Post
by Anonymous » Wed Jan 04, 2006 12:37 am
Mats
Certainly an intersting question which had me digging into my books! I only have information for the English marine regiments on your question.
The only detailed information I could find on this question comes from Colonel Clifford Walton's "The History of the British Standing Army: 1660 to 1700" published in 1894 and Cecil Lawson's "History of the Uniforms of the British Army:Volume I", published in 1940.
Walton notes that the soldiers of the "Duke of York and Albany's or Lord High Admiral's Maritime Regiment of Foot", raised in October 1664, consisting of 1,200 "land soldiers" were to be "armed with good firelocks" (Admiralty Records, Order of 26 October 1664, cited by Walton on page 502, footnote 1393). Although the regiment attended the large military camp on Putney Heath in 1684 and was generally quartered on shore rather than on board naval vessels, there appears to be no suggestion that pikes were issued to this regiment. Cecil Lawson in his "History of the Uniforms of the British Army:Volume I" states that a grenadier company for this regiment was added in 1678. Whereas Lawson mentions that the regiment was disbanded in 1689, Walton states that "the regiment was still in existence in 1692, when it was on active service in Flanders. It appears to have been disbanded between that time and the peace of 1697". Walton cites a Royal Warrant of 8 March 1689 stating that the regiment was about to embark for Flanders, and an army list from 1692 for its continued existence in 1692).
Colonel Walton mentions that both of the marine regiments of the Earl of Torrington and the Earl of Pembroke, both raised in 1690, had "granadeer companies". The royal warrant for the raising of Torrington's was dated 16 January 1690. The warrant for Pembroke's was dated 21 January 1690. Both warrants came into effect on 31 January 1690. The marine regiments of the Earl of Torrington and the Earl of Pembroke are stated by Walton as each having 12 companies of private soldiers and 3 grenadier companies (Walton, page 140, footnote 389). The soldiers in both regiments were to have been armed with Dutch snaphaunce muskets, cartridge pouches with girdles, and bayonets with frogs. The grenadier companies were additionally armed with grenade pouches and hammer-hatchets. There is no specific mention of grenades being issued, but as the grenadiers are stated as having the equipment to carry these, it seems a reasonable assumption that the use of grenades was intentioned in at least some situations. The totals of non-grenadier soldiers for both regiments are given as being 1,896 soldiers, 96 sergeants and 48 drummers. In addition, Walton states that the grenadier companies comprised in aggregate 474 "granadeers", with 24 sergeants and 12 drums.
Walton makes no mention of pikes being issued to either Torrington's or Pembroke's regiments. Writing at a later date, Cecil Lawson in his "History of the Uniforms of the British Army: Volume I" (published1940) states that both regiments were "to be all fuziliers, i.e. all were to be issued with firelocks and no pikes".
Walton cites the Royal warrants dated 14 and 22 April 1690 for his information (Walton, page 504, footnote 1398).
Hope this is of assistance - it certainly backs up Barry's earlier reply.
Very best wishes
Adam
