Following the Restoration of Charles II as monarch of England and his marriage with Catharina of Braganza, the alliance between England and Portugal was given stature by forming a brigade for
service in Portugal in 1662 to fight in the Portuguese War of Restoration.
The brigade consisted of two infantry regiments, each 1,000 men, and a cavalry regiment, also 1,000 men. The infantry was raised from three New Model regiments in Scotland that still were not disbanded, and the cavalry was raised from volunteers, the Dunkirk garrison and a Cromwellian troop in Scotland. Charles II was to raise and equip the brigade, and they would be paid by the Portuguese crown once in Portugal.
The brigade arrived in Portugal by August 1662. It was broken up by mid 1668, with 1,000 men remaining in total. About half of the men were incorporated in the Tangier garrison, and the remainder was shipped back to England and discarded.
The British regiments proved their worth in the various battles fought during the Portuguese War of Restoration, and made a more serious impression on the Spanish than the other troops in the Portuguese Army. However, the troops suffered terribly because of these battles, and also sickness accounted for a great deal of wastage. To add to this, the Portuguese treated the British with contempt, not the least because of their religion. Nevertheless, as said before, the British were the more reliable component in the army and they fought well.
The lineage of the three regiments is a little complicated to compile. The regiment of horse was usually just designated as the regiment of horse, and not by the name of the colonel. It's first colonel was Murrough O'Brien, 1st Ear of Inchiquin, who also commanded the British Brigade. Late 1662 he was succeeded, as colonel, by the Count of Schomberg, the future 1st Duke of Schomberg; in 1663 Schomberg would also command the brigade. In the field, however, the regiment was commanded by Michael Dongan, and later by Lawrence Dempsey and finally by Meinhardt von Schomberg, a son of the Count of Schomberg.
The first infantry regiment was commanded by Henry Pearson. He was, however, absent most of the time and the regiment was effectively led by the lieutenant-colonel or major.
The second infantry regiment gives rise to some trouble. Some sources indicate that James Apsley was the colonel, whereas other mention Francis Moore as colonel. According to sources claiming Apsley was colonel, he was succeeded in 1665 by the Count of Schomberg, but actual command of the regiment befell to William Sheldon.
Information on the internet is hardly available. One site dedicated to the Portuguese War of Restoration has a page devoted to the English regiments. Other sources consulted so far:
Hardacre (1960): The English Contingent in Portugal, 1662-1668, Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research, volume 38 pp.112-125
Childs (1976): The Army of Charles II
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11 comments:
Great blog, this of yours. I'll add it to my list of links. Thanks for the reference you made to my blog (Guerra da Restauração).
About the English contingent in Portugal, the cavalry regiment was only 400 strong initially. They came in June 1662 and their commander on the field was colonel Michael Dongan, an Irishman who had served Philip IV of Spain until 1661. Murrough O'Brien left Portugal before the regiment saw any action, and the honorary commander was the Count of Schomberg afterwards. Dongan died in the battle of Ameixial in 1663, and the regiment was therefore commanded (in the field) by major Lawrence Dempsey until his death at the siege of Alcantara (Spain) in 1664. After this, and until the end of the war, the regiment was commanded in the field by the eldest son of Schomberg.
The religious element inside the English contingent was more heterogeneous than one could think. There were some Roman Catholic officers - this and the fact that several officers were Royalist veterans provided some element of tension among the force, the bulk of which was constituted of veterans of Cromwell's army.
Jorge, thank you very much for your comments. Your blog is very nice too, though I wished I could read Portuguese more fluently (I can recognize and decipher words, but that is all ...).
Thanks also for clarifying the part on the regiment of horse. Would you have some more details on the regiment of foot commanded by Apsley? Some sources state this regiment was commanded by Francis Moore.
I will add your comments on the religious composition to my blog, as it will give a more nuances image of the brigade. Often people think it was composed mostly of protestants, causing friction with local population in Portugal.
From what I've found in Portuguese archives and the sources you mention in your post, James Apsley commanded his regiment of foot until 1665. Then, it was the Count of Schomberg who was in charge of the unit, though lt. colonel William Sheldon was in fact its commander on the field. Sheldon was killed in action at the battle of Montes Claros (near Vila Viçosa, June 1665) by an officer of a Swiss infantry regiment serving in the Spanish army. I'm not sure yet about who succeeded Sheldon in the command of the regiment during the final years of the conflict.
About the religious perception of the English contigent by the Portuguese, in fact all of them were thought to be Protestant "heretics" by the Catholic population. This was due to the fact that the religion of the sovereign was assumed to be the same of all his subjects. This and the 17th century usual mistrust about foreigners caused several situations of tension and open confrontation.
But it was all the same with the other foreign regiments, either in the 1660s or earlier, during the 1640s. Religious difference was just a small part of the problem. At the same time as the English contingent served in Portugal there were many French troops here, and these were thought to be of a lesser military valour and more troublesome than the English, though Louis XIV was a Catholic king and all French were (wrongly) supposed to be of the same religion. Clashes between Portuguese and French officers and soldiers, and between Portuguese peasants and French troops appeared to be more frequent than between Portuguese and English between 1663 and 1668 (post-war months in 1668 included).
Just a correction on my earlier comment: major Lawrence Dempsey died at the siege of Valencia de Alcantara in 1664, not Alcantara, which is another place.
Hello Jorge,
Many thanks for your last reply and further information!
Jorge, I may be wrong, but it appears that a Colonel Lawrence Dempsey who commanded that English regiment died from his wounds at Oldbridge in Meath, Ireland, in 1690, just a few days before the Battle of the Boyne.
Perhaps there were two of that name. Maybe you might let me see the reference, it would help me greatly, I am compiling a chronology of the O'Dempsey clan for a history project.
I can feed you further informtion about 'my' Lawrence Dempsey if you want.
Jorge.
A Colonel Lawrece Dempsey died from wounds in Ireland in 1690.
I always thought this was the same one who commanded that English regiment.
Do you have the reference for Lawrence's death?
I would be most interested, as I am compiling a history of the Dempsey clan, and Lawrence is an important figure.
p.j.goode@hotmail.com
Jorge, I would love to see the reference to Lawrence Dempsey's death in 1664, if that was possible.
I have a Colonel Lawrence Dempsey who is credited with commanding that 'English' regiment and who much later, in 1690, died from his wounds at the Boyne (Ireland)
I am compiling a history of that family, and this would be most helpful to me.
I can feed you more information about 'my' Lawrence if you like.
p.j.goode@hotmail.com
Jorge, I would love to see the reference to Lawrence Dempsey's death in 1664, if that was possible.
I have a Colonel Lawrence Dempsey who is credited with commanding that 'English' regiment and who much later, in 1690, died from his wounds at the Boyne (Ireland)
I am compiling a history of that family, and this would be most helpful to me.
I can feed you more information about 'my' Lawrence if you like.
p.j.goode at hotmail.com
I am close to completing a book on the subject of the English Brigade in Portugal. I have unearthed a lot of biographical detail here and in Portugal and can help with queries if needed.
Jonathon Riley (jr.23@hotmail.co.uk)
Dear Mr Riley
Thanks for your comments. I will be looking forward the publication of your book! I have emailed you with some specific questions on the British brigade.
Thanks.
Wienand
Thanks so much to you both! I am a descendant of LTC Michael Dongan and wanted to learn more about him and the causes he fought for. Your articles helped bring him to "life." I was particularly interested in the glimpse into the religious tensions and misunderstandings within the units, and with the people they were there to assist. Fascinating. Muito obrigada! Elizabeth
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