Lord Brechin’s Regiment of Horse

Covenanter horse fighting in the Third Civil War

• February: Brechin commissioned Colonel to raise a regiment of horse in Forfarshire, the Mearns and Aberdeenshire

• June: One troop each sent to Perth, Linlithgow and Haddintonshire
• Join Leslie's army
• August: Skirmish at Gogar
• 3rd September: Battle of Dunbar - 3 troops
• September to April 1651: 'In and out of Angus' all winter
• October: Lt Col Nairn finds Charles II hiding in a cottage at Clova
• October: Under Leslie's command in the north-east
• October: Serving with Sir John Browne
• October: Skirmish at Newtyle against the Scots Royalists under Middleton, half the regiment deserts to Middleton

• May: Assigned to Leslie's 1st Cavalry Brigade
• Quartered in Fife
• June: Ordered to Stirling
• 29th July: Battle of Inverkeithing, Brechin wounded
• August: Seized £25 in Leith
• September: Battle of Worcester??

• Remain in northern Scotland until Brechin surrenders to Monck

A history of the unit is shown in Edward M. Furgol’s A Regimental History of the Covenanting Armies 1639-1651 Edinburgh, 1990. ISBN 0 85976 194 0

Furgol and Reid differ on whether the regiment was at Worcester. Although the regiment belonged to Leslie's 1st cavalry brigade that fought at Worcester, Brechin fought and was wounded at Inverkeithing. Perhaps the regiment's split at Newtyle could explain this?

The Colonel's colour is white with a white & gold fringe and green wreath and gold crown surrounding the inscription COVENANT for Religion Croune and Kingdome. Lt Col Nairne's is red with red & gold fringe, a green tree with acorns and Covenant for Religion King and Kingdoms.¹⁾

A list of officers is shown in Stuart Reid's Scots Armies of the 17th Century 2: Scots Colours Partizan Press 1988 ISBN 094652550 1

George Maule, Lord Brechin, later 2nd Earl of Panmure

• February 1649: 480 planned to be raised
• July 1649: 160 horse in 3 troops, the Estates orders more recruits
• July 1650: Ordered to expand to 6 troops totalling around 380-400 horse