Once the First English Civil War broke out in 1642, neither side made much further use of the Trained Bands outside London except as a source of recruits and weapons for their own full-time regiments. A number of regiments in the Earl of Essex's Parliamentary army were wholly or partly recruited in London, and it is safe to assume that a proportion of the men and certainly some of the officers were members or former members of the LTBs and HAC. Many of the other recruits were apprentices, promised freedom from their indentures at the completion of their service. These regiments included Col
Sir John Merrick's Regiment of Foot, the 'London Greycoats', Col
Lord Brooke's Regiment of Foot (purple coats) and Col
Denzil Holles' Regiment of Foot (red coats), and Col
Richard Browne's Regiment of Dragoons. The departure of Essex's army in September was another excuse for an LTB parade and civic occasion. However, Parliament was lucky also to retain the reliable LTBs in hand as a strategic reserve.
Battle of Turnham Green Essex's army had reached London first, and held Brentford. Rupert attacked the village early on 12 November (the
Battle of Brentford) and destroyed the two regiments of Brooke and Holles. Next day Skippon gave a speech to the LTBs and led them out to
Turnham Green where they went into the line alongside's Essex's battered and weary regiments. Come my boys, my brave boys, let us pray heartily and fight heartily. I will run the same fortunes and hazards with you. Remember the Cause is for God; and for the defence of your selves, your wives, and children. Come my honest brave boys, pray heartily, and God will bless us. ::
Skippon to the London Trained Bands, 13 November 1642 The King's army found itself outnumbered and out-gunned; after a day facing Essex and Skippon, it retired to
Hounslow under cover of darkness rather than make a frontal attack. The
Battle of Turnham Green had ended with barely a shot fired. Unsure of Royalist intentions, three of the LTB regiments were warned to go to
Blackheath to link up with the
Kent TBs to prevent an incursion into that county from south of London. Instead the Royalists withdrew to
Reading and then
Oxford, where they established winter quarters within a ring of garrisons. From his advanced HQ at Windsor, Essex also disposed his regular troops to cover the western approaches to London, while the LTBs returned to their homes. The City reluctantly allowed Skippon to be seconded to Essex's army as Sergeant-Major-General of Foot. 's 1738 plan of the London Lines of Communication
Lines of communication London had long outgrown the old city walls. During the Edgehill campaign the citizens had erected breastworks across all the streets leading to open country and set up guard posts manned by the LTBs – 20 companies were on duty each night. During the winter of 1642–3 volunteer work gangs of citizens constructed a massive entrenchment and rampart round the city and its suburbs. On the north bank of the
Thames it enclosed the whole of Westminster and the Tower Hamlets as far as
Whitechapel and
Wapping; on the south, it ran from
Vauxhall to
Rotherhithe, enclosing
Lambeth and
Bermondsey as well as the whole of Southwark. Known as the
Lines of Communication, studded with some 23 forts and redoubts, these defences were about long, making it the most extensive series of city defences in 17th century Europe. The Lines were completed by May 1643 and the City and suburban TB companies took their turns in manning the forts and key points: seven companies for the north side, two for the south side, one for Westminster, one company at the
Royal Exchange, half a company at
St Paul's and half a company at
Tower Hill.
London Auxiliaries Manning these fortifications day and night was a considerable drain on the existing TBs and would prevent them taking the field in numbers. In 1643 the City raised six additional regiments, the Auxiliaries, with the same colours and effectively acting as second battalions of the original regiments, with some officers holding dual appointments. The property qualification for participation was relaxed, so that apprentices and younger men who were not householders could serve. The weapons were supplied by the livery companies and the
East India Company. The regiments were organised as follows: • Red Auxiliaries, (7 companies) • White Auxiliaries, (7 companies) • Yellow Auxiliaries (8 companies) • Blue Auxiliaries, (7 companies) • Green Auxiliaries (the Cripplegate Auxiliaries), (7 companies) • Orange Auxiliaries, (7 companies) The suburbs of Westminster, Southwark and the Tower Hamlets similarly raised auxiliary TBs. When the London Militia Committee took over full responsibility for the City and Suburbs in August 1643, it controlled 18 regiments of Foot, about 20,000 men at full strength. Not all could be called away at once – the need to man the defences and continue the economic life of the City precluded that – but during the active campaigning season the regiments took turns to do tours of duty in the field, receiving pay for a month. In addition there were the City Horse of 6
Troops, raised from October 1642, though it is not clear whether their service was full- or part-time. These were formed into a regiment in early 1643 and a second regiment was authorised in August. Lieutenant-Colonel
Randall Mainwaring of the Red Regiment of TBs also commanded a regular regiment of foot (Mainwaring's Redcoats) recruited from and normally stationed in London. As Sergeant-Major-General of the City in succession to Skippon, Mainwaring used the City Horse and his Redcoats for police duties. At the end of May 1643 the LTBs and Auxiliaries were called upon to seize the suspects in
Edmund Waller's plot and to guard the prisons and subsequent executions. On 20 July 1643, Col Richard Browne of the Dragoons led Mainwaring's Redcoats and the Green Auxiliaries to break up an assembly of Royalists at
Sevenoaks in Kent. The Royalists retreated to
Tonbridge where there was a three-hour skirmish on 24 July, when they were driven out of town and 200 were captured. Both regiments returned to London on 29 July, carrying the captured weapons.
