872:
863:
838:
526:John Poulett, 1st Baron Poulett
829:
820:
811:
790:
765:
756:
747:
304:
1:
1192:A History of the British Army
1165:
474:
1198:Hay, George Jackson (1987).
1132:Fortescue, Vol I, pp. 294–5.
948:Fortescue, Vol I, pp. 198–9.
203:of 1588. They fought of the
7:
1079:Strode's TB at BCW Project.
707:Restoration of the Monarchy
591:Somerset Trained Band Horse
359:, where the Queen gave her
321:' (body armour, signifying
10:
1333:
817:Cruickshank, pp. 17, 24–5.
698:
222:
1241:The Civil Wars of England
887:Fissel, pp. 174–8, 190–5.
409:National Portrait Gallery
250:. It continued under the
218:
146:
141:
90:
82:
68:
53:
33:
25:
20:
1297:Trained Bands of England
753:Fortescue, Vol I, p. 12.
741:
647:Battle of Marshall's Elm
615:Second Battle of Modbury
613:in January 1643 and the
559:(August–September 1645).
329:, under the command of:
116:Second Battle of Modbury
103:Battle of Marshall's Elm
671:. The establishment of
611:Battle of Braddock Down
256:Assizes of Arms of 1181
246:under command of their
233:was descended from the
136:Siege of Bristol (1645)
112:Battle of Braddock Down
696:
695:Somerset Militia 1685.
681:Rule by Major-Generals
641:: formerly Paulett's (
460:
412:
279:4 & 5 Ph. & M.
275:4 & 5 Ph. & M.
181:Somerset Trained Bands
21:Somerset Trained Bands
1179:Mark Charles Fissel,
730:Uniforms and insignia
694:
557:besieged and captured
549:Battle of Lostwithiel
458:
406:
291:Justices of the Peace
268:Statute of Winchester
124:Battle of Lostwithiel
762:Fissell, pp. 178–80.
493:Member of Parliament
844:Hay, pp. 11–17, 88.
826:Fissel, pp. 178–87.
627:: commanded by Sir
575:Siege of Lyme Regis
565:: commanded by Sir
538:: commanded by Sir
448:, marauded through
426:Second Bishops' War
422:Newcastle upon Tyne
295:Rising of the North
209:Second Bishops' War
120:Siege of Lyme Regis
95:Rising of the North
1172:C.G. Cruickshank,
724:Monmouth Rebellion
697:
579:Battle of Langport
461:
435:Lieutenant-Colonel
413:
375:, and 460 for the
336:Sir Henry Berkeley
287:Deputy Lieutenants
285:, assisted by the
189:South West England
132:Battle of Langport
1255:Veronica Wedgwood
997:Kenyon, pp. 51–2.
939:Fissel, pp. 53–9.
787:Holmes, pp. 90–2.
625:Bath Trained Band
619:Siege of Plymouth
485:English Civil War
465:Battle of Newburn
416:Battle of Newburn
213:English Civil War
205:Battle of Newburn
174:
173:
128:Sieges of Taunton
99:Battle of Newburn
1324:
1292:Somerset Militia
1266:External sources
1223:
1174:Elizabeth's Army
1160:
1157:
1151:
1150:Kerr, pp. 106–7.
1148:
1142:
1139:
1133:
1130:
1124:
1123:Hay, pp. 99–104.
1121:
1115:
1112:
1103:
1098:
1092:
1087:
1081:
1076:
1070:
1065:
1059:
1054:
1048:
1043:
1037:
1032:
1026:
1021:
1012:
1009:
998:
995:
989:
984:
978:
973:
967:
964:
958:
955:
949:
946:
940:
937:
931:
928:
922:
917:
906:
903:
897:
894:
888:
885:
879:
876:
870:
869:Hay, pp. 92, 96.
