Earl of Carnarvon’s Regiment of Horse

Some Royalist cavalry reinforcements for the ECW project - not sure how it happened but I noticed that the two forces had got out of kilter, so this regiment brings us back to parity..

 

So - these guys represent the Earl of Carnarvon’s Regiment of Horse, a Royalist regiment of horse serving with the Oxford Army and in the West Country - after Carnarvon's death (see below), they became Colonel Richard Neville’s Regiment of Horse.

 

The regiment dates its formation to August 1642 where they first moved to Newark, and were then present at the raising of the Royal standard in Nottingham. They went on to fight at what most people accept is the first armed clash of the civil war(s) at Southam in August, and then Edgehill (where they were 4 or 5 troops strong) - further information on their subsequent service can be found in the BCW Wiki link below.

 

The regiment was raised by Robert Dormer, the only son of a wealthy Catholic family who had inherited a large fortune while he was still a minor. He had became a ward of Philip Herbert, the Earl of Pembroke, and he went on to marry his daughter, Anna Sophia, in 1625. 

 

After travelling in Europe and as far afield as Turkey and the Middle East, Dormer was created Viscount Ascott and Earl of Carnarvon (also spelt Caernarvon) in 1628. By all accounts he was a bit of a sportsman and was also known for his gambling, but he also served as a gentleman volunteer in the navy (!) during 1637 and commanded a cavalry regiment in the 2nd Bishops War (the biography also says he served in the regiment of his father in law in the 1st war) so he was not without military experience.

 

van Dyke's painting of
Dormer in about 1630

Anyway - defying the wishes of his father-in-law (the aforementioned Lord Pembroke) he declared for the King at the outbreak of the war - Pembroke  declared for Parliament (citing religious differences with Charles) so yet another example of how this war divided families..  it must have been difficult for his wife - husband and father as enemies.

 

They regiment at Edgehill was in Lord Wilmot's brigade on the left wing, where they numbered about four or five troops and were approximately 200 strong (according to Young, and also Scott/Turton/von Arni). 

 

After the successful charge and rout of the Parliamentary foot and horse on that wing, Sir Charles Lucas (the regiments Lieutenant Colonel) managed to rally about 200 horse from the three regiments of horse that had started the day, and before they legged it off after the Parliamentary baggage. The intent was that these would attack the flank and rear of the Parliamentary foot in the centre but in the event they got caught up in an orgy of flag/ensign taking from routing Parliamentary regiments (probably Essex's among others) and the attack failed to make any significant effect..

In February 1643, Carnarvon served under Prince Rupert at the storming and capture of Cirencester then went with the Marquis of Hertford and Prince Maurice in the cavalry force that joined Sir Ralph Hopton's Cornish army advancing from the west. Carnarvon gained a reputation as a courageous and gallant cavalry officer in the south-western campaign of 1643 where he served as the Marquis of Hertford's lieutenant-general of the horse. 

 

 

He was wounded at the battle of Lansdown, but during the subsequent withdrawal he joined Prince Maurice and Lord Hertford to break out of Devizes with some of the horse, and bring reinforcements from Oxford. 

 

Added in a casualty figure I had in the box..

 

Carnarvon went on to serve at Roundway Down as a volunteer in Lord Byron's Regiment, his advice to Lord Wilmot regarding Sir William Waller's tactics helped to secure the Royalist victory (basically he told them to focus on Haselrige as his was the strongest unit). 

 

After the fall of Bristol, Carnarvon led a force of 2,000 horse and dragoons into Dorset. In early August 1643, Dorchester, Weymouth and Portland surrendered to him on generous terms. When Prince Maurice arrived with the bulk of the Royalist western army, however, the terms Carnarvon had agreed were not honoured and the towns were plundered. Carnarvon resigned his command in protest and joined the King's army at the siege of Gloucester. 

 

 

He remained with the King during the subsequent pursuit of the Earl of Essex's army but was mortally wounded at the first battle of Newbury on 20 September 1643. He was carried to an inn at Newbury, where King Charles is said to have sat with him until all hope of life was gone. 

 

Yet another giant from history, that not many people have heard of - a brave and honourable man, indeed...   fascinating..

Peter Pig..  15mm..  painted March 2021

 

Sources:

• http://wiki.bcw-project.org/royalist/horse-regiments/earl-of-caernarvon
• http://bcw-project.org/biography/robert-dormer-earl-of-carnarvon
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Dormer,_1st_Earl_of_Carnarvon 
• https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Dormer,_Robert_(d.1643)