Relief of Gloucester and Battle of Newbury During the summer of 1643 the Royalists made great strides in the
West Country, storming the vital port of
Bristol and moving on to begin a
Siege of Gloucester on 10 August. The Royalists correctly estimated that Essex's army was too weak to intervene, but Essex and a delegation from both Houses of Parliament appealed to the city, and the Common Council agreed to send a brigade of five regiments under Sgt-Maj-Gen Mainwaring, the individual regiments being chosen by lot: • Red Regiment • Blue Regiment • Red Auxiliaries • Blue Auxiliaries • Orange Auxiliaries These regiments (roughly 1000 men apiece) were much larger than the equivalent units of Essex's (or the King's) army, which were weakened by casualties, sickness and desertion. The London Militia Committee also released the City Horse, and Mainwaring's Redcoats for the campaign. The regiments mustered at the
New Artillery Ground on 23 August and marched out that night, proceeding via
Chalfont and
Chesham to rendezvous with Essex's army on
Brackley Heath on 1 September. Bolstered by these reinforcements, Essex was strong enough to march through Royalist-held country via
Bicester and
Chipping Norton, skirting north of the outer defences of Oxford. When the army camped on 3 September there were insufficient quarters and the Red Regiment had to march beyond the rest of the brigade to the village of
Oddington near
Stow-on-the-Wold to find billets of their own. This put them nearest to the enemy, without a cavalry screen, and shortly after they settled down there was an alarm as Prince Rupert's cavalry was nearby. The Red Regiment stood to arms all night in the open. Next morning the men managed to get some food, but there was a further alarm, and the regiment was drawn up on a nearby hill. It spent some time there, surrounded on three sides by Royalist cavalry squadrons before the rest of the army came up. On 5 September Essex reached Prestbury Hill, overlooking Gloucester. The supply waggons could not attempt the descent until the following morning, and the Red Regiment was again left in the open as baggage guard during a night of rain and alarms. Unused to campaigning, the LTBs complained bitterly about camping out on short rations. However, the arrival of this army forced the Royalists to break up their siege, and on 8 September Essex entered Gloucester with the badly needed supplies for Col
Edward Massey and his garrison. On 10 September most of the army moved to
Tewkesbury to cover the Gloucester garrison and citizens' foraging, leaving Mainwaring and two of his regiments in Gloucester. Essex then began building a bridge over the
River Severn as if he intended to move against the Royalist stronghold of
Worcester. The Royalists moved to cover Worcester, but having successfully feinted and gained a day's march on his opponents, Essex began a rapid march for home. This time he chose to move round the south of the Oxford zone, overrunning a small Royalist garrison and supply train in
Cirencester and marching via
Cricklade,
Swindon and
Aldbourne. Rupert caught up at Aldbourne on 18 September and there was a cavalry skirmish involving the City Horse, watched by the LTBs. This delayed Essex's army, which only reached
Hungerford that night. Next day the advanced troops of the Royalist Army got ahead of the Parliamentarians and reached
Newbury, cutting Essex's route. The Royalists camped on the plateau of Wash Common, just south of the town, while the Parliamentarians halted at
Enborne. The Royalists were in a good position, but the Parliamentarians moved before dawn on 20 September, crossed the valley separating the armies, and Skippon's and
Lord Robartes' brigades with two light guns were deployed on Round Hill at the edge of the plateau before the Royalists became aware of them. The
First Battle of Newbury began about 07.00 with Royalist infantry and cavalry attacks through the fields against Round Hill. These had almost pushed the Parliamentary infantry off the hill when Skippon deployed his reserve, the City Brigade. The Blue Auxiliaries stabilised Robartes' line, which was in a musketry fight in the hedgerows, while the other Auxiliaries drove back the Royalist cavalry with their pikes, encouraged by Essex in person. Skippon then brought up the heavier artillery, whose emplacement was covered by the Red and Blue Regiments drawn up in the open on Wash Common. These two units came under fire from the Royalist guns and renewed attacks by Rupert's cavalry, but despite heavy casualties they held their positions until their own guns were in action. The City Brigade had some 300 wounded, with many killed (60–70 in the Red Regiment alone, including Lt-Col William Tucker commanding the regiment). The London Train'd-bands and Auxiliary Regiments (of whose inexperience of danger, or any kind of Service beyond the easy practice of their Postures in the Artillery Garden, Men had 'till then too cheap an estimation) behaved themselves to wonder; and were, in truth, the preservation of that Army that day. For they stood as a Bulwark and rampire to defend the rest. ::
