Sir Richard Grenvile's Regiment of Horse

Sir Richard Grenvile

“The King’s General in the West”
(1600-1659)

Some Regiments in the ECWS have very boring patrons. Not so us. The arch-rogue himself, Sir Richard Grenvile, earned a number of colourful appellations in his career, including “the Red Fox” (he had red hair), “Butcher Grenvile”, Skellum (= scoundrel), and “a notable whoremaster” (we have not tried this one yet…).

The grandson of the Sir Richard Grenvile of “the Revenge”, our Sir Richard was a career soldier, starting off in the Low Countries when he was 18. By the age of 23, he had served with distinction in several campaigns on the Continent and risen to the rank of Captain.

He commanded a company of infantry in the expedition to Cadiz in 1626, and was appointed “Sergeant-Major” (equiv. : modern Major) upon the outbreak of War with France in 1627. He was knighted on 20th June 1627. Grenvile’s Regiment took part in the Duke of Buckingham’s ill-fated expedition to capture the island of Rhe, and whilst the mission was unsuccessful, Grenvile acquitted himself admirably, being promoted to command of a Regiment, and wounded in action twice.

After the war with France, Grenvile had a break from military life and served for a time as MP for Fowey in Cornwall. He became a Justice of the Peace in 1630 and was made a Baronet in 1631. Civilian life did not sit well with Grenvile, and he managed to fall out with a large number of influential people. In February 1632 he was imprisoned for libel against a Minister of the Crown, having accrued huge fines that he was unable to pay.

He remained in prison until October 1633, when he then went into exile. We know little about his four years in exile, save that he saw military service for Germany against Sweden, and enrolled at Leyden University as a student of Mathematics.

The War between England and Scotland in 1639 facilitated Grenvile’s return to grace, and he was again appointed to a position of Command. That war ended without combat, but Grenvile achieved more acclaim when war broke out again the following year for gallantry at the battle of Newburn.

In 1642, rebellion in Ireland saw Grenvile assisting in the capture of Trim in County Meath. On the death of his Commanding Officer a few days later, Grenvile received his first independent command. The town was attacked by 3000 rebels and Grenvile held it with a force of 300.

Grenvile’s dominion over the area surrounding Trim was strict, ruthless and very effective. He hanged quantities of Rebels, and if offers of Quarter were refused, employed a rule of “no quarter” quite rigorously. The ordinary people, however, he did not persecute, and forbade looting and pillaging by his own men.

In February 1643 Grenvile heard that a rebel army of four thousand was dug in at the Pass of Rathconnel one mile away, and directly on the route that his own force of less than two thousand was marching. Grenvile attacked, and forced the rebel army from its position with minimal losses. Admittedly, the Rebels were not Regular troops, whilst Grenvile’s troops were, but to defeat a fortified enemy force, uphill, whilst outnumbered at more than two to one is a significant military achievement.

In march 1643, Grenvile took part in the battle of Ross and many witnesses attributed to his courage in stopping the rout of part of the English cavalry. He was witnessed encouraging the demoralised commander and rallying the troops. “Gentlemen, stand. Five or six of you stand.” and “Come, Blades, follow me!”

In the meantime, the Civil war between King and Parliament had begun in England. Grenvile earned the undying hatred of the Parliamentarian cause by reporting to Parliament in London for a military posting, receiving a commission as Lieutenant-General of Horse and an appointment to the Council of War. Having gained access to all of the plans for the forthcoming campaigns, Grenvile then removed to Oxford, where he entered the service of the King.

Sent to the army commanded by Prince Maurice in his native West Country, Grenvile assumed command of the siege of Plymouth after the commanding officer, Colonel Digby was wounded in action. The hope of reducing Plymouth was never great, as the parliamentarian navy ruled the seas, and the width of Plymouth Sound was too great to allow shore-mounted gun batteries to interdict naval access. The town could therefor never be cut off from re-supply.

To be continued...