ECW N&Q 50: What Sandford's Firelocks Did Next

What Sandford's Firelocks Did Next

by John Barratt

Readers of Philipp Elliot - Wright's excellent article on the Royalist firelocks (ECW N&Q No. 49) may be interested in these - as yet incomplete details of the later history of some of them

It is not known who succeeded to the command of Sandford's company after he and his lieutenant were killed in the attempted storming of Nantwich on January 17th, 1644. In any event, their tenure was probably fairly brief, as much of Lord Byron's foot, including apparently all of the firelocks, were captured at the battle of Nantwich on January 25th. A considerable number of the 1,500 prisoners - perhaps as many as 600 [1] - took service with Sir William Brereton's Cheshire Parliamentarian forces. Most of them were apparently scattered among various units, being "listed under several captains" [2], but the firelocks, as elite troops with an already formidable reputation, were an exception, and retained their separate identity.

Originally Byron's army seems to have had two firelock companies, those of Sandford and Captain Francis Langley. The fate of the latter officer is unknown, but it seems most likely that the survivors of both companies were reorganised once they came under Brereton's command. Here, probably reinforced by Brereton's existing dragoons, they formed three companies of Brereton's Regiment of Foot, and were later described by him as "firelocks which were soldiers in Ireland." [3]

They were commanded, for the whole of the remainder of the war, by three captains: - Simon (or Syon) Finch, Geoffrey Gimbart and Joseph Hoult. Nothing is known of the origins of Gimbart or Hoult, though they were most likely professional soldiers from outside Cheshire, and Norman Dore suggests, probably correctly, that they may have been among the officers from the English forces in Ireland who came over in the summer of 1644 to take service with Parliament. Finch, however, is better documented. He was one of the Royalist officers from Ireland captured at Nantwich, being variously described as a captain of horse, foot or dragoons. [4] It is possible, though as yet unproven, that he may have been in command of at least some of the Royalist firelocks at the time of his capture. Despite having two brothers serving in the Royalist forces, he enlisted with Brereton, and by the late spring of 1644, his company of firelocks was in action against minor Royalist garrisons in Cheshire. He most likely saw action at Montgomery in September.

Captain Finch had evidently made something of a reputation for himself by the beginning of 1645, for on January 31st, the Shropshire County Committee, planning their assault on Shrewsbury, wrote to Brereton asking for reinforcements, saying: "We desire Captain Finch and his company to be in the party you send, for he is well known to us." [5] On February 22nd, guided by a Captain Wyllier, a recently deserted Royalist firelock officer, about 40-50 of Finch's firelocks played a major role in surprising the sentries at Shrewsbury, and paving the way for the capture of the town. [6]

By the spring of 1645, references to Brereton's other two "firelock" or "dragoon" companies [7] begin to occur, though they had quite likely been formed rather earlier.

Gimbart's company was present at the leaguer of Beeston Castle for a time during the spring, with Gimbart evidently then in command of operations there, during which he indulged in an acrimonious exchange of letters with the Royalist Governor, Captain William Vallett. [8]

In May, Brereton gave the total stenrgth of his firelocks/dragoons as 210 men, whilst a muster of 30th April gives the following strengths: Finch's company, about 70 men; Gimbart's Dragoons, 60 men, Captain Hoult's Firelocks, 80 men. [9] The firelocks are referred to a few days previously, on April 21st, when Lieutenant-Colonel Michael Jones reported that he would have marched earlier that day,"if the firelocks arms had been fixed. Smiths are in hand with them." [10]

Finch's company was reported in May as being at the siege of Hawarden, [11] and all of the firelock companies had an important role in Brereton's plans later in the month to rendezvous with the Scots and Lord Fairfax in order to oppose the northwards march of the main Royalist field army. In a letter of May 21st to the Committee of both Kingdoms, Brereton reported that he was preparing to march to join his allies, with a force which included "some choice dragoons, which are firelocks mounted" [12], and next day added that they were "firelocks which were soldiers in Ireland lately mounted." [13] The regard in which Brereton obviously held the firelocks is the more striking considering that throughout this period he was also enforcing Parliament's ordnance ordering the the execution of captured "native" Irish troops, a decree which was often taken to include individuals whose status was highly uncertain. It seems likely that Gimbart's and Hoult's companies were among the Cheshire troops detailed to shadow the King in his march on Leicester. [14]

