Colonel William Ashburnham’s Regiment of Foot

Royalist West Country infantry regiment that served with Hopton, then as a garrison unit

• Raised in the West Country

• January: Battle of Braddock Down
• April: Battle of Sourton Down?
• May: Battle of Stratton??
• June to September: Siege of Exeter
• July: Engagement at Topsham
• September onwards: Garrison of Exeter

• April: Storm of Wareham
• May-June: Siege of Lyme
• June: Portland Castle?
• October: Abandon Weymouth and garrison Portland

• October to April: Besieged in Exeter

• April: Surrender of Exeter
• May to June: Siege of Oxford
• June: Disbanded at surrender of Oxford

Although possibly present on Hopton’s Lansdown campaign, they are more likely to have remained at the siege of Exeter.

Coat colours and flags are unknown, but the regiment was equipped with muskets only. They were issued 1000 muskets from Weymouth by February 1644.¹⁾. This was due to an administrative error at the Bristol Ordnance Office but when discovered, Ashburnham refused to return the excess muskets.

William Ashburnham commanded the foot besieged at Sherborne Castle in September 1642. In June 1644 Ashburnham evacuated Wareham in the face of Essex’s army’s advance into the West, retiring to Portland. Whether his Regiment of Foot accompanied him, remained with Maurice’s forces or returned to Exeter is uncertain.

From original research by Victor Judge aka BCW user '1642'

• Colonel William Ashburnham
• Lieutenant Colonel Phillip Frowde (3)

• Captain James Hussey Ment. I.O.
• Captain Pollard (1)
• Captain John Richardson I.O. L + W
• Captain John Turberville (4)

• Lieutenant Bryant (2)
• Lieutenant Thomas Christopher I.O. Dorset
• Lieutenant James Hoskins I.O. Dorset
• Lieutenant Lionell Keymor I.O. Somerset
• Lieutenant Christopher Tart I.O. L + W to Capt. Hussey
• Lieutenant White (1)

• Ensign Giles French I.O. Dorset to Capt. Richardson

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'

(1) E.127.29

(2) Harl.Mss. 6802 f.15

(3) Mercurius Aulicus 13.4.1644 See Lord Inchiquins Regiment of Foot for narration of storm of Wareham and attribution of Frowde.

SP23.142.133 The humble petition of Coll. Phillip Frowde sheweth that hee having borne armes for his Majesty in this unhappy warr is come in upon the articles of Exeter and in order hereunto humbly desires the honorable committee to admit him to his composition. 13.7.1646

(4) SP19.126.139 A list of delinquents in the County of Dorset 26.6.1648 Mr John Turberville of Wool brigge occasioned Lulworth Castle to be made a garrison by the Kings party and went in the head of a foot company thether and quartered there a good space. Was in armes at Sherburne against the Parliament where the Earl of Bedford was before it. I have tentatively listed him under col. William Ashburnham.

E.47.27 Copy of one of his warrants issued May 1644.

E.256.27 Ashburnham abandons Weymouth and goes into Portland Isle. Oct 44.

Colonel William Ashburnham’s Regiment of Horse