James Elphinstone, Lord Coupar’s Regiment of Foot
| Active | 1639 |
| 1643 to 1646 | |
| 1650 | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Allegiance | Covenanter |
| Conflicts | First Bishops' War |
| First Civil War | |
| Third Civil War | |
| Type | Foot |
| Colonel | Lord Coupar |
| Area Raised | Strathearn |
| Coat Colour | Grey |
| Flag Colour | White(1650) |
| Flag Design | Colonel's only |
| Field Armies | Montrose 1639 |
| Leven 1643-5 | |
| Leslie 1645 | |
| Middleton 1646 | |
| Leslie 1650 |
Covenanter Regiment of Foot raised for the Bishops' Wars then for service in England, forming part of Leven’s army, raised again in 1650
Service History
1639
- March: Raised in Strathearn, Perthshire
- March: Occupy Aberdeen with Montrose
- May: Occupy Aberdeen with Montrose
- June: Battle of Megray Hill
- June: Skirmish at Big o’ Dee
- June: Occupy Aberdeen
- June: Disband after the Treaty of Birks
1643
- August: Coupar commissioned colonel, the regiment raised anew in Strathearn
1644
- January: Join Leven's army
- February to April: Detached under Lumsden's command
- April: Guard a powder convoy to York
- April to July: Siege of York
- 2nd July: Battle of Marston Moor
- July: Siege of York
- July: Quartered in Yorkshire
- August to October: Siege of Newcastle
1645
- July to September: Siege of Hereford
- 13th September: Battle of Philiphaugh (det) - 700 men
- December: Ordered to Perth
- December to March: In garrisons in Montrose, Perthshire, Angus & Mearns
1646
- March: Siege of Kincardine Castle, on Middleton's campaign
1647
- February: Disbanded, though 83 men were sent to The General of Artillery’s Regiment of Foot of the Scots New Model Army.
1649
- February: Coupar commissioned to raise a regiment in Angus, but fails to recruit it
1650
- July: Coupar commissioned colonel of a regiment to be raised in Perthshire
- September: Battle of Dunbar
Notes
A history of the unit is shown in Edward M. Furgol’s A Regimental History of the Covenanting Armies 1639-1651 Edinburgh, 1990. ISBN 0 85976 194 0
The detachment sent back to Scotland with Leslie, and fighting at Philiphaugh, may have been mounted as dragoons, see Lord Coupar’s Dragoons.
Little is known of the regiment's activities in 1650, perhaps it was destroyed at Dunbar.
Coats, Flags & Equipment
The regiment was likely dressed in ubiquitous Scots hodden grey with blue bonnets. At Dunbar a Colonel's colour bearing Coupar's crest was taken, This was white with the crest of a tree and stag proper over the motto SVB VMBRA PROREGE and a damaged inscription COVENA.. FOR REL… KIN… AND K…1)
Notable Officers
A list of the regiment's officers is shown in Stuart Reid's Scots Armies of the 17th Century 1. The Army of the Covenant 1639-1651 Partizan Press 1998 ISBN 094652550
James Elphinstone, 1st Lord Coupar
Lieutenant Colonel John Brown
Strength
- January 1644: 10 companies
- Siege of York: ~1000 men
- Storm of Newcastle: 10 companies
- July 1650: 920 men to be levied
