Lord Digby’s Regiment of Foot
Active | 1585? to 1662 |
Country | Ireland |
Allegiance | Royalist |
Spanish | |
Conflicts | Anglo-Spanish War |
Type | Foot |
Colonel | Lord Digby |
Richard Farrell | |
Lewis Farrell | |
Area Raised | Flanders |
Coat Colour | |
Flag Colour | |
Flag Design | |
Field Armies | Charles II 1658 |
Also Colonel Richard Farrell and Lewis Farrell's Regiment of Foot
Irish regiment serving in Flanders that joined Charles II in exile, they fought at the Battle of the Dunes
Service History
1656
- in French service
1657
- March: Surrender of the garrison of St Ghislain, joining the Spanish and Royalists in exile
1658
- June: Battle of the Dunes
- November: Farrell recognised as Colonel by the Spanish 1)
1659
1660
- September: Leave Spanish service for that of Charles II
1661
- November: Shipped to Tangiers
1662
- January: Arrive at Tangiers
- Incorporated into 'The Old Tangiers' Regiment
Notes
The regiment's history is discussed in Firth, C. H. (1898), Royalist and Cromwellian Armies in Flanders, 1657-1662, Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, pp. 67–119
Charles II began to raise an army at Bruges in Flanders in 1656, having signed a treaty to ally with Spain against France and Cromwellian England. Over the winter of 1656 to 7 a small French garrison under the Duke of Schomberg occupied St Ghislain. Lewis Farrell's regiment had served overseas for many years, having been raised in 1585 and served the Spanish before the French. As the soldiers were mostly Irish, Lord Digby opened secret negotiations which led to them surrendering to Don John's Spanish and changing sides in March 1657. The regiment, unlike the rest of Charles' little army, appear in a list of Spanish regiments in Flanders 2). In July 1658 the regiment fought at the Battle of the Dunes in Blagge’s brigade, but the French and English Protectorate forces were victorious and Digby's regiment were routed. In 1659 Digby succeeded to the title of Second Earl of Bristol and the regiment are sometimes known by this name. Likely Digby was nominal commander and they were commanded in the field by Colonel Farrell throughout. Remaining in Flanders after the Battle of the Dunes, they were shipped to Tangiers in 1661, eventually being incorporated into the 'Old Tangiers Regiment'. The Old Tangier Regiment became the Second, or Queen’s Regiment of Foot, the senior English Regiment of the line in the British army, where it has now been amalgamated into the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment.
Flags and Equipment
Notable Officers
George, Lord Digby
Colonel Richard Farrell
Richard Farrell or O'Farrell, surrendered in 1652 and went into French service.
Colonel Lewis Farrell
Lewis, or Lisagh Farrell was a younger brother of Richard Farrell, one of the Confederate generals in Ireland.
Connell Ferrall
Connell Ferall, Lt Col? also defected at St Ghislain.
Strength
- January 1662: 381 men