Would like to see a book on williams army if that was possible.Diomedes wrote:Hi, Author here...
Couple of things.
Yes, this is a very much expanded and extended version of the booklet that I did thirty years ago (THIRTY YEARS AGO ??? Grief !!!). To give you an idea - that work had about 6000 words - this has a little short of 70,000. I have also expanded it to include (as far as I could) the Irish Army. But you get the idea, although there is no denying you will find some duplication of information, which is unavoidable, although there is an awful lot of information that I don't think has ever been published before.
Mark Allen did four of the colour plates but these are new - they are not simply the old ones re-used, I would have hated that probably as much as any buyers. Incidentally (long term) we are jointly paying with the idea of an "Armies of the War of the League of Augsburg" title...
With respect to the Army after James abandoned the throne - this doesn't, I'm afraid form any real part of the book and is simply mentioned in the blurb but here are some thoughts (and quite open to debate on this one).
There was no wholesale disbandment of the Regiments and those new ones that were disbanded (entirely the newly-raised and partly-formed units) had the personnel that they had raised merged into the rest of the Army.
About 65-70% of the Officer Corps was acceptable to William and offered new commissions although, in the end, only about half of these actually served and William was forced to find a great number of new officers.
However there were very few desertions from the rank and file (covered in one of the book's appendices btw) and even fewer mutinies so the Army that William put new officers into was experienced, even if its officers were often not as much so. This is why the Army did so well in Ireland and on the Continent when it went there - although as I said many officers had to learn their trade but also many officers got promotions so that the newly-commissioned often went in at lower company positions. (Incidentally a great number of the personnel has served on the continent 1672-78 and over 4,000 foot had served in Tangier so it certainly wasn't "raw").
Overall the Army didn't collapse in 1688, and the rank and file in the main remained loyal to the oaths (witness what happened when there was an attempt to lead three Regiments of Horse over to William...). What collapsed was James' own morale particularly after his abandonment by Anne (cf Ungrateful Daughters - interesting book).
The ARMY was still effectively in being, albeit missing many officers from December, January onwards. It probably would have collapsed if the officers had done a "mass resignation" but luckily they didn't and with the NCOs mainly staying true to the Crown (whoever was wearing it) it continued in being...
Anyway that's me waffling now and going well beyond the main topic of this thread but, as I said, more than happy to debate this one if anyone has other information from the Winter of 1688/9 that I haven't found (yet, but the search continues )
Could this book still be of use in understanding the general practices of the military organisation of the time as well as providing information on James Irish regiments for the War in Ireland?
arthur1905 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 14, 2018 9:22 pmThe simple answer is Yes, the background detail is still valid in regard to equipment, tactics and regimental makeup etc, there is unfortunately very little available information of the state of the English establishment from the abdication of James II until the army was sent to Ireland under William III in 1689. its only a short period, but in my humble opinion a vital area, as the army is transformed during this time.
other useful sources are John Childs works on the Nine Years War and the British Army (1991), British Army of William III (1987)and the Williamite Wars in Ireland (2007)
I have just entered a Ph.D. proposal to study this area of history, I intend to look at the state of the English army from the eve of the abdication of James II and the cessation of hostilities until the new army is formed in 1689.The main areas of interest are what happened to the Catholic soldiers and officers within the army? how many of them were transported to the Hapsburg Empire? and how was the new army raised. a very short explanation of what hopefully baring, plague, pestilence, dithering etc will run to about 150,000 words give or take.
Mark
According to the Osprey book on the Williamite War, at first the new government interned many Catholic officers, but in the confusion many managed to escape to Ireland. Whats interesting is that contrary to popular belief there were some of the opposite religion in both armies (notably Catholics in the Dutch Blue Guard). During James II's reign 1685-8 (or de jure to 1689 in Scotland), the Irish Lord Deputy, the Earl of Tyrconnell was busy purging Protestants from the army there. After the Revolution, the Jacobites sent Lord Mountjoy (a Protestant) to Versailles ostensibly on a peace mission, but with a letter to Louis requesting his arrest so he could not lead Loyalist forces in Ireland.arthur1905 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 14, 2018 9:22 pmThe simple answer is Yes, the background detail is still valid in regard to equipment, tactics and regimental makeup etc, there is unfortunately very little available information of the state of the English establishment from the abdication of James II until the army was sent to Ireland under William III in 1689. its only a short period, but in my humble opinion a vital area, as the army is transformed during this time.
other useful sources are John Childs works on the Nine Years War and the British Army (1991), British Army of William III (1987)and the Williamite Wars in Ireland (2007)
I have just entered a Ph.D. proposal to study this area of history, I intend to look at the state of the English army from the eve of the abdication of James II and the cessation of hostilities until the new army is formed in 1689.The main areas of interest are what happened to the Catholic soldiers and officers within the army? how many of them were transported to the Hapsburg Empire? and how was the new army raised. a very short explanation of what hopefully baring, plague, pestilence, dithering etc will run to about 150,000 words give or take.
Mark