482:. 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.
415:
70:
467:
703:
52:
498:. 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,
390:. 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.
304:(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
694:. 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
377:
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
439:
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
620:: 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
522:, 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:
402:
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
557:
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
604:: 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.
308:. 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
724:
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
1312:
729:
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
553:, 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
1327:
1322:
328:' (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 '
678:
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
324:
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 '
1317:
592:
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.
668:
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.
1100:
1078:
745:
The mounted 'petronels' of the
Elizabethan Somerset Trained Bands wore coats of a uniform colour, and the footmen of the period usually wore blue
1045:
1111:
1056:
1067:
519:
997:
581:
503:
1034:
646:. 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.
478:, roughly 800 raw Somerset musketeers under Lunsford were holding two hurriedly-erected breastworks or 'sconces' on the south side of the
451:
and his officers admitted that they had killed some of their men in self-defence. Sir John Beaumont's regiment, conscripted in Somerset,
1237:
445:
507:
378:
were invalid, except in time of rebellion or invasion. Nevertheless, between 1585 and 1602 Somerset supplied 1194 men for service in
930:
566:(September–December). In March 1645 it formed the garrison of Wells, and it was probably part of the garrison of Bristol when it was
1307:
1220:
643:
419:
665:
536:
414:
371:
515:
499:
179:
986:
749:
and red caps. A wide range of uniform colours was used during the Civil Wars. By 1650 red coats were becoming standard.
379:
661:
657:
113:
539:(or Paulet). Paulet had commanded 800 men in June 1642, but he was a committed Royalist and the men followed Lt-Col
691:
1302:
356:
679:
675:
621:
567:
383:
146:
122:
1198:
436:
270:
266:
219:
398:
With the passing of the threat of invasion, the trained bands declined in the early 17th Century. Later,
717:
559:
491:
278:
134:
17:
733:
once again consisted of five regiments of foot and one of horse. In 1685 it was heavily engaged in the
312:, who were mustered for regular training (the 1558 regiment in Somerset was an early example of this).
1282:
1247:
399:
387:
301:
289:
285:
463:, attacking the property of unpopular landowners, and were accused of being 'West Country clownes'.
1089:
585:
432:
305:
130:
105:
514:
with a company of horse on 1 August and attempted to call out the TBs there, he was confronted by
734:
589:
199:
142:
57:
206:
in 1662. They were periodically embodied for home defence, for example in the army mustered at
1265:
1226:
1216:
629:
563:
495:
475:
297:
262:
223:
215:
138:
109:
1210:
730:
721:
711:
683:
639:
554:
235:
203:
118:
687:
448:
293:
241:
164:
69:
588:(April–June 1644). Afterwards it was besieged in Taunton in July 1644, and fought at the
466:
726:
628:
in February was as TBs or Regulars. Strode's Foot subsequently served through the long
511:
321:
211:
702:
1296:
550:
408:
337:
333:
309:
274:
169:
73:
584:, the regiment may have been present at the capture of Taunton in June 1643 and the
577:
441:
245:
174:
366:'s bodyguard, and in July the whole contingent marched to join the royal army at
284:
The legal basis of the militia was updated by two acts of 1557 covering musters (
404:
363:
479:
460:
490:
Control of the militia was one of the areas of dispute between Charles I and
1230:
540:
456:
222:
and their units saw considerable active service for both sides during the
470:
19th Century engraving of the Scots cavalry crossing the Tyne at Newburn.
329:
325:
195:
83:
746:
625:
452:
367:
258:
207:
126:
87:
660:
by a Royalist force commanded by Henry Lunsford (Thomas's brother) ,
598:: commanded by Sir Edward Berkeley, who was captured in October 1642.
656:). In August 1642 the regiment (about 500 strong) was routed at the
1192:
The Bishops' Wars: Charles I's campaigns against Scotland 1638–1640
1242:
Soldiers: Army Lives and Loyalties from Redcoats to Dusty Warriors
1194:, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994, ISBN 0-521-34520-0.
1112:
Popham's Bath TB at BCW Project (archived at the Wayback Machine).
