Table of Contents

Colonel Francis Thornhaugh’s Regiment of Horse

Active1643 to 1660
CountryEngland
AllegianceParliamentarian
ConflictsFirst Civil War
Second Civil War
Glencairn’s Rising
TypeHorse
ColonelFrancis Thornhaugh
Thomas Saunders
William Goffe
Richard Cromwell
Ralph Knight
Duke of Gloucester
Area RaisedNottingham
Flag Colour
Flag Design
Field ArmiesMeldrum 1644
Leven 1645-6
Cromwell 1648

Parliamentarian regiment of horse based at Nottingham in the First Civil War and fighting on the Preston campaign in the Second Civil War

Service History

1643

1644

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.

Francis Thornhaugh raised his regiment of horse in late 1642 or early 1643. It was based at Nottingham, the city being under the governorship of John Hutchinson. Hutchinson's wife, Lucy Hutchinson, wrote a diary that mentions a number of the regiment's actions. In 1643 Thornhaugh's served at the unsuccessful first siege of Newark and later in the year were victorious at Gainsborough under Meldrum's command and alongside Oliver Cromwell's Ironsides. Over the winter of 1643 to 1644 Nottingham was put under severe pressure by the Royalists but the garrison resisted all attempts. In the spring of 1644 Thornhaugh led the regiment to the second siege of Newark, where they were defeated by Prince Rupert's relief force at the Battle of Newark. The regiment were involved in a number of skirmishes throughout 1644, and were led for a time by Hutchinson while Thornhaugh recovered from a wound. Thornhaugh reinforced Poyntz at the Battle of Rowton Heath in 1645, then led the regiment to reduce the garrisons of the Nottinghamshire Royalists, ending the First Civil War at the third and final siege of Newark.

Thornhaugh's regiment sided with the army in 1647, then in the Second Civil War of 1648 fought in Cromwell's army on the Preston campaign. Thornhaugh was killed pursuing Scots lancers after Preston and the regiment was given to its major, Thomas Saunders. During the 1650s the regiment served in Scotland and England without seeing much further action. By 1659 they were serving in Scotland and formed part of Monck's army that marched on London from Coldstream. After some changes of command, the regiment were disbanded in December 1660.

Flags

Notable Officers

Francis Thornhaugh

Francis Thornhaugh

Thomas Saunders

Best known for being one of the three colonels who petitioned against the Protectorate.

William Goffe

William Goffe

Richard Cromwell

Richard Cromwell

Ralph Knight

Ralph Knight

Duke of Gloucester

Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester

Officer Lists

First Civil War

August 1648

Strength

See Also

1) N.A. SP28/20/85