Earl of Northampton’s Regiment of Horse

Oxford Army cavalry regiment often detached for independent action under the Earl of Northampton and with detachments at the garrison of Banbury

• July: Standoff at Kineton Heath
• August: Taking of Banbury
• August: Siege of Warwick Castle
• August: Battle of Southam
• September: Battle of Powick Bridge

• March: Skirmish at Long Buckby (det)?
• March: Battle of Hopton Heath
• March: Skirmish at Middleton Cheney
• March: Skirmish at Long Buckby (det)
• April: Siege of Lichfield?
• May: Skirmish at Middleton Cheney
• August 9: Skirmish at Towcester. Detachment of 30 Banbury garrison horse under Captain James Chamberlaine (killed).¹⁾
• September: Skirmish at Adderbury
• September: First battle of Newbury
• September: Skirmish at Aldermaston and Padworth
• September: Attempt on Leicester
• November: Skirmish at Stowe
• December: Skirmish at Towcester

• March: Skirmish at Adderbury
• April: Storm of Canons Ashby
• June: Battle of Tipton Green
• June: Besieged at Compton Wynyates (det)
• June: Battle of Cropredy Bridge
• August: Skirmish at Canons Ashby (det)
• August: Battle of Lostwithiel
• October: Relief of Banbury Castle
• November: Relief of Donnington Castle
• November: Skirmish at Warwick (det)

• January: Repulsed from Compton House
• February: Skirmish at Daventry and Weedon Bec
• March: Skirmish at Halford Bridge
• March: Skirmish at Kingsthorpe
• April: Skirmish at Islip
• May: Storm of Leicester
• June: Battle of Naseby
• August: Storm of Huntingdon
• September: Battle of Rowton Heath
• October: Skirmish at Langar
• November: Besieged at Wiverton Hall

• January to May: Besieged at Banbury Castle (det)?
• March: Battle of Stow on the Wold
• May: Surrender at Banbury Castle

See https://northantsbattles.com/the-english-civil-wars/. For the unsuccessful storm of Compton House in January 1645 and the surrender of Banbury to Col. Whalley in 1646 see Earl of Northampton’s Regiment of Foot.

Known cornets had blue fields and were fringed in blue and white. Symonds noted 4 blue cornets in April 1644.

According to Blount:

Sir Charles Compton (another of the Earle of Northampton's brothers) had this motto only inscribed on his coronet, CONTRA AUDENTIOR ITO²⁾.

Sir William Compton (Brother to the Earle of Northampton) seem'd to contemn the sordid vulgarity, when without figure his Devise was only embellished with this motto, ODI PROFANUM VULGUS ET ARCEO³⁾. This loosely translates as 'I hate the common crowd and keep aloof' but might perhaps be a play on words meaning roughly ' I hate that crowd of the House of Commons and stay away'.

On 16th November 1644 Mercurius Aulicus reported a raid on Warwick by Captain John Moore of the Earl of Northampton's (Horse) regiment, in which 120 yards of red cloth was taken 'with which the courageous captain intends to clothe his soldiers'

Spencer Compton, Second Earl of Northampton, killed at Hopton Heath in March 1643.

James Compton, 3rd Earl of Northampton inherited the Earldom and his father's regiments. Until 1643 he was titled Lord Compton.

Sir Charles was younger brother of James, the 3rd Earl and served as Lieutenant Colonel to his brother.

From original research by Victor Judge aka BCW user 1642

E.330.21 April 1646

wee had intelligence that six hundred Horse marched out of Oxon TYPE ALL(THIS IS HIS HORSE REGT)…the Major and most of the Officers of Sir William Comptons Regiment belonging to Banburie are prisoners, it was esteemed the best Regiment the King ever had, and the newes of their engagement being reported at Oxon. this day, that they would come off with honour or be lost, they sadly replyd, if that Regiment were lost, they were all undone.

• May 1645: 250 men at Leicester⁴⁾

• Earl of Northampton’s Regiment of Foot
• Earl of Northampton’s Regiment of Dragoons