| Active | 1645 to 1660 |
| Country | England |
| Allegiance | Parliamentarian |
| Conflicts | First Civil War |
| Second Civil War | |
| Third Civil War | |
| Glencairn’s Rising | |
| Type | Dragoons |
| Horse | |
| Colonel | John Okey |
| Edward Rossiter | |
| Area Raised | |
| Coat Colour | Red |
| Flag Colour | |
| Flag Design | |
| Field Armies | NMA 1645-6 |
| Cromwell 1648 | |
| Fairfax 1648 | |
| Cromwell 1651 | |
| Monck 1651-54 | |
Later Colonel John Okey’s Regiment of Horse, then Colonel Edward Rossiter’s Regiment of Horse
New Model Army regiment of dragoons serving in the First and Second Civil Wars then converted to Horse prior to service in Scotland
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 the dragoons of Waller’s, Essex’s and Manchester’s armies. Victorious at Naseby, they particularly distinguished themselves in the only known mounted dragoon charge of the war, against the disorganised Royalist foot. They went on to fight in the Western campaign, participating in most battles and many skirmishes and assaults. By May 1646 they returned East, serving at the sieges of Oxford and Worcester.
At the start of the Second Civil War the regiment were dispersed in detachments. Captain Wogan turned renegade and made off to Scotland with one troop. Okey with six troops fought in South Wales, with particular distinction at the battle of St Fagans. At the siege of Pembroke they were joined by two more troops accompanying Cromwell. Cromwell took two troops to fight at Preston, two were sent to garrison the West Country and two served at the siege of Colchester with Fairfax. Troops were detached to form the nuclei for Abbott’s and Henry Cromwell’s regiments for service in Ireland. In 1650 they formed part of Cromwell’s army and fought at Dunbar with 2 companies forming a reserve with Cromwell's horse (perhaps the 2 converted to cavalry?) while the rest protected the artillery. Cromwell promoted the regiment from dragoons to horse – a considerable increase in both status and pay that was no doubt appreciated. In 1651 the regiment remained in Scotland, fighting at Inverkeithing, and later served with Monck during Glencairn’s rising.
In 1654 Okey opposed the Protectorate and was made to surrender his commission. Firth & Davies do not specify who led the regiment thereafter, possibly Major Bridge. In 1659 with the fall of Richard Cromwell, Okey was reinstated but soon dismissed by Monck and replaced by Colonel Rossiter. Three troops of the regiment served alongside Ingoldsby in the capture of Lambert at Daventry and in November 1660 the regiment were disbanded.
In 1645 they wore red coats and were likely issued firelock muskets, the powder containers of their bandoliers were painted blue.
Tobias Bridge was captain of dragoons by 1647, he rose to Major and led the regiment in Scotland during Glencairn’s rising. Appointed one of Cromwell’s Major Generals, Monck had a good opinion of him. He served in Sir William Lockhart’s Regiment of Horse at Dunkirk from 1659-1662, then in Tangier from 1663-4 and Barbados from 1667-1671. Bridgetown in Barbados is said to have been named after him.
Abbott had served in Okey’s Dragoons as a Captain and by 1647 was promoted to Major. He led the detachment of 5 companies in Ireland as a Major, later being promoted to Colonel. From 1656 he sat on the committee to distribute forfeited lands in Ireland.
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 Rediviva1)
Okey's dragoons are re-enacted by Col. James Wardlawe hys Dragoones, a regiment of the Sealed Knot.