| Active | 1645 to 1660 |
| Country | England |
| Allegiance | Parliamentarian |
| Conflicts | First Civil War, Second Civil War |
| Type | Foot |
| Colonels | Richard Fortescue (1645-47) |
| John Barkstead (1647-59) | |
| Thomas Fitch (1659) | |
| John Miller(1659) | |
| George Twiselton ( 1660) | |
| Edward Massie ( 1660) | |
| Coat Colour | Red |
| Flag Colour | Crimson or Green? |
| Flag Design | Unknown |
| Field Armies | Weldon 1645 |
| Fairfax 1645-6 | |
| Fairfax 1648 |
Also Colonel John Barkstead, Thomas Fitch, John Miller, George Twisleton and Edward Massie's Regiment of Foot
New Model Army infantry regiment that fought hard in Fairfax's western campaign then became a long-serving garrison regiment in London under its second colonel, John Barkstead.
A history of the regiment is given in The Regimental History of Cromwell's Army by Sir Charles Firth and Godfrey Davies, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1940.
Fortescue's New Model Army regiment was formed from his regiment of foot of Essex's Army. This regiment had originally been formed as part of the Earl of Warwick's reserve army in late 1642 by Colonel Henry Bulstrode and served on Essex's campaigns of 1643 and 1644. Bulstrode was succeeded as Colonel by Adam Cunningham then by Richard Fortescue. The regiment also included contingents from a number of weak regiments that were 'reduced' into it. These likely include part of Charles Essex's foot, tawney-coated, of Essex's Edgehill army and Sir William Constable's blue-coated foot also of Essex's Edgehill army 2).
Fortescue's regiment fought at Taunton in 1645, rather than Naseby, then linked up with the main army under Fairfax. During these western campaigns (1645-6), the regiment lost three lieutenant-colonels and two captains killed. In 1646 the regiment remained in the West Country after Hopton's surrender, then in 1647 Fortescue was replaced by Barkstead. They moved to London and fought under Fairfax in Kent and Essex during the Second Civil War. In the Third Civil War they remained in London. The regiment was based at London for much of the 1650s, sending detachments for service in Scotland. After several changes of colonel during the political turbulence in the run-up to the Restoration, the regiment was removed from London to Gloucester and Bristol and disbanded in October 1660.
In common with the rest of the New Model Army Fortescue's would eventually have worn red coats. However it's possible that for some of 1645 they may have soldiered on with their old coats, which are unknown but likely either red or grey. Their flag colours and designs are also unknown but it's possible that they continued with the standards they'd been issued in November 1644. They would have been issued either green colours (with differences of yellow billets, yellow half moons or white diamonds), or crimson colours (with differences of yellow mullets or white balls)3).
Richard Fortescue (d.1655) was a major in the infantry regiment raised by Col. Henry Bulstrode. He rose to the rank of lieutenant-colonel during the First Civil War and was commissioned to command a regiment of foot on the formation of the New Model Army in 1645. Fortescue's regiment fought with distinction on Fairfax's western campaign during 1645-6, but Fortescue lost his command during the political disputes between the Army and Parliament in 1647. He was imprisoned for involvement in a Presbyterian conspiracy during 1651. However, in 1654 Fortescue was given command of a regiment under General Venables on the Western Design expedition to the West Indies. He was promoted to major-general after Heane was killed during the attack on Hispaniola and took command of land forces in Jamaica after the ailing Venables returned to England. Fortescue was praised for his diligence by Cromwell but died of fever in Jamaica during October 1655.4)
Thomas Fitch previously led his own regiment, Colonel Thomas Fitch’s Regiment of Foot in Scotland
More detailed lists of officers for April and May 1645, December 1646, May and August 1647 and May 1649 are shown in Reconstructing the New Model Army. Volume 1, Regimental Lists April 1645 to May 1649 by Malcolm Wanklyn, Helion & Co. 2015. ISBN 978-1-910777-10-7.
From Anglia Rediviva5)
From Anglia Rediviva6)