As a result of research into a totally different part of C17th life, I have come across a number of references to Military Costume of the Civil War. This led to the theory that there may be five principal categories of military dress for the Foot. At present this is supported by only a limited nunber of sources. It is hoped that this article will help provoke ideas and research to establish or refute this hypothesis.

The 5 categories are:

1) Uniformed Regiments raised in the Summer of 1642
2) The Trained Bands
3) Ununiformed Regiments
4) Uniformed Regiments Dec. 1642-1645
5) New Model Regiments

1) In June, 1642 a number of Regiments were raised to suppress the Irish Catholic Rebels. They were issued with ' a capp, a cassock, a doublet, a pairre of briches, two pair of stockins, two pairre of shoes and two shirte.' At least 7,500 such suits were issued. The uniforms were described as 'Apparrell for Foot soldiers' (SP 28/139/12). Briefly, each term meant:

Capps Firth (Cromwell's Army, p237) says troops in Ulster were provided with 'Monmouth Capps' and this particular headgear was probably the most commonest of issue headware (see The Monnouth Cap by Kirstie Buckland),. Flat caps and 'Monteros' were also popular.

Cassock Often considered to be the same as the coat. However, a painting (in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam) shows a Dutch unit wearing a fully developed cassock with sleeve and side scans that unbuttoned down their length, with a doublet underneath. Thus the style is in Military use, but in Britain?

Doublet Possibly a garment with a high waist and a number of tabs hanging below. Worn even by the menials (see picture of early C17th Paviers at right);

Briches. Probably narrow, as in several contemporary prints. Military suppliers economised where possible (a few years later, 1,000 coats were sent to the army minus sleeves!)

Colours

Regiments at the start of the War appear to have been dressed in uniform colours. For example, Sir John Gells Grey coats sent from London to Hull to support the Hothams against the King, and Ballard's regiment of Grey was intended for Irish service but retained by Parliament. For the Edgeh111 campaign most of the coat colours of Essex' regiments can be identified.

2) The Trained Bands may not have been provided with uniforms. Merely called upon "to appear...in his best array." (Directions for Musters, S3B quoting a Tudor Ordinance). On 26th March, 1639 the Edinburgh Trained Bands were instructed to muster "In their best apparrell and airmour." If they did muster in their 'best apparrell' and were "none of the meaner sort, nor servants but only such as be of the Gentrie, Freeholders and Good Farmers or their Sonnes." (Directions for Musters), then it is fair assume that the full suit quoted above would have been the likely dress.

The cloth and cut would have been finer, and it may be that there wee a greater degree of ornamentation. This possible dress relied generally on personal taste. The Exception were drummers and officers who, Bristol at least, are shown to have been equipped at Civic expense every couple of years (Bristol Great Audit Book).

3) It is difficult to prove the existenoe of ununiformed regiments, except by default when continual reference to a unit fails to reveal its colour - The majority Foot regiment no doubt. Many new regiments must have remained in this state until supplied. In Davizes, the Royalist instructions for impressing stated: "You shall take care that they be conveniently apparelled, either of their own or by assistance of the Parish..." the implication being that they were not expecting a uniform issue soon after 'recruitment'. The Instructions also indicate earlier that the conscript was most likely to be an unemployed servant, or an Artisan or tradesman.

These would probably have worn coats (used by the military as a substitute for cassock and doublet). The headgear is again a mixture of Monteroes (used by a Royalist spy disguised as countyman -- Memoirs of Col. Hutchinson) broad hats and cap. Britches would have been baggier than military issue, but the overall quality would have been well below that of the Trained Bands.

4. Uniformed Regiments, Dec 1642 - 1645. - The last of the doublets ordered before the War seem to have been issued at Brentford in December 1642 (State Papera). After this, Coats seem to have replaced the Cassock/doublet combination. When Essex' Foot regiments were re-equipped in '44 after the Lostwithiel disaster, they were sent 6,000 coats, breeches, stockings, shoes and caps (the London Post No. 5 and Mercurius Criticus No. 68). The addition of shirts completes the costume and many references occur for the issue of these basics, except for caps, between 1642-1646. Indeed, this is the only Parliamentarian reference to the issue of headgear that I have come across.

5. The New Model Army existed for some 15 years and undoubtedly changed radically during that period. The sources I intend to use come from the periods 1465 and 1646: Mainly G. Mungeam's works in the Journal of the Arms and Armour Society, and SP 28/131 pt15 - the equipping of troops for Ireland in 1646.

Coats or Cassocks (1645 only) - Coats fastened with coloured tapes only. Colours refer to lining colours of the coats. - the beginning of facings?? Earlier coats may well have had cloth buttons (Bog escavations in the Edinburgh Antiquities Museum)

Breeches - 1646 with hooks possibly to attach to breeches. A simliar idea to that of the fashionable doublet and breeches suits worn by the Gentry.

Shirts - Made of Lockram (hemp) or Flax Linen.

Shoes and Stockings - two types of stockings, one for 'rolling'

Hats- (1646 only) for all infantry.

Please use the information here as a discussion paper rather than a firm statement of Civil War uniforms and dress. I look forward to criticisms backed by references, but please try not to use any De Gheyn inspired illustrations or sources, which are Dutch and 40 years too early, and treat carefully the Farndon Window pictures, which is post 1660 and, for the officers at least, is based on pictures of the French Guards.

Farndon stained glass window illustrations [ECW N&Q 9].

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