The Royalist historian Clarendon on the LTBs at Newbury With Essex's line still holding the edge of the plateau, fighting died down for the night about 19.00. The Parliamentarians were prepared to renew the battle next morning, but the Royalists, short of gunpowder, had withdrawn towards Oxford, leaving the London road open. Essex's army marched on towards Reading. It was harried by Rupert's cavalry at
Aldermaston, but the LTBs drove them off with musket fire. After resting for three days at Reading, the City Brigade marched home via
Maidenhead and Brentford. The men made a ceremonial entry into the City at
Temple Bar on 28 September with sprigs of greenery in their hats to signify victory. The Red Regiment resolved to give thanks at
St Botolph's Aldgate every year on 20 September. While one City Brigade was marching back from Newbury, a great muster of the LTBs had been held in Finsbury Fields on 24 September and regiments were chosen by lot for a second brigade to join
Sir William Waller's South Eastern Association army. The regiments chosen were the Green Auxiliaries with the Westminster Red Regiment (also known as the Westminster Liberty Regiment) and Tower Hamlets Yellow Auxiliaries, but in view of Essex's successful expedition they did not march out immediately. Once his City Brigade had returned home Essex's army was too weak to hold Reading. A further three TBs regiments were then chosen – the Green and Orange Regiments and the
Southwark Yellow Regiment – and all six regiments, together with Mainwaring's Redcoats, were to join Essex and Waller at Windsor to recapture Reading. However, news of a second Royalist army advancing through Hampshire under
Lord Hopton forced a change of plan, and Waller and Essex separated, the former to
Farnham to face Hopton, the latter to capture
Newport Pagnell, each force accompanied by a London brigade.
Basing House and Alton . The Tower Hamlets Auxiliaries were the first to march out to Brentford, but whole companies were absent and it took some days to bring them out. Many of the trained bandsmen on this expedition were actually paid substitutes, the citizens preferring to stay at home. By 25 October the City Green Auxiliaries and Westminster Red TBs were quartered at Windsor and
Datchet, where they were joined by the Tower Hamlets. The brigade was commanded by
Sir James Harrington, colonel of the Westminster TBs. It left on 30 October marching via
Bagshot and on through the night to Farnham. On 3 November it moved to
Alton, Hampshire, where it rendezvoused with Waller's army. The projected move to Winchester was halted by snow and the force returned to the barns and farm buildings it had occupied the previous night. By now numbers of the auxiliaries were deserting and returning home. On 6 November the army moved to attack
Basing House, and a 'commanded' body of musketeers skirmished with the defenders until they had used their ammunition and were relieved. Skirmishing continued around the outbuildings next day, but deputations from the London regiments asked Waller to be allowed to withdraw because of the bad weather, while the paid substitutes had run out of money. Waller compromised by allowing them into
Basingstoke for rest. He then advanced against Basing House again on 12 November, in two columns, the Londoners being directed against the earthworks facing Basing Park, which they attacked vigorously, employing ladders and
Petards. The Westminster TB musketeers got their
Volley fire drill mixed up, with numerous front rank men killed and wounded by the second and third ranks firing too soon. With the Royalist artillery concentrating fire on this disordered formation, the Westminster musketeers broke and fled, and the assault failed. The Green Auxiliaries recovered the guns and petards abandoned by the Westminsters. Large numbers of the Westminsters deserted, but were fined or imprisoned when they reached home. Next day, Waller was greeted by cries of 'Home, Home!', from the London regiments. Although their officers voted to fight Hopton's approaching army, the trained bandsmen refused (there had been rumours that they were to march to relieve the
Siege of Plymouth). Waller abandoned this first
Siege of Basing House and retired to Farnham, where food and pay was received. Hopton followed, but after some skirmishing under the guns of
Farnham Castle he sent a force to capture
Arundel Castle and the rest of his army went into winter quarters. On 12 December Waller mustered his army in Farnham Park and persuaded the London Brigade to stay with him until Christmas. That night he marched out as if to renew the siege of Basing, but instead turned south to Alton, where a brigade of Hopton's army was quartered. The Royalists were taken by surprise as Waller's infantry assaulted the town, the London Brigade supported by the regular garrison of Farnham Castle attacking from the west. The Westminsters and the Farnham Greencoats attacked a breastwork, whose defenders retired when outflanked by the Green Auxiliaries, allowing the brigade to enter the town. The Royalists defended the churchyard wall, but some London musketeers broke in and pushed them back into
