Colonel William Reeves’ Regiment of Foot

Commonwealth regiment of foot commanded by an ex-Royalist and serving in Ireland

• March: Reeves commissioned to raise a regiment of foot in England
• May: Arrive at Cork
• May: Taking of Carrigadrohid?
• September to October: Siege of Limerick

• June to October: Siege of Limerick?

• Taking of Ballyshannon?

• August: Disbanded

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 were formed in 1650 in England by Reeves, who had recently defected to the Parliamentarians at Cork. They were soon shipped to Ireland, and were for a time based at Cork. The regiment served at the siege of Limerick and were present at the surrender of Ballyshannon. In 1653 they were disbanded.

Reeves originally fought for the Royalists as major of Sir John Stawell’s Somerset Trained Band Regiment of Foot, besieged at Taunton in 1644 he surrendered too swiftly and was imprisoned at Bristol. While awaiting the death sentence he escaped and joined the Parliamentarians. By 1649 he was part of the supposedly Royalist garrison of Cork, that defected to Parliament and in 1650 he raised a regiment for service in Ireland.