September saw one of the most notable exploits of the Cheshire firelocks. In June, Brereton had been recalled to Westminster under the terms of the Self-Denying Ordnance, and in his absence, control was exercised by the Cheshire County Committee. In practice, day-to-day military affairs were managed by Lieutenant-General Michael Jones and Major-General James Lothian, both professional soldiers. At the end of July, the Parliamentarians had recommenced the leaguer of Beeston, but their main aim remained the capture of Chester.

On the night of September 19th, amidst great secrecy, the Parliamntarians drew off from Beeston a picked force, including 200 dragoons, presumably all three companies. Marching through the night along unfrequented byways, "a tedious march", they appeared before the outworks of Chester at dawn on the 20th. They were spotted by a sentry who, according to the Parliamentarians, asked "if we had brought our dear bretheren (meaning the Scots) with us to take the Citie". This may well have been a diversion, under cover of which, Gimbart's firelocks, carrying scaling ladders, slipped along under the cover of the bank of the River Dee up to the fortification nearest the river, known as Gun Mount. Lord Byron, Chester's Governor, later claimed that he had warned of the vulnerability of the defences at this point, but the more immediate weakness seems to have been that the outworks were largely manned by the citizen soldiers of Sir Francis Gamull's Chester Regiment, who lost their nerve. Captain Gimbart "was the first that entered, his ladder being too short, he lift up his man to the mount (neere the riverside) from the top of it his man drew him up by the hand, and then they cryde "A Towne, A Towne", immediately they cleared that Mount, slew Lieutenant Aldersley, the Captaine of the Watch, and put the rest, about six men, to flight, then others set too their ladders, possesst themselves of all the Mounts on that side the Citie, and with the instruments wee brought with us, brake open the gates: then all the Horse entred, with the remainder of the Foot, with loude shouts, which utterly daunted the enemy." [15]

The Royalist defence collapsed, as panic-stricken soldiers and civilians fled behind the protection of the medieval walls of the inner city, whose gates were closed only just in time, leaving most of the suburbs of Chester in Parliamentarian hands.

On the evening of September 22nd, after an artillery bombardment had opened a breach in the city walls near the New Gate [16], the Parliamentarians launched a full-scale assault. It was between 7 and 8 pm, just after dark, though with "faire moone shine", that the attack began.

It was spearheaded by Gimbart and Finch's companies, who were supposed to be supported by the remaining Parliamentarian foot. Byron claimed that the firelocks had been fortified prior to the assault by being given a mixture of aqua-vita and gunpowder to drink, which seems very possible. The Royalist Governor admitted that the attackers came on "with great boldness, but were received with as much courage by Sergeant Major Thropp's men [Gamull's Regiment].... Those in the Newgate and in the houses adjoining to the breach, annoyed the Enemy with their Shot, as did the granadoes and the firepikes, which were used by very stout men, and placed upon the flanks of the breach. Captain Crosby (who commanded the Chirk horse) did good service there, and the Rebels pressed on so resolutely that I caused more forces to be drawn down to assist Major Thropp's men. Thrice that night the Enemy was upon the top of the wall, but at last quite beaten off, seven of them were killed upon the top of the wall, who afterwards fell into the street, and were the next day buried by us." [17] The attackers were apparently driven back, after fierce hand-to-hand fighting, by Captain Crosby's dismounted troopers, armed with sword and pistol.

The Parliamentarians placed part of the blame for their repulse on the failure of the reserves, who included many Trained Band troops, to support the firelocks, though they also admitted that "if five hundred of them had then entred, they had all been cut off, they were so ready and well-provided in the city."

