Earl of Stamford’s Regiment of Horse
Flag Illustration | ![]() |
Active | 1642 to 1643 |
Country | England |
Allegiance | Parliamentarian |
Conflicts | First Civil War |
Type | Horse |
Colonel | Earl of Stamford |
Area Raised | |
Flag Colour | Blue |
Flag Design | One known |
Field Armies |
Parliamentarian regiment of horse serving in Gloucester under Robert Kyrle
Service History
1643
- January: Skirmish at Burford?
- January: Siege of Sudeley Castle
- March: Battle of Highnam
Notes
Two troops were raised, the Earl of Stamford’s troop and Robert Kyrle’s troop. Stamford garrisoned Gloucester then was transferred to command in Devon, leaving his regiment of foot under Lt Col Massey and Kyrle’s troop of horse at Gloucester. Presumably Stamford’s own troop accompanied him to the West and defeat at Stratton, but this is currently unclear.
A record of quartering in the parish of Kelwiston (Kelston Somerset) between Bristol and Bath includes “for Quartering my Lord Standford's regiment of horse Comanded by Major Gould, by Capt Halse [Halsey?], Capt Drake, Capt Bescone [Boscowen?] etc a fortnight 20-00-00” All these are known commanders of horse troops in Devon. But whether this was a formally constituted regiment of just a loose collection of independent troops is unclear. (N.A. SP28/42/713)
Flags
The Earl of Stamford had no figure in his coronet, which was inscribed thus, FOR RELIGION, KING AND COUNTRY, and under that AIMEZ PUISSANCE2). The Bill Carman/Gary Gibbs collection, using “Sketches of regimental banners from the English Civil Wars” 3) as it's source, shows the background colour as solid blue, rather than the blue and white bands of Stamford's coat of arms illustrated above4). Both of these could be considered artists impressions based on Blount's description.
Notable Officers
Earl of Stamford
Robert Kyrle
Defected to the Royalists, and then in September 1644 betrayed Monmouth to the Parliamentarians.
Capt Edward Freeman
Previously in charge of an independent troop of dragoons, Captain Edward Freeman’s Troop of Dragoons