"Army Lists in Peacock's book" Topic

dear all,

Continuing my reading into the English/British Civil War( s ) , I picked up Peacock's 'Army Lists &c'.

This little booklet starts with an army list of Charles I's army in 1642. I wonder about its accuracy: is this a proposed array of regiments, or where these also formed in reality. My question was triggered by the appearance of a regiment under Lord Taaffe ( future 1st Earl of Carlingford ) , an Irishman. This regiment is not listed in, for example, the British Civil War regimental Wiki ( wiki.bcw-project.org/start ) -- also Taaffe's biography does not relate to a regiment in England.

Thank you!
cheers, Wienand

Glancing at the text of Peacock, the particular list mentioning Taaffe is headed:

"COPY of a Lift of all the Cavaliers of his Majefties
Marching Army, with the number of Captaines in
each feverall Regiment, and every Regiment con-
taining about a thoufand Souldiers."

This in turn is listed in several library catalogues – for instance, link – as the title of a book or pamphlet published in London in 1642.

So is the reference correct? Don't know, but it comes straight from a contemporary source.

As I recall Peacock is great for the Parliamentarians but the Royalists are mostly a work of fiction. He wrote this in Parliamentarian London and seems to have relied on 'fake news' for the Royalist army.

Theobold Taafe is listed on BCW Wiki, just not as a Royalist regiment. It's there under Confederate Irish. Which is where it should correctly be. Taafe is not listed in "A List of Officers Claiming to the Sixty Thousand Pounds &c Granted by His Sacred Majesty for the Relief of His True Loyal and Indigent Part". Seeing as he was still alive when IO was drawn up, meant he wasn't eligible as he had not served in the English Royalist armies.

In other words, it's as Timbo says. Okayish for Parliamentarian lists, big pinch of salt for Royalist lists.

Thanks a lot.

The question also popped-up when I compared the OoB of Edgehill (e.g. link to the list of regiments in Peaock. For Parliament it seems quite matching, for the Royalists not so.

What would be a reliable source for a 'first' array of regiments raised by Charles I in 1642?

Apart from combing through Reid's Cavalier Army Lists for the information that you want I can't think of anything.

Reid's Cavalier Army Lists are excellent but they cover the entire period. I don't own the index volume so that might filter all of the information down to just what you desire.

The various Royalist armies are badly served in general – there are no equivalent volumes to Old Robin's Foot. Although I see that Laurence Spring has a forthcoming title with Helion on Hopton's armies. Parliament's armies are much better served with the aforementioned Old Robin's Foot; Army of the Eastern Association, and Waller's Army (both from Pike & Shot Society); and More Like Lions Than Men (covering Brerton's Cheshire army, an excellent text from Helion let down as always by dreadful illustrations)

Pretty good online OBs for the Edgehill Royalists can be found at the BCW project link and Nafziger (from Young).

Books – Reid's 'All the King's Armies' for an ECW overview with regimental detail for the major battles; Brigadier Young's classic Edgehill; Scott, Turton & Von Armin Edgehill, the battle reinterpreted for a more modern take.

Wienand – you might like my ECW battles excel found in the link at the bottom of the page here link

Plus, straight from Bernard de Gomme, link his contemporary order of battle for Edgehill.

Bear in mind there's some discussion about whether 3 or 4 dragoon regiments were there, and there are possibly some more foot regiments brigaded with those shown on the OB.

hi Timbo, KYPD,

thanks again! Some more books for the shopping list.

Maybe some context for my questions :-) The ECW period is sort-of a blank spot for me, as my main focus is on the post-1660 period (and some interest in the period before 1642). So I am trying to read into the topic and get a basic understanding; and bridge 1642 to 1660!

HI Wienand, great, some more general history sources are: Online, the BCW main site. Books: I always liked Haythornthwaite as an engaging narrative history, or Gardiner for the traditional heavyweight narrative. The Ospreys are still OK as an intro, but beware a few detail errors.

That Edgehill reinterpreted is good, I just got a copy and am enjoying my read. Quite Abit of useful information.