Sgt Maj Gen Philip Skippon’s Regiment of Foot

Later Colonel William Sydenham’s, Alban Coxe’s and Richard Ashfield’s Regiment of Foot

New Model Army regiment of foot, serving in the First, Second and Third Civil Wars and thereafter in Scotland, with a detachment serving in the Channel Islands

• April: Formed from Sergeant Major General Philip Skippon’s Regiment of Foot of Essex’s army reinforced by Sir Miles Hobart’s Regiment of Foot and Sir Thomas Hoogan’s both from the Eastern Association
• 14th June: Battle of Naseby
• June: Siege of Leicester
• July: Battle of Langport
• July: Siege of Bridgewater
• August to September: Siege of Bristol
• September: Siege of Berkeley Castle
• October to April 1646: Siege of Exeter

• February: Battle of Torrington
• May to June: Siege of Oxford
• June to August: Siege of Raglan Castle
• December: March north escorting pay for the Scots

• January: Garrison Newcastle

• Garrison of Newcastle
• August: Siege of Tynemouth Castle
• September: March on Scotland with Cromwell (6 coy)
• December: Occupy London

• January: William Sydenham replaces Skippon as Colonel
• January: Ordered to Bristol
• June: Alban Coxe replaces Sydenham as Colonel
• November: Five companies sent to Guernsey (Major Harrison)

• April: The companies remaining in England expanded back to a full regiment by adding two companies from Hull and raising two new companies
• 3rd September: Battle of Dunbar
• October: Siege of Edinburgh Castle
• Garrison of Edinburgh

• Garrison of Linlithgow
• Coxe replaced by Colonel Richard Ashfield
• July: Reinforce Lambert in Fife after Inverkeithing
• August: Siege of Stirling Castle
• August to September: Siege of Dundee
• September: Quartered at Elgin
• September: Taking of Aberdeen?
• October: Battle of Jersey (Maj Harrison)
• October: Siege of Elizabeth Castle (Maj Harrison)
• October: Taking of Mount Orgueil Castle (Maj Harrison)

• Garrison of Aberdeen
• March: Major Harrison’s Guernsey companies shipped to Ireland, possibly reduced into John Clarke’s Regiment of Foot
• June: Expedition to Lochaber under Lilburne

• Garrison of Aberdeen

• Aberdeen contingent skirmishes with Highlanders
• September: Garrison of Glasgow

• Garrison of Glasgow

• Garrison of Glasgow

• Garrison of Glasgow

• Garrison of Glasgow
• June to 1659: Garrison of Inverlochy (1 coy)

• Garrison of Glasgow
• May: March to Durham
• July: March to Nottingham
• August: Two companies join Lambert against Booth, mounted as dragoons
• August: Battle of Winnington Bridge (2 coy)?
• October: Ashfield cashiered and Lt Col Symonds promoted by Parliament, but the regiment are still referred to as Ashfield’s later on

• January: Four companies fail to seize Newcastle before Monck arrives
• January: Monck finds 6 companies in York
• January: Likely reduced into other regiments of Monck’s army

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.

Major General Skippon’s New Model Army regiment was formed from Skippon’s regiment of Essex’s army, supplemented by two weak regiments of the Eastern Association, Hobart’s and Hogan’s. They fought at Naseby where Skippon was severely wounded but stayed on the field until he was satisfied the battle was won. Lieutenant Colonel Richard Ashfield therefore led the regiment on Fairfax’s Western campaign. Skippon recovered from his bullet-wound and returned to the army at the siege of Oxford.

In 1649 Sydenham replaced Skippon as Colonel, as Skippon had other duties in London, but was soon replaced by Alban Coxe. In November, a detachment under Major Harrison was sent to Guernsey, joining Heane’s force. The following April the remainder of the regiment in England under Coxe was expanded back to a full regiment.

In 1651 Harrison’s Guernsey contingent took part in the invasion of Jersey, then the next year were shipped to Ireland, where they were perhaps reduced into Colonel John Clarke's Regiment of Foot.

Coxe’s regiment, meanwhile, moved to Scotland under Cromwell, remaining as part of Monck’s army. Coxe was replaced by Ashfield in early 1651. They garrisoned Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow successively, then marched back to England in 1659, where two companies mounted as dragoons aided Lambert in putting down Booth’s rising. Monck encountered the regiment on his march south in 1660 and appears to have reduced them into other foot regiments of his army.

Red coats. Their flag colours and designs are unknown but it's probable that they continued with the eight standards they'd been issued as Skippon’s regiment of Essex’s army in November 1644. These were 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). In April 1645 Skippon was paid for two more colours to bring the regiment up to the standard total of ten.

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.

Philip Skippon

William Sydenham

From Hertfordshire, raised a troop of horse in the First Civil War and was involved with the Hertfordshire militia. Sent to Guernsey, he was Governor of the island from 1649-50.

Lieutenant Colonel under Skippon he led the regiment on Fairfax’s Western campaign of 1645. Eventually promoted, he led the regiment as Colonel during their time in Scotland, though was often absent in London. In 1659 he was of Fleetwood’s party, and in July was sent to inspect Dunkirk. He supported Lambert and was cashiered. In 1660 he was ordered to leave London on pain of arrest. He was probably the Quaker Richard Ashfield who died in Newgate Prison in 1677 after being imprisoned for non-conformity.

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.

Sergeant Major General Philip Skippon’s Regiment of Foot was transferred complete from Essex's Army

• Colonel Sir Philip Skippon
• Lieutenant Colonel John Francis
• Major Richard Ashfield
• Captain Morris Bowen
• Capt James Harrison
• Capt Samuel Clarke
• Captain Edward Streater
• Captain John Clarke

To which were added two more companies

• Captain Devereux Gibbon (Had formerly commanded a Company in Lord Wharton’s Regiment of Foot)
• Captain John Cobbett (Had commanded a company in Colonel John Holmstead’s Regiment of Foot 12/06/43 - 10/04/44. Since when he had been serving as a reformado under Col, Graves. ¹⁾ )

From Anglia Rediviva²⁾

• Colonel: Major-General Skippon
• Lieutenant Colonel: Richard Ashfield
• Major: Samuel Clark
• Captain: William Rolfe?
• Captain: Streeter
• Captain: James Harrison
• Captain: John Clark
• Captain: Bowen
• Captain: Gibbon
• Captain: John Cobbett
• Captain: Richard? Symonds

• 1645: Established at 1000 men in ten companies (probably not up to strength)

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