In the post on the confusion on identifying father and son, and who owned which regiment, this post will deal with the regiments.
The later 1st Earl of Macclesfield would command the 1st Troop of Horse Guard, or His Majesty's Own Life Guards, between 17 May 1660 and 16 September 1668.
Late 1677/early 1678 England had switched from a pro-French to an anti-French attitude. As such, England was about to take active part in the Franco - Dutch War, on the side of the Dutch Republic. One of the new regiments levied for this war was Lord Gerard's Regiment of Horse, with the commission for Charles Gerard, who was to become 1st Earl of Macclesfield in 1679, signed 15 February 1678. This regiment was disbanded in January and March 1679.
Another regiment embodied for this war was a regiment of horse commanded by the Duke of Monmouth. Though it was also disbanded after the Treaty of Nijmegen, it appears that the regiment was re-formed in June 1679 during the Covenanter Rebellion, with Lord Gerard, the son of the Lord Gerard above, as colonel. The regiment was disbanded later in 1679.
As has been detailed in the other posting on the Earls of Macclesfield, the son remained loyal to James II whereas the father had to go into exile. In 1688 we see him in command of a new regiment of horse, Lord Brandon's Regiment of Horse, dated 1 October 1688. This regiment was disbanded on 4 January 1689.
In 1694 the son, who had succeeded his father as 2nd Earl of Macclesfield by this time, raised a new regiment The Earl of Macclesfield's Regiment of Horse, dates 16 February 1694. This regiment survived the reductions after the Treaty of Rijswijk, but was finally disbanded in 1712.
Showing posts with label Earl of Macclesfield. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Earl of Macclesfield. Show all posts
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Monday, 16 November 2009
talking about Colonels -- the Earls of Macclesfield
Tracing colonels to regiments can be a real challenge, and establishing who is the correct colonel can be even more daunting. Especially when references and biographies are not very clear.
For example consider the various regiments of horse commanded by Charles, Lord Gerard, also known the Earl of Macclesfield with Viscount Brandon being a subsidiary title. Actually, there were two Lord Gerards who held colonelcy of a regiment horse. One being the father, the 1st Earl, and the other being the son, the 2nd Earl.
In 1678 we find Lord Gerard's Regiment of Horse raised in anticipation of the coming war with France. This is the father, and the son was lieutenant - colonel in the regiment.
In 1679 we have another regiment by this name, but this one was commanded by the son. This was the same regiment as the Duke of Monmouth's Regiment of Horse formed in 1678, and disbanded after the Treaty of Nijmegen. The 1679 re-formation was instigated by the Covenanter Rebellion.
The regiment could trace its history back to a regiment of horse in French service as part of the British Brigade in French Service between 1672 and 1678.
Furthermore, in 1688 we find another regiment of horse under the name of Lord Gerard. Dalton (English Army Lists, v.2 p.178) claims, by means of a footnote, that it is the father who commanded this regiment. However, this is strange as Lord Gerard, the 1st Earl, was outlawed by James II in 1685 because he was to involved in the plots by the Duke of Monmouth. Consequently he fled to the continent, and returned in 1688 with William III.
Would this be one of a anomalies of the British Army (outlawed but still able to get a colonelcy), or did Dalton make an error?
Here the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography proved to give a hint that solved the problem. We read for the 2nd Earl of Macclesfield:
"He was sentenced to death on 28 November, but was reprieved, released
(January 1687), and pardoned (31 August 1687). He then vigorously
supported James II's policies, especially over the dispensing power,
was granted his father's forfeited estates as a result, and in 1688
even took the field for James, having been restored in October to the
position of colonel of Lord Gerard's horse that he had briefly held in
1679."
It seems that it was the son who was colonel of the 1688 regiment of horse, and not the father.
The son would in 1694 succeed his father to the earldom as the 2nd Earl. In 1694 the 2nd Earl would command a new regiment of horse, until his death in 1701. The regiment would survive until the close of the War of Spanish Succession.
For example consider the various regiments of horse commanded by Charles, Lord Gerard, also known the Earl of Macclesfield with Viscount Brandon being a subsidiary title. Actually, there were two Lord Gerards who held colonelcy of a regiment horse. One being the father, the 1st Earl, and the other being the son, the 2nd Earl.
In 1678 we find Lord Gerard's Regiment of Horse raised in anticipation of the coming war with France. This is the father, and the son was lieutenant - colonel in the regiment.
In 1679 we have another regiment by this name, but this one was commanded by the son. This was the same regiment as the Duke of Monmouth's Regiment of Horse formed in 1678, and disbanded after the Treaty of Nijmegen. The 1679 re-formation was instigated by the Covenanter Rebellion.
The regiment could trace its history back to a regiment of horse in French service as part of the British Brigade in French Service between 1672 and 1678.
Furthermore, in 1688 we find another regiment of horse under the name of Lord Gerard. Dalton (English Army Lists, v.2 p.178) claims, by means of a footnote, that it is the father who commanded this regiment. However, this is strange as Lord Gerard, the 1st Earl, was outlawed by James II in 1685 because he was to involved in the plots by the Duke of Monmouth. Consequently he fled to the continent, and returned in 1688 with William III.
Would this be one of a anomalies of the British Army (outlawed but still able to get a colonelcy), or did Dalton make an error?
Here the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography proved to give a hint that solved the problem. We read for the 2nd Earl of Macclesfield:
"He was sentenced to death on 28 November, but was reprieved, released
(January 1687), and pardoned (31 August 1687). He then vigorously
supported James II's policies, especially over the dispensing power,
was granted his father's forfeited estates as a result, and in 1688
even took the field for James, having been restored in October to the
position of colonel of Lord Gerard's horse that he had briefly held in
1679."
It seems that it was the son who was colonel of the 1688 regiment of horse, and not the father.
The son would in 1694 succeed his father to the earldom as the 2nd Earl. In 1694 the 2nd Earl would command a new regiment of horse, until his death in 1701. The regiment would survive until the close of the War of Spanish Succession.
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