St Lawrence's Church. The Tower Hamlets forced their way into the church and the Royalists surrendered after their colonel was killed. After the
Battle of Alton Waller returned to Farnham and proposed to recapture Arundel Castle, but the London Brigade refused, and Waller allowed them to march home on 20 December. The three regiments held a service of thanksgiving in
Christ Church, Newgate Street, on 2 January 1644.
Newport Pagnell and Grafton House Meanwhile, the London Brigade with Essex's army had rendezvoused at
St Albans on 25 October 1643. Essex sent Skippon with 400 London musketeers and the two regiments of City Horse to seize Newport Pagnell, which a small Royalist force had begun to fortify. On Skippon's approach the Royalists withdrew without a fight on 27 October. The City Horse drove off a number of Royalist probes in November. The Orange and Green Regiments and a regiment of Hertfordshire TBs held the town until a permanent garrison could be recruited from the
Eastern Association. Skippon's Dutch engineers designed strong fortifications for Newport Pagnell, with earthworks and ditches. These were dug by the LTBs, even though the London Militia Committee felt that their men could be better employed elsewhere. Just before Christmas Skippon set out with the Green and Orange Regiments to join the siege of Grafton House. They arrived on 22 December and after two days of skirmishing the artillery had destroyed the mansion's roof. The garrison accepted terms of surrender and the Londoners then entered the house, securing many prisoners and stores before burning the house down. They returned to Newport Pagnell until 11 January 1644, when they marched home, leaving the fortifications in the hands of the new garrison.
Battle of Cheriton In December 1643 Parliament appointed Col Richard Browne to command a replacement City brigade for Waller's army. This consisted of the White and Yellow Regiments, the only two City regiments that had not yet seen any service. The White Regiment marched out with a number of cannon to
Wandsworth and
Clapham on 4 January, were joined by the Yellow Regiment next day, and together they moved out to
Kingston upon Thames to secure the bridge. They were then ordered to join Waller's army besieging Arundel. Heavy snow delayed their march for several days at
Guildford, and they did not reach
Petworth until 29 January, after Arundel had fallen. Here Browne fortified
Petworth House in case Hopton's army threatened. The brigade remained there for two months before moving to
Midhurst on 20 March and then joining the general muster of Waller's army at
East Meon on 27 March. The Royalists planned a surprise attack on Waller's advance guard, but found the whole White Regiment drawn up facing them. Waller came up in support with the main body, and decided to make for
Alresford to cut the Royalists off from their base at
Winchester. However, the Royalists out-marched him, and his army bivouacked in the fields at
Cheriton. Action on 28 March was confined to cavalry skirmishing. Early next morning Waller sent a 'commanded' party of 1000 musketeers from the White Regiment and one of the regular regiments to secure Cheriton Wood on the Royalists' left flank. Hopton sent a force to drive these skirmishers out, precipitating a general engagement (the
Battle of Cheriton). The Royalists did not follow up on Waller's disordered right wing, while the foot fought in the hedgerows on the left of Waller's line. However, the Royalists horse attacked without orders in the centre and a general cavalry battle took place in the space between the wings, the London brigade on the right having to drive back several Royalist cavalry probes in their direction. The Royalist cavalry lost heavily, and in the afternoon Browne led the foot back into Cheriton Wood. Late in the afternoon the Royalists began to give way, pursued by musketry and artillery fire, but made a reasonably orderly retreat to Basing, covered by a rearguard in Alresford. Waller entered Winchester on 30 March, although the
castle remained in Royalist hands, and he began clearing the surrounding countryside. On 6 April Browne's City Brigade was engaged at
Bishop's Waltham, where they forced the surrender of the fortified
Bishop's Palace. The Londoners were now anxious to return home, and the two regiments left without orders, accompanied by the second regiment of City Horse. They returned as heroes to the city on 14 April. Without the City Brigade Waller had to shut down operations and hold his positions at Bishop's Waltham and Farnham.
