The King's Life Guard of Foote

The King's Life Guard of Foote History
From the Moderne Adviso

The following was submitted by the ECWSA to the Moderne Adviso.

The Lifeguard was among the first regiments raised for the Royal Cause in June 1642 while King Charles I was at York, where the officers' commissions were probably commissioned and signed in July. By June 27 the regiment was 1000 strong in 10 companies (incl. some Yeoman of the Guard). Soldiers were raised for the most part in Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, and later to lesser extent from Cheshire. Though no doubt many of the men were from the estates of the Berties and their Lincolnshire friends, while a great number of "other ranks" were Derbyshire lead miners, raised by the great Royalist financier, Thomas Bushell. When the Royal Standard was raised in Nottingham (22 Aug.1642), Lord Willoughby "brought up from Lincolnshire another excellent regiment, near the same number (1000) under officers of good experience."

The commander (Colonel) of the regiment throughout the war was Montague Bertie, Lord Willoughby d'Eresby, who became Earl of Lindsey in 1642, as well as Lord Chamberlain of England. The senior officers were all men of at least some experience (Lt-Col. Sir William Vavasour had been a colonel of foot in the Second Bishops War, while Maj. William Leighton, later Lt-Col., served as a lieutenant in the Thirty Years' War, plus Lord Willoughby had been a captain in Dutch service). Most junior officers had seen service on the Continent (Thirty Years' War) or in the Scots (Bishop's) Wars, and since some had acquired Irish wives, it is reasoned that they had fought in Ireland as well. Even some of the rank & file had prior experience, having also served in either Europe, Scotland or Ireland, and no doubt some having Irish wives as well. The Lifeguard, therefore, was known to have had the most experienced officers of any regiment in the King's Army The Lifeguard was one of 4 regiments chosen by the Royalist Council of War to garrison the Royalist capital, Oxford, but this does not mean it remained sitting idle as most garrisons. Instead the regiment was involved in every major campaign of the King's Army, and most of the engagements of the Oxford Army, as follows: 1642: Edgehill, Storming of Brentford, Turnham Green; 1643: Detachments involved in the Storming of Cirencester, Little Dean and Ripple Field; Relief of Reading (Caversham Bridge), Siege of Gloucester, First Newbury; 1644: Cropredy Bridge, Lostwithiel Campaign (Beacon Hill & Castle Dore), Second Newbury. 1645: Storming of Leicester, Naseby, Rowton Heath; 1646: Surrendered at Oxford on June 24. From its regimental history, the Lifeguard seems to have retained all 10 of its regular companies throughout the war, this was no doubt out of respect for the regiment's Royal honor at being the King's personal guard. In addition, from Edgehill onwards was an 11th company, all firelocks under Capt. William Legge, Master of the Armory, and as such were detailed to guard the artillery train and serve as night watch.

Some of the Lifeguard, both officers and rank & file, fought again in the Second & Third Civil Wars, but in different units. A number of the officers lived to see the Restoration, and were among those who claimed part of the 60,000 granted by King Charles II to his, "Truly - Loyal and Indigent Party." While there is no direct connection as regards actual personnel between King Charles I's Lifeguard, and the regiment, now the Grenadier Guards, raised by his son, King Charles II, then in exile, in 1656, the lineage certainly extends through the badges which have endured in the Brigade of Guards, and even the redcoats, so it is obvious that the King's Lifeguard of Foot can trace its history to the present day.

The reconstructed regiment, as its historical counterpart, has officers and NCO's of previous good experience in living history reenacting and wargaming. As such the regiment continually places well, along with other ECWSA units, in various competitions it enters as well as performance in tacticals.