The Master of Yester’s Regiment of Foot
| Flag Illustration 1 |  1) |
| Flag Illustration 2 |  2) |
| Active | 1639 |
| 1643 to 1647 | |
| 1648 | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Allegiance | Covenanter |
| Conflicts | First Bishops' War |
| First Civil War | |
| Second Civil War | |
| Type | Foot |
| Colonel | Master of Yester |
| Area Raised | Peeblesshire |
| Tweeddale and Linlithgow | |
| Coat Colour | Grey |
| Flag Colour | Blue |
| Flag Design | White Saltire |
| Field Armies | Leslie 1639 |
| Leven 1644-5 | |
| Leslie 1645 | |
| Hamilton 1648 |
Covenanter Regiment of Foot raised for the Bishops' Wars, then seeing service in England, Scotland and in the Second Civil War
Service History
1639
- Raised in Peeblesshire
- March: Taking of Dalkeith House
- June: Join Leslie’s army at Duns Law
- June: Standoff at Duns Law
- June: Disbanded following the Treaty of Birks
1643
- August: Hay commissioned colonel, regiment raised anew in Linlithgow and Tweeddale
1644
- January: Taking of Warkworth?
- One company remains in garrison at Warkworth (Capt Lyle)
- March: Storm of South Shields Fort
- March: Battle of Hylton
- April to July: Siege of York
- 2nd July: Battle of Marston Moor
- July: Siege of York
- July to August: Quartered at Leeds
- August to October: Siege of Newcastle
1645
- July to September: Siege of Hereford
- July: Small detachment sent to siege of Carlisle
- August: Detachment of 180 men return to Scotland with Leslie
- September: Battle of Philiphaugh (det)
1646
- Quartered in England
1647
- January: Return to Scotland
- February: Disbanded
1648
- May: Hay commissioned colonel to raise the regiment anew in Haddington and Tweedale
- July: Create a disturbance at Oldhamstocks Kirk
- July: Preston campaign
- August: Battle of Winwick Pass
- August: Surrender to the New Model Army at Winwick and Warrington
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
Coats, Flags & Equipment
The regiment was likely dressed in ubiquitous Scots hodden grey with blue bonnets. Flags from the regiment were captured at Preston. The Colonel's company carried a white flag while other companies carried blue flags. The white flag had a silver goat’s head crest, with the motto SPARE NOCHT and an ornate scroll reading COVENANT for Religion KING and Kingdomes (Illustration 1). Flags of the other companies were blue with a white saltire and a central silver goat's head surrounded by a wreath. The inscription was Couenant for Religion King and Kingdomes (Illustration 2)3)
Notable Officers
Lists of the regiment's officers are shown in Stuart Reid's Scots Armies of the 17th Century 1. The Army of the Covenant 1639-1651 Partizan Press 1998 ISBN 094652550 and in Stuart Reid's Scots Armies of the 17th Century 2: Scots Colours Partizan Press 1988 ISBN 094652550 1
John Hay, Master of Yester
John Hay, 1st Lord of Yester then succeeded to the title 1st Earl of Tweeddale in 1654.
Strength
- November 1645: 299 officers & men
- November 1645: 367 officers & men
- December 1645: 429 officers & men
- January 1646: 516 officers & men
- July 1646: 632 officers & men
- August 1646: 686 officers & men
- May 1648: 1200 foot commissioned to be raised
- August: 81 officers and men surrender at Warrington
