Table of Contents

Colonel Edward Whalley’s Regiment of Horse

Active1645 to 1660
CountryEngland
AllegianceParliamentarian
ConflictsFirst Civil War
Second Civil War
Third Civil War
Glencairn’s Rising
Booth’s Rising
TypeHorse
ColonelEdward Whalley
Robert Swallow
Thomas Saunders
Lord Falkland
Area RaisedEast Anglia
Flag Colour
Flag Design
Field ArmiesNMA 1645-6
Cromwell 1648
Cromwell 1651

Later Colonel Robert Swallow’s, Thomas Saunders’ then Lord Falkland’s Regiment of Horse

New Model Army regiment of horse serving in the First, Second and Third Civil Wars and in defeating Glencairn's and Booth's risings

Service History

1645

1646

1647

1648

1649

1650

1651

1652

1653

1654

1655

1656

1657

1658

1659

1660

Notes

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.

The regiment was formed from Cromwell’s Ironsides of Manchester’s army. Victorious at Naseby, they particularly distinguished themselves in a charge led by Major Bethel at the Battle of Langport. They went on to fight at the siege of Bristol, where Bethel was killed, then were sent to Oxfordshire, serving at the sieges of Banbury and Worcester.

In the Second Civil War the regiment accompanied Fairfax in Kent and Essex. In the Third Civil War they formed part of Cromwell’s army fighting bravely at Dunbar and at Worcester.

They spent 1654 in Scotland dealing with Glencairn’s rising, returning to England in 1655. In 1659 Whalley was replaced by Swallow and the regiment helped defeat Booth’s rising. In 1660 Swallow was replaced by first Colonel Thomas Saunders, then Lord Falkland, before the regiment was disbanded in November and December.

Flags and Equipment

In May 1649 they wore blue ribbons in their hats as a sign of allegiance to Fairfax, rather than the sea green and black of the Levellers.

Notable Officers

Colonel Edward Whalley

Edward Whalley

Colonel Robert Swallow

One of the captains of Cromwell’s regiment in the Eastern Association, he was Major at the time of Whalley’s dismissal and was appointed Colonel.

Colonel Thomas Saunders

Briefly Colonel replacing Swallow.

Lord Falkland

Briefly Colonel replacing Saunders until disbandment.

Strength

See Also