"British Gentlemen Pensioners" Topic

I'm looking for information about the Gentlemen Pensioners' uniforms during the XVIII Century. So far, all I found is this depiction of their uniform in 1742. Does anyone knows which other uniforms did they have in this century?
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Nice find Don, I know nothing about them in the 18th Century, but would be interested in hearing if you found anything on their uniform or lack of in the 17th Century (specifically ECW).

me too , spiffing uniform

Are those the Yeomen of the Tower in 18th Century garb?

No, but the collection I linked also has the XVIII Century Yeomen!
Timbo W, I opened a thread to try to find information about it on the Renaissance Discussion Boards. So far, I was only able to find this XVII century picture of them, but it's from the time of Charles II, so it seems that they had already become a cerimonial foot halberdier unit:

The picture in the link is from the 1742 Clothing Book. Unfortunately, its successor, the 1751 Book, did not include non-line units. Lawson has a couple of pages on pensioners, but these are 'real' pensioners who have a different simpler uniform. I haven't been able to find any more about the Gentlemen.

That's interesting Don, at Edgehill they were certainly cavalry though I know no good information on their dress or equipment except that one chap dispatched one of Essex's cuirassiers with a poleaxe (often used mounted in those days) when he approached the young Princes.

Website here on Gent Pensioners: link

I wonder if, a bit like the three musketeers, they served on foot or mountred as was preferred?

Nice link to the Gentlemen Pensioners Timbo W!

Thanks!

Are we sure that the Pensioners fought mounted at Edgehill? I found an engraving of Charles I coronation, and I believe they are the foot halberdiers at left:
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This is the sort of thing that makes me think they might have been 'dual-use' if you like.

Sir Richard Bulstrode's account of Edgehill:
When our Army was drawn up at the Foot of the Hill, and ready to march, all the Generals went to the King (who intended to march with the Army) and desired he would retire to a rising Ground, some Distance from thence, on the Right, with the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York (having his Guard of Pensioners on Horseback with him) from whence he might see the Issue of the Battle, and be out of Danger, and that otherwise the Army would not advance towards the Enemy: To which the King (very unwillingly) was at last perswaded.

They are usually referred to as the 'Troop of Gentlemen Pensioners', implying cavalry. But as shown in the previous link they had been given battleaxes by Henry VIII and were used as a dismounted bodyguard.

This is maybe not so different from the Mousquetaires du Roi of the same era, they could be dismounted as musketeers but were really aristocratic heavy cavalry. As Royal Bodyguards I guess its inconvenient to keep bringing the horses into the Banqueting Halls and Palaces!!

Per Wikipedia

The corps was formed as the Troop of Gentlemen in 1509 by King Henry VIII to act as a mounted escort, armed with spear and lance to protect the sovereign, in battle or elsewhere. Henry decided to have "this new and sumptuous Troop of Gentlemen composed of cadets of noble families and the highest order of gentry as his personal Body Guard or 'Nearest Guard'". (Cadets being the younger sons of nobles.)

As his Body Guard it accompanied Henry to France in 1513 and took part in the Battle of Guinegate (better known as the Battle of the Spurs) and then at the Field of Cloth of Gold in 1520. In 1526, they became a dismounted bodyguard armed with battleaxes. They last saw service in battle during the English Civil War (during which a Gentleman Matthews saved the Prince of Wales at the Battle of Edgehill (1642) from one of the Earl of Essex's troopers). They were always intended as a primarily ceremonial unit, but were on regular duty until the 19th century.

Under Henry VIII the Troop of Gentlemen varied in size, according to funding available. As the "Nearest Guard" to the Monarch the unit attracted an aristocratic and aspiring membership, which could be utililsed as a cadre of young officers when levies were raised for overseas service

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Wonderful and well presented share gentlemen, very interesting topic.

regards
dave

In France the Gardes du Corps were heavy cavalry, the most senior element of the Gendarmerie de France; yet the elite of the Companie Ecossaise (raised in 1423) turned as 'indoors' royal bodyguards (Gardes de la manche) and then carried partisans.

Being 'gentlemen' the Pensioners were certainly, at the beginning, mounted 'Men at arms', doubling as foot bodyguards.

Not the unit I was researching, but I've just found the XVIII Century dress of the Scottish Royal Company of archers, and I wanted to share this awesome uniform:

Nice, but what a pain that would be to paint!

Love the Royal Archer company. Now wouldn't that make for an intersting little scenario centred around them :)

A great uniform for an 'Imagi-Nary' Guard! A 'Legitime Kingdom in Exile' in Acadia, maybe?