Sir William de Willoughby's Regiment of Horse

I thought it was about time my imaginary commander of the royalist forces in my Wiltshire campaign had his own regiment of horse - so I finished painting my TYW Jacdaw figs and allocated them to the royalists (the cornet is from Drabant).

Marlborough discomforted

A little action from history (slightly modified) which fits into my ECW camapign in Wiltshire quite nicely ...

Marlborough town was a potential problem for the royalists. The Seymours nominally held the old castle for the King but the town was for Parliament. With his headquarters in nearby Oxford, King Charles decided that Marlborough must be dealt with and sent Lords Wilmot and Digby with a body of horse to implement his wishes. They journeyed via Wallingborough to add a regiment of dragoons and a galloper gun to their troops, then they marched for Marlborough ...

When they arrived, they chose to parley first, thus giving the inhabitants a chance to prepare a defence. Commanded by Colonel James Ramsey with a small number of professional soldiers they mustered a few hundred poorly-armed men in the simple earthworks at the north of the town. Their response was to refuse to give up the town.

While the confrontation started at the north of the town, the royalists had dismounted a regiment of horse and they had started to try and gain access to the town from the side via its small alleyways.

The dragoons skirmish with the towns defenders at the earthworks on the common ...

The dismounted royalist horse have entered the outskirts of the town and encounter little resistance ....

The defenders fall back as the dismounted royalist horse gain the high street ....

Colonel Ramsey withdrew to the St Mary's church to make a last stand ....

The royalists move into the town from the north having overrun the earthworks, while the dismounted horse move up the high street to attack the church ...

The defence of the church continues, but they cannot hold out for long ....

After a fierce exchange of fire, all the windows were shot away, at this point Ramsey surrendered.

Following the surrender a number of houses and barns were burned down and the town was systematically looted. What could not be carried away was destroyed. Some 120 prisoners, were tied together and marched to Oxford and put in prison to await the Kings pleasure.

[the actual historical events can be read at http://www.marlboroughhistory.org.uk/timeline/Civil%20War.html]

Galloper Gun ready for action

The visiting officers from Oxford watch as the new galloper gun is put through its paces ...

Visitors to Wallingborough

A large body of horse from Oxford has arrived at Wallingborough, the commander has ridden up to the guildhall to meet with Sir William de Walloughby..

A closeup of the officers (Jacdaw TYW french officer pack) ...

Galloper Gun progress

Sir William de Walloughby checks with the local blacksmith on the progress of the galloper gun ..

Gun is complete, draught horse + rider and escort still being painted.

Scratchbuilt Galloper Gun

Reading up on Roundway Down, the royalists had a couple galloper guns with them. So I had a look see what bits I had to make one. I had a couple of plastic wheels the right size and a spare 18c ships gun. I cut the wheels and base off the gun and put it on a cardboard base, then added the wheelset. Completed gun below (with fig for size comparison) ..

I needed a draught horse and rider, so I cast them from one of my 18c moulds. The draught horse needed a little bit of work, the rider a new head and the coat detail altered. I had a spare horse and rider as well to use as the galloper guns escort.

New horse regiment painted ..

These boys have sat for a while in the painting queue. Nice to get them finished; now for the Jacdaw figs, I'm looking forward to painting them.

[figs: Irregular Miniatures, with a couple of Sash & Sabre heads for variety; officer is Sash and Sabre]