Table of Contents

Sergeant Major General Philip Skippon’s Regiment of Foot

Active1642 to 1645
CountryEngland
AllegianceParliamentarian
ConflictsFirst Civil War
TypeFoot
ColonelPhilip Skippon
Coat ColourRed lined Yellow
Red or Grey
Area RaisedLondon
Flag ColourRed or Green
Flag DesignUncertain
Field ArmiesWarwick 1642
Essex 1643-5

Parliamentarian regiment of foot raised as part of the Earl of Warwick’s reserve army and fighting as part of the Earl of Essex’s army during the First Civil War

Service History

1642

1643

1644

1645

Notes

Coats, Flags and Equipment

Skippon's foot were issued red coats lined yellow in November 1642. In December 1642 they received flags of an unknown hue. In August 1643 they were issued new coats, likely red or grey 1). In November 1644, with the re-equipping of Essex's foot, they were 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).

Notable Officers

Philip Skippon

Philip Skippon

William Erbery

William Erbery was chaplain to Skippon's regiment and a radical theologian.

Officer Lists

1642

The core of the regiment seems to have come from Hollis's disbanded regiment with the Lieutenant Colonel, Major and at least one captain all having previously served as captains in it.2)

To these were ordered added a large group of companies “raysed in the City of London” 8) )

A second Listing of captains issued with wagon money in December gives the first 6 of the above but adds two new names 10)

This gives the following list for all officers known to have received wagon money.

Even excluding Capt Hurlock this still gives more companies than the known number of colours issued.

1643

The regiment is recorded as having 11 companies in August dropping to 9 by November

1644

By May the regt appears to have been down to 8 companies in line with the rest of Essex's Army 17)

From this point the regiment remained unchanged till it was transferred complete (with the addition of two new companies) to the New Model.

Strength

See Also

Sgt Maj Gen Philip Skippon’s Regiment of Foot New Model

Skippon's are re-enacted by Sergeant Major Philip Skippon's Regiment of Foote of the Sealed Knot.

1) ECW Flags and Colours 1: English Foot, Stuart Peachey & Les Prince 1990, Partizan Press ISBN:0946525846
2) TT E117(3) The List of the Armie…
3) N.A. SP28/252/pt1/book3/141
4) N.A. SP28/4/46
5) , 7) N.A. SP28/7/8
6) , 18) SP28/253A/53
8) N.A. SP28/3B/400; SP28/143/Vernon's Accounts/38v
9) N.A. SP28/30/649
10) N.A. SP28/4/186
11) N.A. SP28/143/Vernon's Account/73v
12) N.A. SP28/7/339
13) N.A. SP28/9/239
14) N.A. SP28/253A/87
15) SP28/253A/LiberB/55
16) N.A. SP28/253A/220
17) N.A. SP28/146/218-9
19) N.A. SP28/14/322
20) A payment earlier in June pays the officers and 836 men. Whilst the muster figure for 21st June gives 657 men and 161 officers which with 15 men known to have missed the muster being sick equals 833