The Royalists admitted to only nine dead, including Crosby's Lieutenant, Cornet and Corporal, but Byron claimed that the Parliamentarians lost "for certain.... their Regiment of Firelocks to a very small number, besides divers others." [18] The attackers admitted that Gimbart, Finch and his Lieutentant, and "some others" were wounded. This is likely an underestimate, but the firelocks evidently did not suffer as badly as Byron claimed, for they were soon in action again.

The firelocks were almost certainly present at the battle of Rowton Heath (September 24th) but no details of their part in the events of that day have as yet been found. However, both Finch and Hoult's companies, described by their commanding officer on that occasion, Michael Jones, as "stout and resolute men", played a major role in the Parliamentarian victory at Denbigh Green (November 1st), holding a lane until the main Parliamentarian force came into action. [19]

The firelock companies continued to serve during the remainder of the long leaguer of Chester. Brereton's Letterbook for December 18th records the payment to the Cheshire dragoons "as appears under the hands of Captains Finch, Gimbart and Holt the sum of £416. 16. 00" [20], and on January 12th 1646, a further payment of £466. 6. 0. is entered. [21]

It may be assumed that the firelocks accompanied Brereton to the siege of Lichfield, and could have been present at the last major action of the war, at Stow-on-the-Wold, on March 21st. But details of this phase of their history have yet to be discovered. Nor is their eventual fate clear, but there are some interesting clues. One of Brereton's colonels, Robert Duckenfield, was appointed as Governor of Chester on its surrender, and commanded a garrison regiment of the Parliamentarian forces in 1648, responsible for Cheshire and Shropshire. This may have been a composite force drawn from Brereton's old army, but it seems very likely that it consisted mainly of troops from Brereton's own Regiments of horse and foot. By 1651, Syon Finch was its Lieutenant-Colonel, and led, with distinction, a detachment at Worcester. Duckenfield's Regiment was disbanded shortly afterwards, apart from five companies which Finch took over to Ireland, to complete Hardrass Waller's Regiment. By 1656, Finch had joined Richard Lawrence's Regiment of Foot (ex Robert Hammond). He was still Lieutenant-Colonel in 1659. It may well be that some of Thomas Sandford's old company ended their fighting days as they had begun them, in Ireland. [21]

Sources

R.N.Dore (ed), "Letter Books of Sir William Brereton", Vol. II, Record Society of Lancashire and Cheshire, vol. 128. (1990), p. 596.
Thomas Malbon, "Memorials of the Civil War in Cheshire", ed. James Hall; Record Society of Lancashire and Cheshire, vol 19 (1889), p.115.
Brereton Letter Books, Vol. I, Record Society of Lancashire and Cheshire, vol. 123. (1983-84), item 610.
ibid, vol II, pp.594-5.
ibid, vol 1, item 1.
See my article in "English Civil War Notes and Queries", No 48.
The terms are used interchangeably in contemporary documents; as is evidenced below, the Cheshire units seem mainly to have consisted of firelocks who were mounted when necessary.
"Letter Books", op. cit. Vol I. items 459-60.
ibid, item 385.
ibid, item 309.
ibid, item 552.
ibid, item 607.
ibid, item 610.
ibid. vol. II, item 897
Nathaniel Lancaster," A More Exact Relation of Chester's Enlargement..."1646, pp. 22-3.
Traces may still be seen from the "Roman Garden". See Simon Ward, "Excavations at Chester: The Civil War Siegeworks", 1987.
Lancaster, op. cit., pp. 23-4.; Lord John Byron, "Account of the Siege of Chester" reprinted in "Cheshire Sheaf, 1971, pp. 12-13.
Byron, op. cit.
"Letter Books", vol. II, item 801.
ibid, item 1040.
ibid, item 1235.
Firth. Sir Charles, and Davies, Godfrey. "Regimental History of Cromwell's Army". 1940. pp. 357-8. 446.

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