701:
674:
As Parliament tightened its grip on the country after winning the
465:
413:
254:
1212:
An epitomized history of the militia (the "Constitutional force")
249:
1101:
Strode's Foot at BCW Project (archived at the Wayback Machine).
1068:
Berkeley's TB at BCW Project (archived at the Wayback Machine).
987:
Trained Bands at BCW Project (archived at the Wayback Machine).
1285:
British Civil Wars, Commonwealth & Protectorate, 1638–1660
1254:, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1988, ISBN 0-297-79351-9.
1079:
Dyer's Horse at BCW Project (archived at the Wayback Machine).
1057:
Stawell's TB at BCW Project (archived at the Wayback Machine).
931:
Somerset TBs at BCW Project (archived at the Wayback Machine).
1046:
Rodney's TB at BCW Project (archived at the Wayback Machine).
1035:
Paulet's TB at BCW Project (archived at the Wayback Machine).
998:
Strode's TB at BCW Project (archived at the Wayback Machine).
1259:
Records of the 1st Somerset Militia (3rd Bn. Somerset L.I.)
690:
take control of the militia as a paid force to support his
510:, raised the TBs there in July 1642, but when he rode into
1313:
Military units and formations of the English Civil War
889:
Cruickshank, pp. 10, 25–7, 61–2, 92, 126; Appendix 2.
1328:
Military units and formations disestablished in 1650
1244:, London: HarperPress, 2011, ISBN 978-0-00-722570-5.
253:, the military force raised from the freemen of the
157:
152:
101:
93:
79:
64:
44:
36:
31:
431:Somerset was ordered to send 2000 men overland to
1323:Military units and formations established in 1558
1187:, 2nd Edn, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1966.
194:were a part-time military force in the county of
720:, the English Militia was re-established by the
288:c. 3) and the maintenance of horses and armour (
1215:. Malpas England: R. Westlake, Military Books.
418:18th Century engraving of Sir Thomas Lunsford (
202:from 1558 until they were reconstituted as the
618:Colonel William Strode's Somerset Trained Band
1270:The King's War 1641–1647: The Great Rebellion
8:
1030:
1028:
941:Fissel, pp. 150, 208, 244, 262–3 270–1, 286.
1121:
1119:
712:Somerset Militia § Restoration Militia
596:Sir Edward Berkeley's Somerset Trained Band
562:(August–September 1644) and the subsequent
1205:, Vol I, 2nd Edn, London: Macmillan, 1910.
794:
792:
790:
788:
362:The county sent off 600 men to join Queen
97:5–6 Regiments of Foot, 1 Regiment of Horse
1318:Military units and formations in Somerset
650:Colonel John Pyne's Somerset Trained Band
547:Sir Edward Rodney's Somerset Trained Band
1018:
1016:
1014:
926:
924:
922:
867:
865:
863:
861:
574:Sir John Stawell's Somerset Trained Band
18:Lord Paulet's Somerset Trained Band
757:
1272:, London: Collins, 1958/Fontana, 1966.
28:
815:
813:
236:Somerset Militia § Early History
7:
1261:, Aldershot:Gale & Polden, 1930.
543:, MP, into the Parliamentarian army.
977:Wedgwood, pp. 28, 38, 41, 65–8, 95.
533:Lord Paulet's Somerset Trained Band
846:Fortescue, Vol I, pp. 12, 16, 125.
25:
1287:– The BCW Project (archive site)
265:, and was reorganised under the
68:
50:
537:John Poulett, 1st Baron Poulett
1:
1203:A History of the British Army
1209:Hay, George Jackson (1987).
1143:Fortescue, Vol I, pp. 294–5.
959:Fortescue, Vol I, pp. 198–9.
214:of 1588. They fought of the
1090:Strode's TB at BCW Project.
718:Restoration of the Monarchy
602:Somerset Trained Band Horse
370:, where the Queen gave her
332:' (body armour, signifying
1344:
828:Cruickshank, pp. 17, 24–5.
709:
233:
1252:The Civil Wars of England
898:Fissel, pp. 174–8, 190–5.
