There arises the question of the 100 men of Hawkins' Regiment who Gage originally mentioned as being left in the House on his arrival. From Gage's own account it is not at-all clear if they were left in Basing House when he finally departed back to Oxford. Even if they were, they would not have remained long for they would either have been picked up when Donnington was to be relieved later in November 1644 (see below) or they would certainly have departed on 1st May 1645 when all Protestant troops left the Basing garrison. While it is not clear when these 100 men under Captain Hull left Basing, there is not a shred of evidence to suggest any of Hawkins' men were there when the House fell in October 1645.

For Hawkins's Regiment back in Oxford, its strength now back down to some 300 men, with possibly a contingent left in Basing, their rest after the minor epic of Basing's relief was not to last long. On 24th October, the King had sent the Earl of Northampton, with 800 Horse, to the relief of Banbury which had been under siege for three months.

On 25th October, Colonel Henry Gage joined the relief force with a body of foot from the Oxford garrison. As for the Basing House relief, Major Charles Kirke commanded some 200 men from Hawkins' Regiment who formed part of the Banbury relief force. Linking up with the 800 Horse under the Earl of Northampton they approached Banbury from the south only to find that the Parliamentarians had already begun retreating. Whilst the Royalist cavalry engaged and routed the fleeing Parliamentarians, the infantry entered Banbury without a contest. Having successfully reprovisioned Banbury, Gage's force was able to return to Oxford without incident. (36)

Next, both Hawkins' and the Queens Lifeguard of Foot were to be drawn out of Oxford to join the King's main field army under the command of Prince Rupert to march to Donnington Castle to recover the siege train of artillery the King had been obliged to leave there in the aftermath of the Second Battle of Newbury. The regiments marched out of Oxford as Colonel Gage's Tertia and on Wednesday, 6th November 1644, the renowned diarist Symonds recorded:

a general rendesvouz of all the King's armyes upon Shottover Greene....and Colonel Sir Gage who commanded the Queene's regiment of foot out of Oxford, and Colonel Hawkins his regiment.' (37)

Despite the presence of the bulk of Parliaments forces around Newbury, on the morning of 9th November, the King's forces were able to gain entry to Donnington Castle and retrieve his guns while the two armies confronted each other in the valley of the River Lambourne below. Although the King offered battle, Parliaments forces did not attack and action was limited to a brief exchange of artillery before the King retired with his retrieved guns.

The detailed battle plan drawn up by Bernard De Gomme illustrating the deployment of Royalist forces shows a very similar battle array to the one that Prince Rupert formed at Naseby the following June. The reserve was under the command of Henry Gage where the Queens and Hawkins' formed either side of the mounted King's Lffeguard with Lord Hopton's Lifeguard to the far right and the Western Horse to the far left. (38)

White Coat Reference

This now brings us to a very interesting reference from 'The True Informer' for November 30th 1644, which reporter, at the same hme that Hawkins' and the Queens regiments returned to Oxford that; there are two Regiments of the Kings old Foot drawne into Oxford, whereof the Queenes Regiment of White coates is one, and the other Regiment is of the old souldiers that went into the West lately requited.' (39)

Now the second regiment referred to cannot have been Hawkins' as it had not been to the West' to recruit. Hence there are a number of options; the reporter may have confused the two separate regiments, Hawkins' and the Queens into one, for the Queens Lifeguard had earlier been documented as wearing red coats while Hawkins' we know wore white. It is equally possible the Queens by now wore white coats, their original red ones having worn out.

Finally, it is not impossible that Hawkins' Regiment had also become known as 'The Queens White Coats' they having provided guards for her residence in Oxford for some time. Whatever the answer, it is yet another piece of evidence to confirm, if nothing else, that Hawkins' wore white coats.

The regiments participation in the Donnington expedition of November 1644 appears to be its last significant venture outside the defences of Oxford. Sir Samual Luke noted in his letter book on 12th December 1644 in respect to Oxford that;

The King, Prince Rupert, Prince Maurice and Lord Hopton are there and 2 regiments of foot under Col. Hawkins quarter in the city.' (40)

Essentially, Hawkins' Regiment now remained in Oxford until the end of the war and the Cities surrender on 24th June 1646. During this time, Hawkins himself rose to a senior position within the Oxford command. On 12th December 1644 he was appointed Adjutant General of the Oxford garrison and a little later Lieutenant- Governor of the garrison infantry having been knighted back on 2nd February 1645 at the request of The Earl of Dover.(41)

That Sir Stephen Hawkins was a die hard royalist is demonstrated by he being one of the 25 officers of the garrison, who, after the King's surrender to the Scots at Newark, signed the following document on 17th May 1646;

'officers of the Garrison of Oxford', declare upon their several reputations that it is absolutely against their wills and opinions to treat with Sir Thomas Fairfax. They declare that they have been forced to do so by the Privy Council and doe further declare to the world, that what inconvenience soever may arise to the King's cause or his freinds upon this Treaty, is not in or hands to prevent.' (42)

Yet, although Sir Stephen Hawkins was thus opposed to the surrender of the City, despite the King's surrender to the Scots and his direction for Oxford's capitulation, he was one of the 14 commissioners who negotiated from May 17th the terms for surrender.(43)

Needless to say, with Oxford's surrender, Hawkins Regiment marched out for the last time for disbandment at twelve o'clock on Wednesday, 24th June 1646. As the Regiment had begun being raised back in July 1642 as only the second royalist regiment of Foot, this made it one of the longest surviving regiments in the royalist army, Sir William Pennyman's, the first regiment raised, having been destroyed at Naseby the year before. Joshua Sprigge described the overall scene as;

there marched out in a body well armed. with colours flying and drums beating, about 3000...1100 of them listed themselves for foreign service. (44)

Not Quite the End

This though was not quite the end of the story for a 'Hawking' Regiment of Foot, as Sprigg's last words above indicate. With the surrender of Oxford, Prince Rupert had been permitted to depart England for France where he joined his mother at the Court of the French King in July 1646. Rupert was not alone in leaving England as many other committed royalist officers had to leave or face conviction for delinquency and one of these was Sir Stephen Hawkins.

