| Active | 1642-1645 |
| Country | England |
| Allegiance | Parliamentarian |
| Conflicts | First Civil War |
| Type | Foot |
| Colonel | Thomas Ballard |
| Francis Martin | |
| Area Raised | Buckinghamshire? |
| Coat Colour | Grey lined White |
| Red or Grey | |
| Flag Colour | |
| Flag Design | |
| Field Armies | Essex 1642-1644 |
Later Colonel Francis Martin’s Regiment of foot
Parliamentarian Regiment of Foot serving under the Earl of Essex from 1642 to 1644. Then in garrison at Aylesbury
Originally raised for service in Ireland before being drafted into the Earl of Essex's Army. Ballard left the regiment in Aug 1643 to take up a command in the midlands and the regiment was taken over by it's Lt-Col Francis Martyn. From May 1644 to October 1645 the regiment formed the garrison of Aylesbury. A few of the officers seem to have been continued in pay until spring 1646.
Wore grey coats lined white from September 1642 receiving a new issue in August 1643 that was probably red or grey 1).
The company commanders for the Irish service were:
These all transferred to Essex's Army with the exception of Denny who was an Irish landowner.
Lowther who had been a Captain in the Bishop's Wars quickly deserted to the Royalists, being replaced as Major by Thomas Browne on the 5th of October. This is possibly the same man as Capt John Brown who otherwise disappears. Noyes had previously been a Lt in the regiment. Another Captain, Jolly Merrick joined the regiment before Edgehill probably replacing either Noyes or Middleton both of whom together with Momford do not appear after Edgehill. The regiment by December 1642 looked as follows:
Ashley transferred from Colonel Thomas Grantham’s Regiment of Foot, while Moreton had been the regiments Capt Lt.
During 1643 Ballard left the regiment, Martin was promoted to Col with Browne to Lt-Col and Foukes and then Allen serving as Major. Primrose was captured early in the year and was not released from captivity at Oxford till August dying the following month. Three other officers, Captain Manly, Captain Bowyer and Captain Cracroft are mentioned along with Capt Foukes in a single warrant in January. Bowyer presumably being the Lt Francis Bowyer of Allen's company. While a Capt Thomas Brummage who died in May was associated with the regiment in a payment to his widow. At some point it appears Foukes was promoted to Major, but died shortly after.
The move to garrison duty in Aylesbury saw a major change in officers with all but Martyn himself being replaced. mainly with officers from Colonel George Langham’s Regiment of Foot which by this time was much the same strength as Martyn's and may well have been merged with it.
“Upon the petition of Mrs Dorothy Fowke widdow late wife of John Fowke of Gunson Esq. shewing that her sonne Francis Fowke Sergeant Major to Colonell Martin was deprived of his naturall life in the Parliaments service and left 9 small children who have no means but what they have from the Petitioner It is ordered that she shall be forborne her weekely pay till further order.” The Committee at Stafford 1643 - 1645 Staffordshire Record Society 4th series vol. 1 (1957) p.230
Ballard's Regiment are re-enacted by Col. Thomas Ballard's regiment of the Sealed Knot.