Earl Marischal’s Regiment of Foot
| Active | 1639 |
| 1640-1641 | |
| 1643-1647 | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Allegiance | Covenanter |
| Conflicts | First Bishops’ War |
| Second Bishops’ War | |
| First Civil War | |
| Type | Foot |
| Colonel | Earl Marischal |
| Area Raised | Kincardineshire |
| Aberdeenshire | |
| The Mearns | |
| Coat Colour | Grey? |
| Flag Colour | unknown |
| Flag Design | unknown |
| Field Armies | Covenant 1639 |
| Covenant 1640 | |
| Leven 1644-46 |
Scots Covenanter Foot regiment serving in the First and Second Bishops’ War in Scotland then raised again for the First Civil War where they served in England
Service History
1639
- Raised in Kincardineshire
- March: Occupation of Aberdeen
- April: Occupation of Aberdeen
- May: Occupation of Aberdeen
- June: Battle of Megray Hill
- June: Skirmish at Brig O’ Dee
- June: Occupation of Aberdeen
- June: Disband after the Treaty of Birks
1640
- May to June: Occupation of Aberdeen
- June: Disband
- July: Marischal commissioned to raise a new regiment of foot
- August: March south
- September: Ordered to join Leslie in England
1641
- Return to Scotland and disbanded after the Treaty of London
1643
- August: Re-raised in Aberdeenshire and the Mearns
1644
- Recruiting is poor and companies make their way to Newcastle by dribs and drabs
- February to October: Siege of Newcastle
- February: Lt James Forbes, still in Scotland, sets out on a raid from Aberdeen with 40 musketeers but is disarmed by Nathaniel Gordon and local lairds with 80 horsemen
- October: At least 7 companies arrive by the Storm of Newcastle
- Over-winter at Morpeth
1645
- July to September: Siege of Hereford
- October: Quarter in Durham
- November to May 1646: Siege of Newark
1646
- May: Surrender of Newark
- Quartered in County Durham
1647
- February: Disbanded
Notes
A history of the unit is shown in Edward M. Furgol’s A Regimental History of the Covenanting Armies 1639-1651 Edinburgh, 1990. ISBN 0 85976 194 0
Coats, Flags & Equipment
The regiment was likely dressed in ubiquitous Scots hodden grey with blue bonnets.
Notable Officers
A list of the regiment's officers is shown in Stuart Reid's Scots Armies of the 17th Century 1. The Army of the Covenant 1639-1651 Partizan Press 1998 ISBN 094652550
Earl Marischal
William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal
Sir James Wood
Led the regiment in England as the Earl Marischal remained in Scotland.
Strength
- May 1639: 900 to 1000 men
- June 1639: 1200 men
- May 1640: 600 men quartered in Aberdeen
- August 1640: 2000 men
- October 1640: 800 men, having suffered severe desertion on their march south
- 19th January 1644, three companies app.
- December 1645: 505 officers & men
- January 1646: 450 plus 36 sick