By 1647, many had followed Prince Rupert to France and Louise XIII agreed to Rupert becoming a general in French service to form these exiles into regiments to serve France, the reservation being that Rupert and his men would be allowed to depart to serve Charles if the circumstances permitted. In the late autumn of 1647 an old and close friend of Rupert's, Sir John Owen, wrote;

Soon after this his Highness was made Mareschal de Camp, having a regiment of foot, a troop of horse, and the command of all the English in France.'

In fact, Rupert sent Sir John Owen and a number of other trusted royalist colonels a letter imviting them to join him by raismg regiments for French service, and to bring over from Englnd as many men as they could.

Sir, I have taken this opportunity of Colonel Donnell's coming into your country to make his levies, to invite you into the King of France's service, where I have taken conditions to command all the English, and should be glad that you would raise men for his service, the particular condition you will receive from Colonel Donnell, which are much better than other Princes give. And if you shall resolve to send over any men upon them, I desire I may have speedy notice thereof, that I may give you all the assistance possible I can, but you need not have your commission until you bring over your men, which I shall then get for you, so, desiring notice of your intention, l rest. Your Friend, Rupert.' (45)

In French Service

By April 1647 a number of colonels had been appointed, including Sir Stephen Hawkins, who each raised regiments from the English exiles and those they had perauaded to join them from England, for as Sprigg had noted at the surrender of Oxford, over 1100 of the rank and file, possibly including some of Hawkins' men, had opted for foreign service.

From late 1647 into early 1648 the Prince and his English troops fought with the French against the Spanish in Northern France at Armentiers, Arras, Landrecy and Lens. It was a war of siege and ambush without major battles, and by January 1648 most of the English regiments were serving in garrisons. A set of French army returns for these regiments, taken on 20th January 1648 illustrates the varied strengths and locations of these corps.

The Regiment of Colonel Rokeby wee at Lens with a strength of 675 men in 10 companies. ø

The Regiment of Colonel Sandys was at Caen with a strength of 304 men in 11 companies. (This regiment included the men of the recently disbanded regiment of Colonel Vagstaffe).

The Regiment of Colonel Tillier was alao at Caen with a strength of 118 men in 2 companies.

The Regiment of Colonel Holles was at Kesdin with a strength of 60 men in one company (this regiment was later reduced to the status of a company).

The Regiment of Colonel Hawkins had a strength of 150 men in 3 companies (no location given).

The Regiment of Colonel Lunsford had a strength of 65 men in one company (no location given). (46)

Thomas Rokeby's 'English' Regiment of Foot (it was in fact probably a predominantly Irish regiment) had in fact been formed back on 18th November 1645 and was only subsequently added to Rupert's force of newly raised English exiles. It was the only one to survive the force's formal disbandment in November 1648. (47)Rupert's own regiment of foot (officially formed 14th March 1647) was still serving with him in the field along with his troop of horse so did not appear in the above returns.

Second Civil War

With the outbreak of the Second Civil War in July 1648 it was accepted by the French government that Rupert and his English troops would join the struggle back in England. In fact, before this could occur, the mutiny of part of Parliament's fleet offered a more immediate and accessible opportunity to strike back and much of Rupert's force became sailors! Generals became admirals, Colonels became Captains. Soldiers became marines and garrisons became ship'a crews.

Unfortunately Hawkins himself is not mentioned aa being specifically involved in this and may or may not have taken part. As many of the English troops did not wish to join Rupert's navy, they were amalgamated into Colonel Rokeby'a Regiment which continued to exist for a time in the French army until incorporated into the Gardes- Ecoasaises, it is not impossible that Hawkins too continued for a time in French service.

It is not until January 1655 that Sir Stephen Hawkins briefly reappears in the records as an active royalist conspirator. Henry Manning, a Cromwellian spy, travelled to Cologne in Germany in late January 1655 and managed, for a time (he waa exposed and arrested in December 1655), to work his way into Charles II's trust. To do this he proved his credentials by outlining his contacts back in London with known royalist activists in a statement to Charles;

'London att a meeting att ye Beare att Grenwich, where was Coll. Jennings, Sr Stephen Hawkins, Capt. Hen. Smith, to bring me goeing.' (48)

Hawkins in London

With his property in the Old Bailey it is not surprising Hawkins had made his way back to London. If Manning knew that Hawkins was a royalist agent, so did Cromwell, although Hawkins subsequent fate at this point is not recorded. In fact, there is only one further contemporary reference to him prior to his death and that is a brief note in the cases before the Committee for Compounding with Delinquents, dated 10th September 1656;

'STEPHEN HAWKINS, of Middle Temple, London.

Registrar'a certificate that his name was in a list of sequestered persons returned by the County Commissioners of London in obedience to the order of the Committee for Compounding of 22nd March 1648, but that he does not find that Hawkins ever compounded'. (49)

While this confirms Hawkins' London connexion and his staunch royalism, it does little to indicate his situation other than he must of, in September 1656, have come to this Committee's attention for them to have asked the registrar if Hawkins had compounded or not. By 1658 he was dead.

References