867:
861:
858:
845:
842:
836:
833:
827:
824:
818:
815:
809:
806:
797:
794:
788:
785:
772:
769:
763:
760:
754:
751:
720:Somerset Militia
711:Militia Act 1661
687:Somerset Militia
673:The Protectorate
669:Council of State
629:Alexander Popham
553:Siege of Taunton
544:Sherborne Castle
489:Sir Ralph Hopton
483:that led to the
342:Sir John Clyfton
339:Sir John Stowell
281:c. 2) under the
193:Somerset Militia
108:Sherborne Castle
61:
49:
45:
43:
42:
18:
17:
1332:
1331:
1327:
1326:
1325:
1323:
1322:
1321:
1282:
1281:
1280:
1268:
1212:
1168:
1163:
1158:
1154:
1149:
1145:
1141:Kenyon, p. 240.
1140:
1136:
1131:
1127:
1122:
1118:
1113:
1106:
1099:
1095:
1088:
1084:
1077:
1073:
1066:
1062:
1055:
1051:
1044:
1040:
1033:
1029:
1022:
1015:
1010:
1001:
996:
992:
985:
981:
974:
970:
965:
961:
956:
952:
947:
943:
938:
934:
929:
925:
918:
909:
904:
900:
895:
891:
886:
882:
877:
873:
868:
864:
859:
848:
843:
839:
834:
830:
825:
821:
816:
812:
808:Hay, pp. 275–8.
807:
800:
795:
791:
786:
775:
770:
766:
761:
757:
752:
748:
744:
732:
703:
689:
677:Oliver Cromwell
665:First Civil War
601:Parliamentarian
524:: commanded by
477:
438:Thomas Lunsford
418:
385:
333:George Sydenham
307:
283:Lord Lieutenant
262:, and again by
231:English militia
227:
221:
201:Armada Campaign
177:
166:
161:
156:
154:Thomas Lunsford
148:
134:
130:
126:
122:
118:
114:
110:
105:
101:
97:
40:
38:
12:
11:
5:
1330:
1320:
1319:
1314:
1309:
1304:
1299:
1294:
1279:
1278:
1267:
1264:
1263:
1262:
1251:
1244:
1234:
1227:Richard Holmes
1224:
1210:
1195:
1188:John Fortescue
1184:
1177:
1169:
1167:
1164:
1162:
1161:
1152:
1143:
1134:
1125:
1116:
1114:Holmes, p. 94.
1104:
1093:
1082:
1071:
1060:
1049:
1038:
1027:
1013:
1011:Kerr, pp. 4–5.
999:
990:
979:
968:
959:
950:
941:
932:
923:
907:
898:
896:Hay, pp. 97–8.
889:
880:
871:
862:
860:Kerr, pp. 2–3.
846:
837:
828:
819:
810:
798:
789:
773:
764:
755:
745:
743:
740:
731:
728:
716:New Model Army
699:Main article:
688:
685:
661:
660:
659:
658:
636:
622:
597:
596:
595:
594:
588:
582:
560:
533:
505:William Strode
501:Shepton Mallet
476:
473:
417:
414:
389:King Charles I
384:
381:
363:on 9 August.
361:Tilbury speech
349:
348:
343:
340:
337:
334:
306:
303:
223:Main article:
220:
217:
175:
172:
171:
169:William Strode
150:
144:
143:
139:
138:
92:
88:
87:
84:
80:
79:
70:
66:
65:
55:
51:
50:
35:
31:
30:
27:
23:
22:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1329:
1318:
1315:
1313:
1310:
1308:
1305:
1303:
1300:
1298:
1295:
1293:
1290:
1289:
1287:
1277:
1275:
1272:David Plant,
1270:
1269:
1260:
1256:
1252:
1249:
1246:W.J.W. Kerr,
1245:
1242:
1238:
1235:
1232:
1228:
1225:
1221:
1217:
1213:
1211:0-9508530-7-0
1207:
1203:
1202:
1196:
1193:
1189:
1185:
1182:
1178:
1175:
1171:
1170:
1156:
1147:
1138:
1129:
1120:
1111:
1109:
1102:
1097:
1091:
1086:
1080:
1075:
1069:
1064:
1058:
1053:
1047:
1042:
1036:
1031:
1025:
1020:
1018:
1008:
1006:
1004:
994:
988:
983:
977:
972:
963:
954:
945:
936:
927:
921:
916:
