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Thomas Rainsborow (alias Rainsborough or Rainborowe) was a son of a distinguished sea captain, William Rainsborow (died 1642), and was himself bred to the sea. One of Thomas' sisters married John Winthrop (1588-1649), Governor of Massachusetts, and another married the governor's fourth son, Colonel Stephen Winthrop (1618-58). Thomas had a brother, who was another parliamentarian, Captain William Rainsborow, who was in Colonel Thomas Sheffeild's Regt. of Horse of the New Model Army, and became a major by July 5th, 1647, but was dismissed in 1649.
In 1643 Thomas Rainsborow was in command of the ship 'Swallow', and took a royalist ship that was carrying reinforcements to the King. Then as captain of the ship 'Lion' he landed 100 (possibly 180) of his crew to help Lord Fairfax's defense of Hull, and while himself leading a column of 500 musketeers, was captured in the great sally which terminated the siege (Oct. 11th, 1643). In his account of the fight Lord Fairfax described Rainsborow as a Colonel, which he was continually described as, with his later service as a colonel being all on land. Colonel Thomas Rainsborow raised a regiment of foot for Parliament as part of the Army of the Eastern Association (Manchester's Army). Three of his original officers, Lt.-Colonel Israel Stoughton, Major Nehemiah Bourne, and Captain John Leverett, were all citizens of Massachusetts, and many of the men which served in these officers' companies were also from the Massachusetts Bay Colony (approx. 80-150). In fact, Rainsborow's regiment was the only one to have such a high proportion of men from the colonies of the new world who returned to England to fight in the Civil War. The reason for this was no doubt due to his two sisters being married to the Governor of Massachusetts and his son. Rainsborow's regiment fought as part of Manchester's Army in all of its engagements, although it was not at the Battle of Marston Moor, but instead took Crowland in December 1644. When the regiment joined the New Model Army on May 8th, 1645, it was weak, and was bolstered up to strength by reducing three other regiments of Manchester's Army into it. These regiments were those of Ayloffe's, Francis Russell's, and Major-General Lawrence Crawford's. The regiment only numbered about 500 strong before the Battle of Naseby, when it had been at Abingdon in the spring. Although some recruits had no doubt joined the regiment, including from reducing the other three regiments into it since April 1645, it is unlikely that it had its full strength of 1200 men at the Battle of Naseby, with 800 being more likely instead. With his new regiment Colonel Rainsborow took Gaunt House near Oxford on June 1st, 1645. At the Battle of Naseby the regiment was in Major-General Philip Skippon's second line, or reserve, but it cannot be ascertained that Colonel Rainsborow himself was in command of it. Although it is likely, as he was senior to Colonel Robert Hammond and Lt-Colonel Thomas Pride, who commanded the other two regiments in the reserve. The regiment was then at the storming of Bridgewater, and then suffered severely at the siege of Sherborne Castle, where a number of its officers were picked off with birding pieces by two "keepers of parkes", who sniped at them from the towers of stronghold. During the storming of Bristol, as Cromwell tells us, "...the regiment had the hardest task of all...", the storming of Prior's Hill Fort. Resolute though the men of the regiment were in their many attempts to take the fort, the stubborn Royalist garrison held them for two hours at push of pike. The regiment then took Berkeley Castle, and then besieged Corfe Castle for a time, before being sent to blockade Oxford in December 1645. The regiment then took Woodstock (Apr. 26th, 1646). After the surrender of Oxford, Colonel Rainsborow, with his regiment, took over the siege of Worcester, which held out until July 1646. In 1647 the regiment mutinied, leaving its quarters in Hampshire, and marched to Abington, where it was to join with Ingoldsby's Regiment at Oxford, and seize the New Model Army's train of artillery. Major John Edwards was almost killed by his own men during this mutiny. Colonel Rainsborow, who was in London during this time, was sent down to restore discipline in the regiment. Colonel Rainsborow was made Vice-Admiral of the Fleet (Sept. 26th, 1647), but his squadron declared for the King on May 27th, 1648, and he was recalled to the army. He was surprised at Doncaster by cavaliers from the garrison of Pontefract Castle, and when asked to surrender, he refused and was then killed outright. Colonel Rainsborow seems to have been a brave and determined officer, who used his initiative, and capable of exercising independent command, as reflected in his exploits throughout the First Civil War. When Colonel Rainsborow was made Vice-Admiral of the Fleet, command of his regiment then passed to Colonel Richard Deane, the Controller of the Ordinance. In the Second Civil War the regiment took part in the siege of Pembroke Castle, and the Battle of Preston. On February 23rd, 1649, Colonel Deane was appointed one of the three "generals at sea". Thereafter, until the Restoration, the regiment served in Ireland, and went through a succession of three more colonels. Regimental Succession of Colonels
Uniform The regiment is described as wearing redcoats with white linings. Breeches would be of any natural 'sad' color, but were not issued until the New Model Army (1645). Colours At present the colours that the regiment carried are not known, but it is believed that the field color was green, but no devices are known. |
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