London (England) -- History -- 17th century; London (England) -- Social life and customs -- 17th century
“That the city trained bands had done good service in their day
no one will deny, but the time was fast approaching when it would
be necessary to raise an army of men willing to devote themselves
to the military life as a profession. For permanent service in
the field the London trained bands were not to be relied on. ‘In
these two days’ march,’ wrote Waller (2 July) to the Committee
of Both Kingdoms, ‘I was extremely plagued with the mutinies of
the City Brigade, who are grown to that height of disorder that
I have no hope to retain them, being come to their old song of
“Home! Home!”’ There was, he said, only one remedy for this, and
that was a standing army, however small:—‘My lords, I write these
particulars to let you know that an army compounded of these men
will never go through with your service, and till you have an army
merely your own, that you may command, it is in a manner impossible
to do anything of importance.’ The junction of his forces with
those under Browne, who had been despatched (23 June) to protect
the country between London and the royalist army, served only to
increase the general discontent. ‘My London regiments,’ he wrote
(8 July), ‘immediately looked on his [_i.e._ Browne’s] forces as
sent to relieve them, and without expectation of further orders,
are most of them gone away; yesterday no less than 400 out of one
regiment quitted their colours. On the other side, Major-General
Browne’s men, being most of them trained band men of Essex and
Hertfordshire, are so mutinous and uncommandable that there is
no hope of their stay. They are likewise upon their march home
again. Yesterday they were like to have killed their Major-General,
and they have hurt him in the face.... I am confident that above
2000 Londoners ran away from their colours.’ The same spirit of
insubordination manifested itself again when Waller threw himself
(20 July) into Abingdon. Most of his troops were only too anxious
to leave him, whilst the Londoners especially refused to stir ‘one
foot further, except it be home.’”
[Illustration: A SOLDIER OF THE TIME OF KING JAMES THE FIRST ARMED
WITH A CALIVER
From a contemporary print.]
The City, however, despite these rules, remained staunch to the
Parliamentary cause; in spite of hard times, London raised the money to
carry on the war; and, as in former cases, the winning side proved to
be that which London had espoused.
Early in 1645 the army was remodelled on a more permanent footing,
in which the men were to receive regular pay and the officers to
be appointed for efficiency alone. Parliament resolved on borrowing
£80,000 of the City; the Committee of Militia raised a sufficient
number of men to guard the new redoubts and forts, and the City
regiments were brought up to their full strength.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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