420:National Portrait Gallery
261:. It continued under the
1308:Trained Bands of England
764:Fortescue, Vol I, p. 12.
658:Battle of Marshall's Elm
626:Second Battle of Modbury
624:in January 1643 and the
570:(August–September 1645).
340:, under the command of:
127:Second Battle of Modbury
114:Battle of Marshall's Elm
682:. The establishment of
622:Battle of Braddock Down
267:Assizes of Arms of 1181
257:under command of their
244:was descended from the
147:Siege of Bristol (1645)
123:Battle of Braddock Down
707:
706:Somerset Militia 1685.
692:Rule by Major-Generals
652:: formerly Paulett's (
471:
423:
290:4 & 5 Ph. & M.
286:4 & 5 Ph. & M.
192:Somerset Trained Bands
32:Somerset Trained Bands
1190:Mark Charles Fissel,
741:Uniforms and insignia
705:
568:besieged and captured
560:Battle of Lostwithiel
469:
417:
302:Justices of the Peace
279:Statute of Winchester
135:Battle of Lostwithiel
773:Fissell, pp. 178–80.
504:Member of Parliament
855:Hay, pp. 11–17, 88.
837:Fissel, pp. 178–87.
638:: commanded by Sir
586:Siege of Lyme Regis
576:: commanded by Sir
549:: commanded by Sir
459:, marauded through
437:Second Bishops' War
433:Newcastle upon Tyne
393:
306:Rising of the North
220:Second Bishops' War
131:Siege of Lyme Regis
106:Rising of the North
1183:C.G. Cruickshank,
735:Monmouth Rebellion
708:
590:Battle of Langport
472:
446:Lieutenant-Colonel
424:
386:, and 460 for the
347:Sir Henry Berkeley
298:Deputy Lieutenants
296:, assisted by the
200:South West England
143:Battle of Langport
1266:Veronica Wedgwood
1008:Kenyon, pp. 51–2.
950:Fissel, pp. 53–9.
798:Holmes, pp. 90–2.
636:Bath Trained Band
630:Siege of Plymouth
496:English Civil War
476:Battle of Newburn
427:Battle of Newburn
224:English Civil War
216:Battle of Newburn
185:
184:
139:Sieges of Taunton
110:Battle of Newburn
16:(Redirected from
1335:
1303:Somerset Militia
1277:External sources
1234:
1185:Elizabeth's Army
1171:
1168:
1162:
1161:Kerr, pp. 106–7.
1159:
1153:
1150:
1144:
1141:
1135:
1134:Hay, pp. 99–104.
1132:
1126:
1123:
1114:
1109:
1103:
1098:
1092:
1087:
1081:
1076:
1070:
1065:
1059:
1054:
1048:
1043:
1037:
1032:
1023:
1020:
1009:
1006:
1000:
995:
989:
984:
978:
975:
969:
966:
960:
957:
951:
948:
942:
939:
933:
928:
917:
914:
908:
905:
899:
896:
890:
887:
881:
880:Hay, pp. 92, 96.
878:
872:
869:
856:
853:
847:
844:
838:
835:
829:
826:
820:
817:
808:
805:
799:
796:
783:
780:
774:
771:
765:
762:
731:Somerset Militia
722:Militia Act 1661
698:Somerset Militia
684:The Protectorate
680:Council of State
640:Alexander Popham
564:Siege of Taunton
555:Sherborne Castle
500:Sir Ralph Hopton
494:that led to the
353:Sir John Clyfton
350:Sir John Stowell
292:c. 2) under the
204:Somerset Militia
119:Sherborne Castle
72:
60:
56:
54:
53:
29:
21:
1343:
1342:
1338:
1337:
1336:
1334:
1333:
1332:
1293:
1292:
1291:
1279:
1223:
1208:
1179:
1174:
1169:
1165:
1160:
1156:
1152:Kenyon, p. 240.
