Colonel Purbeck Temple’s Regiment of Horse

Later Colonel Edmund Temple’s Regiment of Horse, also known as Lord Lisle’s Regiment

Regiment of English horse serving in Ireland under Inchiquin

• June: Temple to raise 370 horse in England for service in Ireland

• August: Purbeck Temple leaves
• November: Battle of Knocknanuss

In June 1646 the English Parliament intended to raise a regiment of foot and a regiment of 700 horse in 7 troops for Lord Lisle as Lord Lieutenant, for service in Ireland¹⁾. One troop was to be equipped as cuirassiers.

Purbeck Temple was the first Colonel of the regiment, with his brother Edmund Temple serving as Major. In August 1647 Purbeck left the regiment and, approved by Inchiquin, Edmund Temple subsequently led the unit as a Major, being promoted to Colonel by November 1647. The regiment was sometimes referred to as Lord Lisle’s, likely he was nominal commander although his commission as Lord Lieutenant lapsed in April 1647. This unit does not seem to be related to Lisle's pre-cessation Regiment of Horse.

Philip Sidney, Viscount Lisle was the son of the 2nd Earl of Leicester, who was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1641 to 1643. Lisle followed his father to become Lord Lieutenant himself from 1646 to 1647. He inherited the Earldom of Leicester in 1677.

• Colonel Purbeck Temple (leaves August 1647)
• Major Edmund Temple (promoted Colonel by November 1647)
• Major William Patterson
• Captain William Temple (leaves August 1647)
• Captain Owen (takes over Purbeck’s troop)
• Captain John Collins (takes over William Temple’s troop)

Inchiquin to [Percivall] 18/05/47 “The bearer, Major Edmond Temple, will give you an account of things here. Though I have but a short acquaintance with him I have a very good opinion of him, and mean to give him the regiment his brother, Purbeck Temple, had under Lord Lisle, to whom that brother still bears so much respect that I doubt his professions to me, although I am beholden to him for an account of the practices against me in England, and those of the remnant of the faction here.”²⁾

• Pay warrant dated 16/08/47 for 4 troops of horse as Col Temples regiment – Col Temple (63 men) Major Edmond Temple (84 men) Major William Paterson (38 men) and Capt William Temple (46 men)³⁾
• Warrent 23/08/47 to Capt John Collins for pay of junior officers and men in “ye Regiment of horse of ye Lord Viscount Lisle”⁴⁾
• Pay warrant dated 31/08/47 for “the Ld Lisle his regiment of horse” - Major Edmund Temple (83 men) Maior Patterson (41 men) Capt Owen (62 men) and Capt Collins (44 men)⁵⁾

• August 1647: 230 troopers in 4 troops