914:
912:
902:
893:
884:
875:
866:
857:
855:
853:
851:
841:
832:
823:
814:
805:
803:
793:
784:
782:
780:
778:
771:Hay, pp. 60–1
768:
759:
750:
746:
739:
737:
727:
725:
721:
717:
712:
708:
702:
693:
684:
682:
678:
674:
670:
666:
656:
652:
648:
644:
640:
637:
634:
630:
626:
623:
620:
616:
612:
608:
605:
604:
602:
599:
598:
592:
589:
586:
583:
580:
576:
572:
568:
564:
561:
558:
554:
550:
545:
541:
540:Edward Rodney
537:
534:
531:
527:
523:
520:
519:
517:
514:
513:
512:
510:
506:
502:
498:
494:
490:
486:
482:
472:
470:
466:
457:
453:
451:
447:
443:
439:
436:
432:
427:
423:
410:
405:
401:
399:
398:Harquebusiers
395:
390:
383:Bishops' Wars
380:
378:
374:
370:
364:
362:
358:
354:
347:
346:Arthur Hopton
344:
341:
338:
335:
332:
331:
330:
328:
324:
320:
316:
312:
311:Armada Crisis
302:
300:
299:Trained Bands
296:
292:
288:
284:
280:
276:
271:
269:
265:
264:King Edward I
261:
257:
253:
249:
245:
241:
240:
236:
232:
226:
216:
214:
210:
206:
202:
198:
194:
190:
186:
182:
176:Military unit
170:
165:
160:
159:Edward Rodney
155:
151:
145:
140:
137:
133:
129:
125:
121:
117:
113:
109:
104:
100:
96:
93:
89:
85:
81:
78:
74:
71:
67:
64:
63:Trained Bands
60:
56:
52:
48:
36:
32:
28:
24:
19:
16:
1273:
1258:
1247:
1240:
1230:
1200:
1191:
1180:
1173:
1159:Kerr, p. 91.
1155:
1146:
1137:
1128:
1119:
1096:
1085:
1074:
1063:
1052:
1041:
1030:
993:
982:
971:
962:
953:
944:
935:
926:
901:
892:
883:
874:
865:
840:
831:
822:
813:
792:
767:
758:
749:
733:
704:
662:
642:
638:
624:
606:
600:
590:
584:
567:John Stawell
562:
535:
521:
515:
478:
462:
431:Warwickshire
419:
386:
365:
350:
308:
272:
252:Norman kings
237:
228:
180:
178:
164:John Stawell
15:
1237:John Kenyon
957:Kerr, p. 4.
905:Kerr, p. 4.
796:Kerr, p. 1.
655:Lord Hawley
394:Cuirassiers
377:Netherlands
371:, 1200 for
353:Elizabeth I
305:Spanish War
235:Anglo-Saxon
199:during the
91:Engagements
1286:Categories
1166:References
705:After the
651:John Digby
481:Parliament
475:Civil Wars
469:River Tyne
450:Derbyshire
325:) and 120
149:commanders
142:Commanders
643:see above
631:, MP for
569:, MP for
530:John Pyne
509:Ilchester
507:, MP for
446:Wiltshire
315:petronels
270:of 1285.
106:Siege of
29:1558–1662
1220:33085577
736:cassocks
571:Somerset
516:Royalist
424:for the
396:and 218
319:Corslets
185:Somerset
73:Infantry
463:At the
442:Bristol
369:Ireland
357:Tilbury
327:billmen
323:pikemen
248:Sheriff
207:in the
197:Tilbury
152:Lt-Col
147:Notable
77:Cavalry
47:England
34:Country
1218:
1208:
444:, and
373:France
244:shires
219:Origin
54:Branch
44:
26:Active
1253:Dame
742:Notes
497:Wells
1216:OCLC
1206:ISBN
1186:Sir
675:saw
633:Bath
495:for
309:The
289:and
260:1252
258:and
239:Fyrd
229:The
179:The
167:Col
162:Sir
157:Sir
83:Size
75:and
69:Role
266:'s
215:.
187:in
1288::
1257:,
1239:,
1229:,
1214:.
1190:,
1107:^
1016:^
1002:^
910:^
849:^
801:^
776:^
726:.
653:,
603::
518::
491:,
433:,
411:).
400:.
1222:.
621:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