Oxford and Cropredy Bridge The Parliamentary leaders had ordered a concentration of all their armies in
South East England to move against Oxford, but a new London brigade had to be provided before Waller's army could take the field. The London Militia Committee sent the
Southwark White Auxiliaries and the Tower Hamlets TBs, later joined by the Westminster Yellow Auxiliaries, all commanded by Maj-Gen Harrington. It sent three of the City auxiliary regiments to join Essex, followed by the other three as a reserve. Accordingly, in mid-May the Green, Yellow and Orange Auxiliaries joined Essex at Reading, which had been abandoned by the Royalists. The two armies rendezvoused at
Abingdon-on-Thames, which had also been abandoned by the Royalists, who were calling in their garrisons to form a field army. From 30 May to 1 June the London Auxiliaries were engaged in skirmishes as Essex tried to seize crossings over the
River Cherwell at
Gosford and
Enslow, but on 1 June Waller got across the Thames at
Newbridge, and the Royalist guards on the Cherwell were withdrawn. With Oxford partially encircled, the King and the Royalist field army left the city and moved to
Evesham, followed by Essex and Waller to
Stow-on-the-Wold. At this point the two Parliamentarian armies separated. Essex's army, accompanied by the Auxiliary brigade, marched west to relieve the besieged garrison of
Lyme Regis, while Waller with Harrington's Suburban brigade shadowed the King's force. Waller bombarded
Sudeley Castle and forced its surrender on 8 June. There followed three weeks' pursuit of the King round the
West Midlands before reaching the area of
Banbury on 27 June. Having drawn reinforcements from Oxford the King's army was now prepared to give battle to Waller. The two sides skirmished across the Cherwell on 28 June. Next day the two armies marched parallel to each other on the high ground on either side of the river until Waller saw a gap opening in the Royalist line. To exploit the opportunity he sent his horse across the Cherwell at a ford and the bridge at
Cropredy, bringing on the
Battle of Cropredy Bridge. The Royalist horse responded aggressively, charging downhill and driving the Parliamentarians back across the river. The Tower Hamlets TBs stoutly defended the west side of the bridge, preventing the Royalists from crossing to complete the destruction of Waller's army. There was only skirmishing next day, but hearing that Browne was marching to join Waller with the Reserve Auxiliary brigade, the King took the opportunity to break contact with Waller's battered force. ). Browne's brigade (the Red, White and Blue Auxiliaries) had only left London towards the end of June, following a training day in
Hyde Park. The regiments were weak because the city was having trouble finding enough volunteers among the citizens and paid substitutes. Browne had been commissioned as Major-General of
Oxfordshire,
Buckinghamshire and
Berkshire and given the task of reducing the Royalist garrisons. However, when news of the King's move eastwards was received, Browne was directed towards
Hertford to protect the Eastern Association counties. He marched with his first two regiments via
Barnet, where the Blue Auxiliaries caught up on 26 June, and he reached
Leighton Buzzard on 1 July, where he was joined by the Hertfordshire and Essex TBs. Browne was too late to intervene at Cropredy Bridge, and when he joined Waller near
Towcester on 2 July the King was already away. By now Waller's original London brigade (Harrington's suburban regiments) had taken up the chant of 'Home, Home!', and when the colonel and a senior captain of the Southwark White Auxiliaries died of sickness, that regiment marched home to bury them. The remainder of Harrington's brigade was finally allowed home on 14 August. The Essex and Hertfordshire TBs were also deserting, and on 6 July wounded Browne in the face when he confronted them. He was sent to capture Greenland House on the Thames near
Henley, under his original orders, which he did with the assistance of part of Venn's Windsor garrison on 11 July, after which the Essex TBs went home and Browne moved to Reading. He was ordered to join Waller at Abingdon, but objected that he had only 'three broken regiments of London auxiliaries, not above 800 in all' to hold Reading. In the end Waller left for London and Browne was put in command of the whole force at Abingdon, including his own auxiliaries and the 'Windsor Regiment'.
