WELCOME TO THE CITTIE OF LONDON BRIGADE!
The Cittie of London Brigade are proud to serve in the ranks of The Sealed Knot. As an educational charity The Sealed Knot engages and educates with the public through performing reenactments of battles, skirmishes and Living History displays. The Cittie of London Brigade is made up of six individual units. Click on the soldiers, or the colours of our individual regiments to find out more about the units that make up the Cittie of London Brigade.
Military AssetsThe Cittie of London Brigade is a military formation within the ranks of the Armie of Parliament within the Sealed Knot. The Cittie of London Brigade consists of five foote regiments and an independent companie which collectively have over three hundred members. Our military assets are pikemen, musketeers, a companie of drums and colours, a full complement officers and two pieces of field artillery.
We also have a large Living History capability with more than thirty tents that can be arranged in several scenarios - A full Regimental Camp, an Artillery Battery with Siege Lines, or a mixed Military and Civilian camp featuring arts and crafts reenactors as well as soldiers. |
Events & DutiesThe Brigade has a wide range of experience in event planning and delivery having completed events at World Heritage Sites, Registered Battlefields, Heritage Venues and even Royal Palaces. We are also available for Civic and Ceremonial Duties. Our presentation is strictly authentic, reflecting the real soldiers of the civil wars. We can bring a full strength Civil War Companie, a Companie of Halberdiers, a companie of Drums and Colours, or just a few musketeers and pikemen to bring colour and spectacle to your special event.
Whatever you have in mind, we would be happy to discuss your plans and how we might work with you to make your event unique. |
The Cittie of London Brigade combines to portray a full strength companie of
THE WHITE TRAYNED BANDES
OF THE CITTIE OF LONDON, 1643
We all love our individual unit identities, but there are times when we also enjoy portraying a single unit, and the benefit this brings of large numbers and massive firepower. We start all battles at a Sealed Knot Major Muster as a single formation, and we transfer our drill skills from this battlefield environment and collaborate to portray a full strength companie of foote at our own parades and events. As far as we can tell, this is quite unique. As far as we know, we are the only full strength foote companie able to muster 100+ combatants in a single formation. We also have a full set of companie colours for the White Trayned Bandes (as shown below). We are able to portray a companie strength field unit using authentic manouvres and postures, we can also erect large living history camps to a very high level of authenticity, and our latest speciality is to recreate sieges and in particular a working artillery battery featuring two cannons.
We are a unique formation that strives to achieve something special. Marching and maneuvering a large body of troops takes skill, coordination, cooperation and practice - and that's what we do at every single weekend we get together. We welcome members from outside the Cittie of London Brigade as long as they can attend drill sessions and meet our kit standards.
If you would like to find out more about the history of the unit, or if you are considering joining, seeing or hiring the White Trayned Bandes of the Cittie of London, please click on the button below:
If you would like to find out more about the history of the unit, or if you are considering joining, seeing or hiring the White Trayned Bandes of the Cittie of London, please click on the button below:
HISTORY OF THE CITTIE OF LONDON TRAYNED BANDES
"The London Trayned Bandes were the Militia of the Cittie of London, composed of householders of the city fulfilling their obligation to maintain arms and serve in defence of the realm. Their origins date back through the Middle Ages to the Saxon obligation of all free men to serve in the Militia, but the form they took during the Civil Wars originated in Queen Elizabeth's reign...
The grouping of companies into regiments in 1588 had been a temporary measure, and only in 1616 were they formally organised into four regiments. The regiments were named the North, South, East and West regiments as before, but the areas from which they were recruited were slightly different to those of 1588. Each regiment consisted of five companies and each companie of 300 men.
By 1641 the London Trayned Bandes were a well equipped force of 6,000 men organised in four regiments with officers who had a thorough grounding in military theory, if little practical experience. The Trayned Bandes themselves had some pride in their equipment and their training and if their confidence in their ability was not shared by outsiders this did not concern them. The Trayned Bandes were traditionally used to maintain order and disperse riots in the city and for this reason they were chosen from householders who were thought to have a vested interest in the maintenance of public order. The soldiers themselves, however, now sympathised with the public opposition in London to the Crown. Although they remained willing to muster in defence of their homes and property, they could not be relied upon to suppress political demonstrations.
