Sir John Borlase’s Regiment of Foot

Regiment of Foot serving in Ireland under Ormond, then Jones

• Raised by Sir John Borlase Senior (Lord Borlase)

• Sir John Borlase Junior becomes Colonel in place of his father

• July: Mutiny on being transferred to Michael Jones’ command but come round when threatened with disbanding

• Detachments in County Kildare garrisons captured

• August: Disbanded by Cromwell

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 raised in 1641 by Sir John Borlase Senior, one of the Lord Justices of Ireland. In 1641 or 1642 his son, also named Sir John Borlase, was given the Colonelcy. They formed part of Ormond’s army until 1647 when they were transferred to Parliamentary service under Michael Jones. Mutinying for payment of arrears, they gave in after being threatened with disbanding. By the time of Cromwell’s arrival in 1649 the regiment were very weak and were thus disbanded by Cromwell’s order.

A list of the regiment's officers is also shown in An English Army for Ireland by Ian Ryder, Partizan Press.

Sir John Borlase was Lord Justice of Ireland from 1640 to 1644.

Served as a Captain in Sir Henry Tichborne’s Regiment of Foot at the outbreak of the rebellion until he was made Colonel of the regiment raised by his father.

The Lord Justice Borlace's regiment¹⁾

• Colonel The Lord Borlace - in Ulster
• Lieutenant Colonel Sir John Borlace, junior
• Sergeant-Major Richard Ryves
• Captain Thomas Stutevile
• Captain Adam Loftus
• Captain Haneball Bagnall
• Captain Thomas Gascoine
• Captain John Russell
• Captain George Huitson
• Captain William Graham.

• Sir John Borlase :—Sir Robert Farrer, Captain Baily, Sir William Stewart, Lord Blany, Sir John Vaughan, Sir Robert Stewart, Blount, Fortescue, Billingsley.

• The Lord Borlacie
• Sergeant-Major Reeves
• Captaine Russell,
• Captaine Parsons.

• 1642: Establishment of 1000 men²⁾
• January 1647: Over 300 rank and file
• May 1648: 531 private soldiers

Lord Borlase's regiment :

• Lord Borlase's [company], 62;
• Sergeant-Major Rives, 65
• Captaine Russell, 86
• Captaine Parsons, 75
• Total = 288.

• Lord Borlacie, 62
• Sir John Borlacie, 55
• Major Reeves, 70
• Captaine Russell, 60
• Captaine Bagnoll, 60
• Captaine Parsons, 60
• Sir Arthur Loftus, 80
• Total = 447
• Absent companies: Captaine Gascoigne, Captaine Mason, Captain Edward Harmon, Captain Loftus.