Lord Kerry’s Regiment of Foot

Later the Duke of York’s Regiment of Foot, led by Colonel William St Leger

Regiment of foot raised by the Adventurers for service in Ireland, returning to England in 1643 to fight for the Royalists

• January: Parliament approves the Merchant Adventurers' plan to raise forces for an Irish campaign
• August to September: Transported to Munster from Bristol and Minehead²⁾

• November: Return to Bristol
• November: Skirmish at Wooton under Edge?

• January: Orders for impressment of Gloucestershire men for the Duke of York's regiment
• February: Skirmish at Painswick Church
• April: Defence of Newent?
• April: Quartered at Marlborough
• May: Two companies join from Lord Inchiquin's Regiment of Foot
• May: Defence of Monmouth?
• June: Battle of Cropredy Bridge
• August: Battle of Lostwithiel
• October: Second Battle of Newbury

• May: Storm of Leicester
• June: Battle of Naseby
• July: Recruited in Wales

Raised by the Merchant Adventurers of London, authorized by Parliament, for Lord Kerry for service in Ireland, they were led by their Lieutenant Colonel, William St Leger. They returned to England in 1643 joining Sir William Vavasour’s force opposing Massey at Gloucester. Joining the Oxford Army, they served on the 1644 campaigns and were destroyed at Naseby. Quite a few foot Regiments that fought at Naseby were subsequently re-recruited in Wales from July 1645, including William Murray’s, Appleyard’s Tillier’s, John Pawlett’s, Sir Jacob Astley’s, Duke of York’s, King’s Lifeguard, Sir Henry Bard’s, Sir Bernard Astley’s, Robert Broughton's and Lisle’s³⁾.

The regiment carried red and black flags of a gyronny pattern ⁴⁾.

Coat colour in April 1644 deduced to be white by Peachey and Prince but not confirmed. The regiment were issued suits of clothes at Bristol, supplied by Thomas Bushell⁵⁾.

On arrival in Munster the local commander Lord Inchquin complained that the regiment had been sent unarmed, their allocated weapons having been used instead to equip Parliament's army raised for the Civil War.

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

Patrick Fitzmaurice, 19th Baron Kerry

Prince James, second son of King Charles I. Honorary colonel when the regiment returned to England

• Colonel The Lord Kerry⁶⁾
• Lt-Col Henry Shelley
• Major Daniel Goodrick
• 1st Captain Charles Dawson
• 2nd Captain Herbert Blanchard
• 3rd Captain Agmondisham Murschamp⁷⁾
• 4th Captain Paul Watts
• 5th Captain William Lower “for Firelocks”

• Captain-Lt Robert Hamond
• Lieutenant John Ramsford
• Lieutenant George Lower
• Lieutenant Philip Meautas
• Lieutenant Morgan Tinney
• Lieutenant William Dothwait
• Lieutenant Andrew Mainwaring
• Lieutenant Redman

• Ensign Richard Bagot
• Ensign Joseph Ashfield
• Ensign Charles Blount
• Ensign Jacob Stringer
• Ensign Christopher Chudleigh
• Ensign Gervase Brach
• Ensign Thomas Bariffe
• Ensign John Raymond

“Resolved, &c. That the Lord of Kerry shall have a Commission for the Raising and Transporting of…One thousand for his own Regiment…” ⁸⁾

• Colonel: The Lord Kerry
• Lt Colonel: William St Leger
• Major: William Peasley
• 1st Captain: The Lord Kerry
• 2nd Captain: Agmundisham Muschamp
• 3rd Captain: William Hide
• 4th Captain: Ralph Watts
• 5th Captain: Richard Aldsworth
• 6th Captain: Richard Fitzmorris
• 7th Captain: Henry de Lawne
• 8th Captain:
• 9th Captain:
• 10th Captain: Henry Fletcher

From original research by Victor Judge, BCW user 1642

Harl. Mss. 6752 f. 3

To High Sheriff of Co. Glocs: Col. Veale and Commissioners for Berkeley Division.

Trusty, etc. Whereas we have lately issued a Commission under our Great Seale together with instructions authorising you or any three of you to imprest in Berkley Division in ye County of Gloucester the full number of 1000 men to be brought into our City at Bristoll at such time as the Governor shall direct for the wintering our forces in that Garrison. Now our pleasure is that you forthwith raise five hundred of that number to be impressed and brought into such place in that Division as Colonell Mynne shall desire towards the compleatinge his Regiment of Foote and the Regiment of our dear sonne James Duke of York under the command of Sir William St. Leger wherein wee expect you to employ your best care and diligence speedily to effect the same; and so we bid you farewell from our Court at Oxford

3. January 1643(4).

• August 1642: 1000 authorized
• September 1642: Allegedly 2000 strong on arrival in Ireland, but unarmed⁹⁾
• November 1643: 800 to 1000 together with Mynne's Regiment of Foot