1151:
1147:
1142:
1138:
1133:
1129:
1124:
1117:
1110:
1106:
1099:
1095:
1088:
1084:
1077:
1073:
1066:
1062:
1055:
1051:
1044:
1040:
1033:
1026:
1021:
1012:
1007:
1003:
996:
992:
985:
981:
976:
972:
967:
963:
958:
954:
949:
945:
940:
936:
929:
920:
915:
911:
906:
902:
897:
893:
888:
884:
879:
875:
870:
859:
854:
850:
845:
841:
836:
832:
827:
823:
819:Hay, pp. 275–8.
818:
811:
806:
802:
797:
786:
781:
777:
772:
768:
763:
759:
755:
743:
714:
700:
688:Oliver Cromwell
676:First Civil War
612:Parliamentarian
535:: commanded by
488:
449:Thomas Lunsford
429:
396:
344:George Sydenham
318:
294:Lord Lieutenant
273:, and again by
242:English militia
238:
232:
212:Armada Campaign
188:
177:
172:
167:
165:Thomas Lunsford
159:
145:
141:
137:
133:
129:
125:
121:
116:
112:
108:
51:
49:
48:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1341:
1339:
1331:
1330:
1325:
1320:
1315:
1310:
1305:
1295:
1294:
1290:
1289:
1278:
1275:
1274:
1273:
1262:
1255:
1245:
1238:Richard Holmes
1235:
1221:
1206:
1199:John Fortescue
1195:
1188:
1180:
1178:
1175:
1173:
1172:
1163:
1154:
1145:
1136:
1127:
1125:Holmes, p. 94.
1115:
1104:
1093:
1082:
1071:
1060:
1049:
1038:
1024:
1022:Kerr, pp. 4–5.
1010:
1001:
990:
979:
970:
961:
952:
943:
934:
918:
909:
907:Hay, pp. 97–8.
900:
891:
882:
873:
871:Kerr, pp. 2–3.
857:
848:
839:
830:
821:
809:
800:
784:
775:
766:
756:
754:
751:
742:
739:
727:New Model Army
710:Main article:
699:
696:
672:
671:
670:
669:
647:
633:
608:
607:
606:
605:
599:
593:
571:
544:
516:William Strode
512:Shepton Mallet
487:
484:
428:
425:
400:King Charles I
395:
392:
374:on 9 August.
372:Tilbury speech
360:
359:
354:
351:
348:
345:
317:
314:
234:Main article:
231:
228:
186:
183:
182:
180:William Strode
161:
155:
154:
150:
149:
103:
99:
98:
95:
91:
90:
81:
77:
76:
66:
62:
61:
46:
42:
41:
38:
34:
33:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1340:
1329:
1326:
1324:
1321:
1319:
1316:
1314:
1311:
1309:
1306:
1304:
1301:
1300:
1298:
1288:
1286:
1283:David Plant,
1281:
1280:
1276:
1271:
1267:
1263:
1260:
1257:W.J.W. Kerr,
1256:
1253:
1249:
1246:
1243:
1239:
1236:
1232:
1228:
1224:
1222:0-9508530-7-0
1218:
1214:
1213:
1207:
1204:
1200:
1196:
1193:
1189:
1186:
1182:
1181:
1176:
1167:
1164:
1158:
1155:
1149:
1146:
1140:
1137:
1131:
1128:
1122:
1120:
1116:
1113:
1108:
1105:
1102:
1097:
1094:
1091:
1086:
1083:
1080:
1075:
1072:
1069:
1064:
1061:
1058:
1053:
1050:
1047:
1042:
1039:
1036:
1031:
1029:
1025:
1019:
1017:
1015:
1011:
1005:
1002:
999:
994:
991:
988:
983:
980:
974:
971:
965:
962:
956:
953:
947:
944:
938:
935:
932:
927:
925:
923:
919:
913:
910:
904:
901:
895:
892:
886:
883:
877:
874:
868:
866:
864:
862:
858:
852:
849:
843:
840:
834:
831:
825:
822:
816:
814:
810:
804:
801:
795:
793:
791:
789:
785:
782:Hay, pp. 60–1
779:
776:
770:
767:
761:
758:
752:
750:
748:
740:
738:
