Sir Thomas Blackwell’s Regiment of Foot

Flag Illustration	1)
Active	1643 to 1644
Country	England
Allegiance	Royalist
Conflicts	First Civil War
Type	Foot
Colonel	Sir Thomas Blackwell
Area Raised	Nottinghamshire
Coat Colour	possibly red or blue
Flag Colour	Black
Flag Design	Unknown
Field Armies	Oxford 1643-4

Royalist Regiment of Foot raised in Nottinghamshire, accompanied the Queen South to reinforce the Oxford Army

• Raised in the Newark area
• July: Storm of Burton on Trent
• August to September: Siege of Gloucester
• September: First Battle of Newbury
• December: Stormed at Alton Church?? (det)
• Quartered at Reading

• March: Battle of Cheriton (det)
• April: Mustered at Aldbourne Chase
• June: Battle of Cropredy Bridge
• August: Battle of Lostwithiel
• October: Second Battle of Newbury
• November: Likely amalgamated with other understrength units of the Oxford Army

A history of the regiment is available online at Sir Thomas Blackwell's Regiment of Foote

Referred to as The Queen's black regiment under Colonel Blackwell this likely refers to their flags ²⁾.

In December 1643 Blackwell's received pikes and muskets but also two carbines, a birding piece, 5 swords, 5 backs and 6 breasts.

Peachey and Prince ³⁾ argue that Blackwell's may have benefitted from the Oxford July 1643 issue of clothing (all red or all blue): they were part of the Queen’s Escort from Yorkshire to Oxford and are possibly in Oxford on the 15th July when Wood notes in his diary that “all the common soldiers then at Oxford were newly apparelled”. Charles had ridden out to meet Henrietta Maria at Edgehill on the 13th, and had returned to Oxford on the 14th, so it is safe to assume that the escorting regiments of foot would most likely arrive a day or two after the Queen. Wood’s diary ends on the 15th July so we cannot be certain if the regiments of the Queen’s Escort had arrived in the city; Peachey and Prince suppose that even if the soldiers arrived later than the 15th they would probably be issued clothing from any remaining stocks.

The regiment were also issued winter clothing in September 1644 but no colours were recorded.

Sir Thomas Blackwell

From original research by Victor Judge aka BCW user 1642

• Colonel Sir Thomas Blackwell
• Lieutenant Colonel Richard Meridel I.O. L + W

• Lieutenant Thomas Buttman I.O. L + W
• Ensign Ferdinand Babington I.O. Notts.
• Ensign Charles Martin I.O. L + W to Lt. Col. Meridel

A list of the regiment's officers is also shown in Officers and Regiments of the Royalist Army by Stuart Reid (Partizan Press).

From original research by Victor Judge aka BCW user 1642

E.67.31 A Briefe and exact relation of the most material remarkable passages that hapned in the late well formed (and as valiantly defended) Siege laid before the City of Glocester. John Dorney Around August 12 1643 Gloucester siege

The same night the enemy making an approach in Barton Street, our cannon killed six of them, whereof one was a Lieutenant Colonel, and another a Captain of the Queens Black Regiment under Colonel Blackwell.

WO55.1661.185 13 die December 1643 dd (delivered) out of his Maj. stores being Armes formerly brought into the aforesd by Mr Bourne one of his Maj. messengers from Wittney of the knowne armes of Richard Merridaile Lt. Colonell to Sir Thomas Blackwell &e vizt

• Muskettes 36
• Bandeleares 23
• Carabines 2
• Birdinge Peece 1
• Backes 5
• Brestes 6
• Swordes 5
• Longe Pykes 17

• Winter 1643: 30 at Reading
• April 1644: 61 at Reading
• April 1644: At Aldbourne Chase mustered 4 Captains, 4 Lieutenants, 4 Ensigns, 2 Gentlemen, 6 Sergeants, 5 Corporals, 5 Drummers, 56 Soldiers ⁴⁾

Blackwell's are re-enacted by Sir Thomas Blackwell's Regiment of Foote of the English Civil War Society.