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Tower Hamlets Regiment of Foot of the London Trained Bands

Flag Illustration 1 1)
Flag Illustration 2 2)
Active1643-
CountryEngland
AllegianceParliamentarian
ConflictsFirst Civil War
TypeFoot
ColonelBanks
Francis Zachery
Coat Colour
Area RaisedLondon
Flag ColourRed
Flag DesignMotto Iehova Providebit
White plates and Tower
Field ArmiesWaller 1644

Regiment of foot of the London Trained Bands

Service History

1643

  • January: Raised in London's Tower Hamlets

1644

  • May: Zachery takes over from Banks
  • May: Skirmish at Newbridge?
  • June: Skirmish at Newbridge
  • June: Battle of Cropredy Bridge

Notes

Several articles on the history of the Regiment are available online at Facebook page of the Tower Hamlets Trained Bands & Okey's Dragoons.

Coats, Flags & Equipment

Until 1647 the Tower Hamlets had red flags with the 'Iehova Providebit' motto, also differenced by white plates (Illustration 1)3), and from 1647 red flags with white plates and an image of the Tower of London (Illustration 2) 4).

Notable Officers

A list of officers is shown in Laurence Spring's Waller's Army, The Regiments of Sir William Waller's Southern Association The Pike and Shot Association 2007 ISBN 978-1-902768-34-2

Banks

Apparently serving as colonel in April 1644, he was succeeded by Zachery in the May

Francis Zachery

Noted as Colonel in 1643, perhaps this is an error for Lt Col? He was certainly Colonel by May 1644.

Officer Lists

January 1643

Captains of the feveral Companies of the Trained Bands belonging to The Tower, to be a Regiment under the Command of the Lieutenant of The Tower.5)

  • Mr Francis Zachary for Whitechapel
  • Mr Nathaniel Tilley for St Leonard Shoreditch
  • Mr Robert Welding for Hackney (Thomas Salmon by May 1643)
  • Mr Willoughby for Ratcliffe
  • Mr Abraham Woodroffe for Wapping
  • Mr Robert Hakewell for Lymehouse

September 1643

The Tower Hamlets Regiment of Trained Bands (7 companies)6)

  • Colonel: Francis Zachary
  • Captain-Lieutenant: (blank)
  • Lieutenant-Colonel: (blank)
  • Major: Abraham Woodroffe (Still Major in 16457) )
  • Captain: Willoughby8)
  • Captain: Robert Welding9)
  • Captain: Robert Halcewed10)
  • Captain: Leonard Leonards
  • Captain: Nathaniel Tilley

October 1646

Lining the route of procession at the Earl of Essex's funeral11)

Tower Hamlets Red T.B.

  • Col Francis Zachary
  • Lt Col Chapman
  • Major Abraham Woodroffe
  • Capt Thomas Salmon
  • Capt Cutlet
  • Capt Christopher Gore
  • Capt John King
  • Capt Willison

Strength

  • September 1643: 819 muskets 385 pikes 70 officers (1274)

See Also

The Tower Hamlets are re-enacted by The Tower Hamlets Trayned Bandes.

1) , 2) Flag image by kind permission of Wargames Designs
3) , 4) ECW Flags and Colours 1: English Foot, Stuart Peachey & Les Prince 1990, Partizan Press ISBN:0946525846
5) Journals of the House of Lords V 574
6) The London Trained Bands Mustered in Finsbury Fields 26 September 1643; Ensignes of the Regiments in the rebellious Citty of London, National Army Museum Ms 6807-53
7) http://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/acts-ordinances-interregnum/pp359-360
8) , 9) , 10) One of these three officers was the Lieutenant Colonel
11) The Militia of London 1641-1649 PhD Thesis, Lawson Chase Nagel, King’s College, University of London, 1982.

Discussion

keepyourpowderdry, 13/06/2020 20:15
Can anyone provide a contemporaneous reference for the flag (illustration 1)? Illustration 2 is widely documented - Levett (16th September 1643) and Symonds, and illustration 3 from Lucas (1647).

As they were raised in January 1643 and Levett recorded their colours in September, they could only have carried the illustration 1 colour for a few months. It could be possible that they added the Iehova plate and 'feathers' to this design.

Thanks in advance
tim, 13/06/2020 23:59
Hmm, good question KYPD, I will double check this and edit when/if I find out,
All the best, Tim
tim, 09/01/2021 18:47
Hi KYPD,
my fault I'm afraid, have deleted the image in question and re-written.
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