Lostwithiel Campaign In the
West Country, Essex's army, including the London Auxiliary brigade (Green, Yellow and Orange) raised the siege of Lyme on 15 June. He next marched to
Weymouth, which quickly surrendered, and he installed the Yellow Auxiliaries under Col John Owen as its garrison. He then made for
Exeter with the rest of the army, hoping to capture
Queen Henrietta Maria, but she escaped to France before his arrival. However, the check inflicted on Waller at Cropredy had allowed the King to break contact and march with his Oxford army into the West Country to deal with Essex. Having relieved the siege of Plymouth, Essex moved into
Cornwall, and was followed by the Royalists on 1 August. By late August Essex's army was hemmed in between
Fowey and
Lostwithiel, while the Parliamentary fleet was prevented by Royalist guns from entering Fowey harbour to relieve them. After 13 days of the
Battle of Lostwithiel, Essex ordered the Parliamentary horse to cut their way out to Plymouth on the night of 30/31 August, while Essex himself escaped by sea, leaving the foot to surrender on 2 September. The surrender was signed by Skippon on behalf of Essex's regular infantry, and Col Christopher Whichcot of the Green Auxiliaries on behalf of the Londoners. The terms were generous: because the Royalists could neither feed nor guard such a large number of prisoners, they were escorted to Poole, and then allowed to march away to Southampton. The disarmed survivors were badly plundered by the country folk on their march. The Green and Orange Auxiliaries returned to London on 24 September, to a low-key welcome. The Yellow Auxiliaries garrisoning Weymouth had been ordered to march west to help Essex, but were too late. They had returned to Weymouth on 14 September, and were then shipped to join the garrison of Plymouth, where the Royalists renewed the blockade.
Second Newbury campaign The Parliamentary leaders ordered a new concentration of forces to face the King's victorious army on its return from the west, with the
Earl of Manchester's Eastern Association army joining the remnants of Essex's and Waller's at Newbury. London provided a fresh brigade under Harrington: • Red Regiment LTBs • Blue Regiment LTBs • Southwark Red TBs • Westminster Red TBs • Tower Hamlets Yellow Auxiliaries Difficulties in raising money led to the London brigade being late in mobilising, but Harrington marched out with the Red Regiment and his own Westminster Regiment on 7 October, followed by the Blue Regiment on 9 October; the remainder waited for their money. The brigade concentrated at Maidenhead on 17 October, though many of the men were still absent. On 19 October Harrington was ordered to march with four regiments to rendezvous with the army at Basingstoke, leaving the Southwark regiment to garrison Reading. On 26 October the combined Parliamentary forces confronted the Royalist army at the
Second Battle of Newbury. Essex and Waller worked round to attack from the west towards
Speen village while Manchester's army remained to the east, using about 1000 skirmishers to distract attention from the pincer movement. The skirmishers were driven back, and in the afternoon Manchester attacked
Shaw House when he heard cannon fire from the west. Despite Royalist reports that the London brigade was with Manchester, suffering heavy casualties in his skirmish line and final attack, they were in fact with Essex's army, which had made a march to get into position. Essex being sick, the army was deployed by Skippon, who reported that 'The two Red and [one] Yellow Regiments of the Citizens held the Enemy play on the right', while the Blue Regiment came up from reserve to assist the other brigades. Harrington had his horse shot under him during the battle, and some of the cannon lost at Lostwithiel were recaptured. Nevertheless, the Parliamentarian combination misfired and the Royalists escaped the trap to reach Oxford. The Red and Blue Regiments and the Tower Hamlets Auxiliaries stayed on to besiege
Donnington Castle, and exchanged fire when the Royal army returned in force on 9 November to retrieve the guns lodged in the castle after the battle. The Southwark TBs had been sent to take part in a new siege of Basing House, where they were joined on 15 November by the Tower Hamlets from Donnington but the siege of Basing was lifted for the winter, and by 25 November the London brigade was fortifying Henley. Harrington considered the place untenable and his men overstretched, particularly when the Tower Hamlets were sent to reinforce Browne at Abingdon. On 6 December Harrison was permitted to withdraw, and the three regiments with him arrived back in London on 14 December. Browne kept up active forays from Abingdon against Oxford, but his garrison was being depleted by sickness and desertion, and in December the three weak regiments of City Auxiliaries (Red, White and Blue) were reduced into a single regiment under Col George Paine.
