Sir John Merrick’s Regiment of Foot

Regiment of foot raised for the Earl of Essex’s army in 1642 that instead served in the West Country during the First Civil War

• July: Raised in London and Southwark
• August to September: Siege of Portsmouth
• September: Siege of Sherborne Castle
• October: Garrison of Worcester
• November: Garrison of Gloucester

• January: Garrison of Plymouth; 2 companies under Lloyd and Lowe remain based at Gloucester until December 1643
• April: Battle of Highnam? (Lloyd & Lowe det)
• 23rd April: Battle of Beacon Hill
• May: Battle of Stratton
• May: Siege of Worcester (Lloyd & Lowe det)
• June to September: Besieged in Exeter
• July: Battle of Lansdown (Lloyd & Lowe det)
• July: Siege of Devizes (Lloyd & Lowe det)
• July: Battle of Roundway Down (Lloyd & Lowe det)
• September: Return to London, disbanded and sent as drafts to the Earl of Stamford’s Regiment

The detachment of 2 companies under Lloyd and Lowe is thought to have been drawn out of Gloucester garrison by Sir William Waller for his Lansdown campaign.

Merrick's regiment wore grey coats from August 1642 ¹⁾.

A list of the regiment's officers in the West Country is shown in The Fall of the West Vol. 6 by Stuart Peachey and Alan Turton (Stuart Press).

Sir John Merrick

• Colonel Sir John Merrick²⁾
• Lt Colonel Vincent Kilmady
• Major William Herbert
• Captain Tyer
• Captain Lower
• Captain Francis Merrick
• Captain Thomas Laugherne
• Captain John Lloyd
• Captain John Edwards
• Captain John Baily
  • Provost Marshall: John Treme
  • Chaplain: Tucker
  • Surgeon: John Woodward
  • QuarterMaster Henry Bishop³⁾

• July 1642: 1200 ordered to be raised
• October 1642: 1113 rank and file⁴⁾