We Have Released a Figure of Sir Philip Skippon (1600-1660) in 28mm in Our ECW Range!
Commander of the London Trayned Bandes 1642; Sergeant Major General of Foot, Essex's Army 1642-45, Sergeant Major General of Foot, the new model army.
Skippon is a personal favorite of ours here at Empress and, in our "unbiased" opinion, is one of the great heroes of the Parliamentary cause.
Chosen on the recommendation of Charles I, no less to command the London Trayned Bandes in 1639 (after nearly two decades of extensive military experience on the continent), he set about improving the efficiency of the various regiments do that when war came in 1642, they were the premier military force in the country. When asked by Charles I to join the Royalist Army, he replied "I desire to honor God and not to honor men" and confirmed his loyalty to the Parliament.
At Turnham Green, his prompt and efficient deployment of the Trayned Bandes ensured that Rupert was unable to capture London, and the security of the Parliamentary cause was assured. He was appointed Sergeant Major General of foot in Essex's army, and in the Gloucester campaign was able to keep the infantry moving through hostile county, and under regular attack from Wilmot's cavaliers. ensuring the main field army was never under great threat and Gloucester relieved. The First Battle of Newbury sees Skippon masterly deployment of his foot, feeding in reserves in an effective and timely fashion, and being wherever needed to hold morale together when brigades come under pressure. It is the stalwart defense by two of his beloved London Trayned Bandes regiments (the Red and Blue regiments), against combined Royalist cavalry and infantry assaults supported by artillery, that ensure the army survives largely intact and mark what, for some, one of the major turning points in the war. Skippon's leadership and presence had been a key factor throughout the whole campaign.
1644 sees the disaster at Loswithiel. Essex's horse are able to punch through the encircling Royalist lines but the foot, deserted by Essex and Lord Robartes, are left to surrender. Rather than make his escape, Skippon opts to stay with his men and negotiate the surrender.
The treatment of the surrendering foot was savage. Despite the best efforts of the Royalist high command, to enforce the terms their own troops and the local people quickly pillaged the unarmed Parliamentary troops, in many cases, looting not only their possessions but also their clothes. Many troops died in these attacks and, unsurprisingly, there was also a significant level of desertion. Normally, this would spell the end of any ECW army as a fighting force (e.g. Waller's Armies post Roundway Down and Cropredy Bridge or the Royalist Army post Marston Moor), but Skippon managed to keep a strong cadre together by the force of his drive and personality such that the troops were re-equipped, and back in battle again within months at the Second Battle of Newbury (recapturing several of the artillery pieces lost at Loswithiel). To have achieved, this is significant and a good example of the bond between Skippon and his men.
On the formation of the new model army in 1645, Parliament immediately turned to Skippon to be the Sergeant Major General of Foot. Taking a nucleus of veterans from the other disbanded field armies Skippon had little time to merge in the myriad of raw recruits gathered on the march before facing the king's last major field army at Naseby. Here, Skippon was at the fore again when wounded by an accidental discharge by one of his own musketeers, he refused to quit the field until he knew the battle was won. His presence and example shoring up the morale of his many newly raised troops at a critical juncture.
The wound must have been severe as Skippon seems to have never recovered properly, although we still find him active at various stages afterwards, commanding the London military district, and as MP for Kings Lynn. He can also be found pacifying troops when pay is in arrears. Like Fairfax, he was named to be one of the judges at the king's trail but declined to take his seat. Interestingly, this did not seem to dent his relationship with the Army.
Away from his military duties, Skippon still found time to engage in religious writing producing, amongst other things, a pocket bible for soldiers.
He passed away in March 1660, just before the Restoration.
Our model of Skippon shows him in the thick of the action, directing his beloved infantry into position.
