Colonel Nathaniel Rich’s Regiment of Horse

Later Colonel Charles Howard’s, Richard Ingoldsby’s and John Okey’s Regiment of Horse

New Model Army regiment of horse serving in the First, Second and Third Civil Wars then in Scotland, returning to England then playing a key role in the Restoration

• April: Formed from the Earl of Manchester’s Regiment of Horse supplemented by a troop from Colonel Oliver Cromwell’s Regiment of Horse
• 14th June: Battle of Naseby
• June: Siege of Leicester
• July: Battle of Langport
• July: Siege of Bath
• August to September: Siege of Bristol

• February: Battle of Torrington
• March: Skirmish at St Columb
• May to June: Siege of Oxford

• August: Refuse to disband
• August: March into London under Fairfax

• April - May: Garrison in London
• April: Put down riots in London
• May: Taking of Dartford
• 1st June: Battle of Maidstone
• June: Relief of Dover
• July: Siege of Walmer Castle
• July: Skirmish at Kingston (2 troops)
• August: Siege of Deal Castle
• August: Skirmish at Deal
• August to September: Siege of Sandown Castle
• December: In London, guarding Parliament

• Quartered in the South East

• December: Suppress Royalist rising in Norfolk

• April: Ordered North
• July: At Nottingham, march to Lancashire
• 13th August: Skirmish at Warrington Bridge
• 3rd September: Assist in pursuit after the Battle of Worcester

• Quartered in South East

• October: Sent to Scotland (Maj Knight)

• Serving with Morgan in the Highlands
• July: Skirmish at Dalnaspidal (2 troops)
• October: Skirmish at Drummond (1 troop?)
• Mortally wound Wogan at Drummond & Wemyss
• December: Defeat Lord Kinnoul (Lisle t)
• December: Capture Kinnoul and Dudhope at Glamis (Lisle t)
• December: Rich imprisoned for opposing Cromwell
• December: Officers implicated in ‘Overton’s plot’

• Serving in Scotland
• January: Command passed to Charles Howard
• September: Howard resigns, replaced by Richard Ingoldsby

• Serving in Scotland
• October: Return to England

• Serving in England

• Serving in England

• April: In London, the Colonel’s troop supports Richard Cromwell, the rest support Fleetwood
• April: Ingoldsby relieved of command, John Okey appointed Colonel temporarily
• July: Rich appointed Colonel again
• December: Sent to reduce Portsmouth, which had declared for the Long Parliament under Hesilrigge
• December: Rich and five of six troops join Hesilrigge
• December: Return to London

• January: Quartered at Ipswich, Colchester, Norwich, Bury St Edmunds and Yarmouth
• February: Muster under Rich at Bury St Edmunds
• March: Ingoldsby replaces Rich
• Captain Timothy Clare's troop joins Lambert
• April: Ingoldsby leads 5 troops to capture Lambert at Daventry
• 5th December: Disbanded at Northampton

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 Earl of Manchester’s Regiment of Horse. At first command was to be given to Algernon Sydney but he preferred to serve in Ireland so Rich was appointed. Rich’s regiment fought at Naseby and on Fairfax’s Western Campaign, then at the siege of Oxford.

In 1647 the regiment refused to disband. At the start of the Second Civil War the regiment joined Fairfax’s force, fighting at Maidstone then remained in Kent to reduce Royalist strongholds. In 1651 they formed part of Harrison’s force in Lancashire and took part in the pursuit after Worcester.

The regiment were sent to Scotland in 1653, serving with Generals Monck and Morgan and helping to put down Glencairn’s rising in 1654. According to stories of Colonel Wogan they were known as the brazen wall regiment at this time, claiming that in all the Civil War they had never been beat. Rich was dismissed after opposing Cromwell and the regiment went through a succession of Colonels during the Restoration crisis, with Ingoldsby in command when they captured Lambert at Daventry. In November 1660 they were disbanded at Northampton.

Nathaniel Rich Former Lieutenant-Colonel of the Earl of Manchester's Horse?

Charles Howard

Richard Ingoldsby

John Okey

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⁾

• Colonel: Nathaniel Rich (replacing Algernon Sidney after 9 May)
• Major: John Alford
• Captain: Jonas Neville
• Captain: Thomas Ireton
• Captain: Edward Dendy, replaced by Azariah Husbands
• Captain: Bough, replaced by Capt Hawys

Colonel Richard Ingoldsby's Regiment of Horse²⁾

• Colonel Richard Ingoldsby's Troop, commanded by Captain Lieutenant Edward Parry
• Major Thomas Babington's Troop
• Captain George Elsemore's Troop
• Captain Gabriel Hopkin's Troop
• Captain John Toomes' Troop

Joining Lambert

• Captain Timothy Clare's Troop

• 1645: Established at six troops