Colonel Edward Whalley’s Regiment of Horse

Later Colonel Robert Swallow’s, Thomas Saunders’ then Lord Falkland’s Regiment of Horse

New Model Army regiment of horse formed from Cromwell's Ironsides, serving in the First, Second and Third Civil Wars then in Scotland

• April: Formed from Colonel Oliver Cromwell’s Regiment of Horse of Manchester’s Army
• May: Skirmish at Radcot Bridge
• 14th June: Battle of Naseby
• June: Siege of Leicester
• July: Battle of Langport
• August to September: Siege of Bristol
• December: Quartered around Islip

• January to May: Siege of Banbury Castle
• May to July: Siege of Worcester

• April: Whalley supports the complaints of his men
• June to November: The regiment guards King Charles during his imprisonment at Hampton Court
• November: Muster at Kingston

• April-May: Garrison at London
• May: Suppress rising at Bury St Edmunds
• June: Battle of Maidstone
• June: Skirmish at Blackheath?
• 11th June to 28th August: Siege of Colchester
• December: Enter London with Fairfax

• April: Thirty of the regiment mutiny at the Bull Inn in Bishopsgate Street
• May: The regiment opposes the Levellers

• July: Invade Scotland under Cromwell
• July: Skirmish at Musselburgh
• 3rd September: Battle of Dunbar
• October: At Carlisle
• November: Join Lambert’s force
• December: Battle of Hamilton

• Quartered in Ayr
• September: Battle of Worcester

• February: Serving in Scotland during Glencairn’s rising
• September: Capture Glencairn at Dumbarton?

• April: Return to England, quartered at York

• April: The regiment, unlike Whalley, side with Fleetwood not Richard Cromwell
• April: Whalley replaced by Robert Swallow
• August: Battle of Winnington Bridge
• August: Take Chester

• February: Swallow replaced by Thomas Saunders
• April: Sherman’s troop at Nottingham, refuse to join Lambert
• June: Saunders replaced by Lord Falkland
• November: Three troops disbanded in Scotland
• December: Remaining three troops disbanded

A history of the regiment is given in The Regimental History of Cromwell's Army by Sir Charles Firth and Godfrey Davies, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1940.

The regiment was formed from Cromwell’s Ironsides of Manchester’s army. Victorious at Naseby, they particularly distinguished themselves in a charge led by Major Bethel at the Battle of Langport. They went on to fight at the siege of Bristol, where Bethel was killed, then were sent to Oxfordshire, serving at the siege of Banbury, then to the siege of Worcester.

When the New Model Army secured King Charles in 1647, Whalley's regiment was given the responsibility of guarding him during his imprisonment at Hampton Court. When the king escaped on 11 November, Parliament ordered Whalley to present and sign a written account of what had happened. He was exonerated of any blame.

In the Second Civil War the regiment accompanied Fairfax in Kent and Essex. In the Third Civil War they formed part of Cromwell’s army fighting bravely at Dunbar and at Worcester.

They spent 1654 in Scotland dealing with Glencairn’s rising, returning to England in 1655. In 1659 Whalley was replaced by Swallow and the regiment helped defeat Booth’s rising. In 1660 Swallow was replaced by first Colonel Thomas Saunders, then Lord Falkland, before the regiment was disbanded in November and December.

In May 1649 they wore blue ribbons in their hats as a sign of allegiance to Fairfax, rather than the sea green and black of the Levellers.

Edward Whalley Cousin of Oliver Cromwell and regicide. He escaped to New England at the Restoration with his son-in-law and fellow-regicide William Goffe.

One of the captains of Cromwell’s regiment in the Eastern Association, he was Major at the time of Whalley’s dismissal and was appointed Colonel.

Briefly Colonel replacing Swallow.

Briefly Colonel replacing Saunders until disbandment.

More detailed lists of officers for April and May 1645, December 1646, May and August 1647 and May 1649 are shown in Reconstructing the New Model Army. Volume 1, Regimental Lists April 1645 to May 1649 by Malcolm Wanklyn, Helion & Co. 2015. ISBN 978-1-910777-10-7.

From Anglia Rediviva¹⁾

• Colonel: Edward Whalley
• Major: Christopher Bethell, replaced by Robert Swallow
• Captain: Robert Swallow, promoted to Major to replace Bethell, replaced by Capt John Pitchford
• Captain: John Grove
• Captain: Henry Cannon
• Captain: William Evanson

• 1645: Established at six troops