736:
732:
728:
723:
719:
713:
704:
697:
695:
693:
689:
685:
681:
677:
667:
663:
659:
655:
651:
648:
645:
641:
637:
634:
631:
627:
623:
619:
616:
615:
613:
610:
609:
603:
600:
597:
594:
591:
587:
583:
579:
575:
572:
569:
565:
561:
556:
552:
551:Edward Rodney
548:
545:
542:
538:
534:
531:
530:
528:
525:
524:
523:
521:
517:
513:
509:
505:
501:
497:
493:
485:
483:
481:
477:
468:
464:
462:
458:
454:
450:
447:
443:
438:
434:
426:
421:
416:
412:
410:
409:Harquebusiers
406:
401:
394:Bishops' Wars
391:
389:
385:
381:
375:
373:
369:
365:
358:
357:Arthur Hopton
355:
352:
349:
346:
343:
342:
341:
339:
335:
331:
327:
323:
322:Armada Crisis
315:
313:
311:
310:Trained Bands
307:
303:
299:
295:
291:
287:
282:
280:
276:
275:King Edward I
272:
268:
264:
260:
256:
252:
251:
247:
243:
237:
229:
227:
225:
221:
217:
213:
209:
205:
201:
197:
193:
187:Military unit
181:
176:
171:
170:Edward Rodney
166:
162:
156:
151:
148:
144:
140:
136:
132:
128:
124:
120:
115:
111:
107:
104:
100:
96:
92:
89:
85:
82:
78:
75:
74:Trained Bands
71:
67:
63:
59:
47:
43:
39:
35:
30:
27:
19:
1284:
1269:
1258:
1251:
1241:
1211:
1202:
1191:
1184:
1170:Kerr, p. 91.
1166:
1157:
1148:
1139:
1130:
1107:
1096:
1085:
1074:
1063:
1052:
1041:
1004:
993:
982:
973:
964:
955:
946:
937:
912:
903:
894:
885:
876:
851:
842:
833:
824:
803:
778:
769:
760:
744:
715:
673:
653:
649:
635:
617:
611:
601:
595:
578:John Stawell
573:
546:
532:
526:
489:
473:
442:Warwickshire
430:
397:
376:
361:
319:
283:
263:Norman kings
248:
239:
191:
189:
175:John Stawell
26:
1248:John Kenyon
968:Kerr, p. 4.
916:Kerr, p. 4.
807:Kerr, p. 1.
666:Lord Hawley
405:Cuirassiers
388:Netherlands
382:, 1200 for
364:Elizabeth I
316:Spanish War
246:Anglo-Saxon
210:during the
102:Engagements
1297:Categories
1177:References
716:After the
662:John Digby
492:Parliament
486:Civil Wars
480:River Tyne
461:Derbyshire
336:) and 120
160:commanders
153:Commanders
654:see above
642:, MP for
580:, MP for
541:John Pyne
520:Ilchester
518:, MP for
457:Wiltshire
326:petronels
281:of 1285.
117:Siege of
40:1558–1662
1231:33085577
747:cassocks
582:Somerset
527:Royalist
435:for the
407:and 218
330:Corslets
196:Somerset
84:Infantry
474:At the
453:Bristol
380:Ireland
368:Tilbury
338:billmen
334:pikemen
259:Sheriff
218:in the
208:Tilbury
163:Lt-Col
158:Notable
88:Cavalry
58:England
45:Country
1229:
1219:
455:, and
384:France
255:shires
230:Origin
65:Branch
55:
37:Active
1264:Dame
753:Notes
508:Wells
1227:OCLC
1217:ISBN
1197:Sir
686:saw
644:Bath
506:for
320:The
300:and
271:1252
269:and
250:Fyrd
240:The
190:The
178:Col
173:Sir
168:Sir
94:Size
86:and
80:Role
277:'s
226:.
198:in
1299::
1268:,
1250:,
1240:,
1225:.
1201:,
1118:^
1027:^
1013:^
921:^
860:^
812:^
787:^
737:.
664:,
614::
529::
502:,
444:,
422:).
411:.
1233:.
632:.
20:)
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