Reorganisation The second Newbury campaign was the LTBs' last active service of the war. In 1645 Parliament finally organised a properly paid, equipped, and trained field army for service anywhere in the kingdom: the
New Model Army. Most of the regional armies were absorbed into the New Model, the foot regiments of which were trained and commanded by Skippon. This powerful force no longer needed to be periodically reinforced by field brigades of the LTBs. In June 1645 the London Militia Committee raised a full-time regiment (the 'New Model of the Forts') to relieve the citizens of the LTBs from the burden of garrisoning the Lines of Communication round London. The LTBs continued to man the 'Courts of Guard' (night patrol posts) around the city, and continued their musters and training. The Auxiliaries from Abingdon finally returned to London on 20 December 1645, having garrisoned the town for 15 months. The Yellow Auxiliaries cut off in Plymouth may not have returned to London until the town was fully relieved in January 1646. The London Auxiliaries were recruited back to strength for a general muster on 19 May 1646, when all 18 regiments were on parade in Hyde Park but the First English Civil War had effectively ended with the surrender of King Charles to the Scots in April. The LTBs were paraded again for the funeral of the Earl of Essex in October. By 1647 control of the English Trained Bands had become an issue between Parliament and the Army, as it had been between Parliament and the King. The Army regarded the TBs as its second line and tried to wrest control from the politicians, some of whom wanted to use the LTBs as a counterweight to the Army, which refused to disband until pay arrears were settled. The City purged the LTB officers of '
Independents' and other radical sects, which were gaining control of the Army. However, when the Army marched on London in June 1647 hardly any of the trained bandsmen attended the muster that was called. Skippon having refused the sergeant-major-generalship of the city, Maj-Gen Massey, assisted by Waller, was appointed to raise a force from disbanded soldiers but when the army reached Hounslow and the LTBs refused to muster, the Common Council caved in, and the New Model marched in. The revived London Militia Committee restored the purged officers, demolished the Lines of Communication and returned the suburban trained bands to local control. Although a riot by pro-Royalist apprentices was put down by the regulars, companies of LTBs patrolled the streets under Skippon's command once more. In 1648, during the brief
Second English Civil War there was a Royalist rising in Kent under the
Earl of Norwich. Evading the New Model forces, he marched on London, expecting the Royalists there to join him. However, Skippon called out the LTBs and this time they mustered in force and manned the gates. Norwich's force diverted into
East Anglia where it was destroyed at the
Siege of Colchester. At the end of 1648 the army rejected Parliament's proposed treaty with the King, and replaced the LTB guards on the Houses Parliament with Col
Thomas Pride's New Model regiment. Pride's men then denied entry to those MPs who opposed them ('
Pride's Purge") and the army arrested moderate officers, including Browne, Massey and Waller. The 'Rump Parliament' then passed a new Militia Act in 1650, replacing lords lieutenant with county commissioners appointed by Parliament or the
Council of State.
Commonwealth and Protectorate When
Charles II and the Scots invaded in 1650, (the
Third English Civil War) the 12 regiments of LTBs and Auxiliaries mustered to witness the hangman ceremonially burning Charles's manifesto. During the campaign that culminated at the
Battle of Worcester, the regiments were on full alert to guard London. In addition, ‘London Volunteer Regiments’ were raised, comprising 1000 musketeers with
matchlocks, 500 with '
snaphances' (early flintlocks) and 500 pikemen under the command of Maj-Gen
Thomas Harrison. Like the former 'New Model of the Forts' these were garrison troops to allow the regulars of the New Model to march out, and were disbanded as soon as the emergency was over. When Cromwell died in 1658 the LTBs formed part of the funeral procession. ==Post-Restoration==