On the 10th January 1642 a joint meeting of the Committee of Safety and a committee from the House of Commons was held at which Philip Skippon was confirmed in his command of the Trayned Bandes with the rank of sergeant-major-general. The Common Council gave orders on the 19th January for new lists of those liable for service in the Trayned Bandes to be drawn up by the Aldermen and Common Councilmen of each ward. On the 12th February an increase in the number of Trayned Bande soldiers from 6,000 to 8,000 was ordered and the new Committee for London Militia was responsible for the re-organisation. This entailed the formation of forty new companies of 200 men each to take the place of the existing twenty companies of 300 men each. These new companies were divided amongst six new regiments known as The Red, White, Yellow, Blew, Green and Orange regiments after the colour of their ensigns. The Red, White, Yellow and Blew regiments had seven companies each and the Green and Orange had six companies each. The recruiting areas were re-allocated but were still formed from adjoining city wards so each regiment was recruited from a particular area.
The first muster of the six regiments was on 10th May 1642 and they appear to have turned out their full strength of 8,000 men. The same men probably marched out in November to face the King's Army at Turnham Green but it is probable that they were motivated by feelings of self-preservation rather than zeal for the Parliament cause.
Although the Trayned Bandes regiments were large they were composed of men whose primary interests were their businesses rather than military affairs; and frequent guard duty was unpopular. In an effort to resolve this a group of the more radical citizens set about recruiting men from amongst apprentices and other young men to serve as auxiliaries to the Trayned Bandes. The scheme was authorised by the Common Council who appointed the proposers as a sub-committee of the Committee for London Militia. Seven regiments of Auxiliaries were raised in this way, six from the Cittie of London and one from the Tower Hamlets.
A report by William Levett, a Royalist spy, on a muster held on 26th September 1643 estimated the total strength of nine Trayned Bande regiments and seven of auxiliaries at 18,094 officers and men. As Levett estimated the strength of Auxiliary regiments at 1,000 men each, the two which he did not mention would add 2,000 men to give an overall total in excess of over 20,000 men. In addition to those men, The Committee for London Militia also had two regiments of 'Cittie Horse' under its control. Six independent troops had been raised in the city in 1642 and formed into a regiment under Colonel Edmund Harvey the following year. A second regiment of eight troops was raised in 1643 under the command of Colonel Richard Turner". (LONDON & LIBERTY - Ensigns of the London Trained Bands, Keith Roberts selected extracts from p.7 to p.13)
The grouping of companies into regiments in 1588 had been a temporary measure, and only in 1616 were they formally organised into four regiments. The regiments were named the North, South, East and West regiments as before, but the areas from which they were recruited were slightly different to those of 1588. Each regiment consisted of five companies and each companie of 300 men.
By 1641 the London Trayned Bandes were a well equipped force of 6,000 men organised in four regiments with officers who had a thorough grounding in military theory, if little practical experience. The Trayned Bandes themselves had some pride in their equipment and their training and if their confidence in their ability was not shared by outsiders this did not concern them. The Trayned Bandes were traditionally used to maintain order and disperse riots in the city and for this reason they were chosen from householders who were thought to have a vested interest in the maintenance of public order. The soldiers themselves, however, now sympathised with the public opposition in London to the Crown. Although they remained willing to muster in defence of their homes and property, they could not be relied upon to suppress political demonstrations.
On the 10th January 1642 a joint meeting of the Committee of Safety and a committee from the House of Commons was held at which Philip Skippon was confirmed in his command of the Trayned Bandes with the rank of sergeant-major-general. The Common Council gave orders on the 19th January for new lists of those liable for service in the Trayned Bandes to be drawn up by the Aldermen and Common Councilmen of each ward. On the 12th February an increase in the number of Trayned Bande soldiers from 6,000 to 8,000 was ordered and the new Committee for London Militia was responsible for the re-organisation. This entailed the formation of forty new companies of 200 men each to take the place of the existing twenty companies of 300 men each. These new companies were divided amongst six new regiments known as The Red, White, Yellow, Blew, Green and Orange regiments after the colour of their ensigns. The Red, White, Yellow and Blew regiments had seven companies each and the Green and Orange had six companies each. The recruiting areas were re-allocated but were still formed from adjoining city wards so each regiment was recruited from a particular area.
The first muster of the six regiments was on 10th May 1642 and they appear to have turned out their full strength of 8,000 men. The same men probably marched out in November to face the King's Army at Turnham Green but it is probable that they were motivated by feelings of self-preservation rather than zeal for the Parliament cause.
Although the Trayned Bandes regiments were large they were composed of men whose primary interests were their businesses rather than military affairs; and frequent guard duty was unpopular. In an effort to resolve this a group of the more radical citizens set about recruiting men from amongst apprentices and other young men to serve as auxiliaries to the Trayned Bandes. The scheme was authorised by the Common Council who appointed the proposers as a sub-committee of the Committee for London Militia. Seven regiments of Auxiliaries were raised in this way, six from the Cittie of London and one from the Tower Hamlets.
A report by William Levett, a Royalist spy, on a muster held on 26th September 1643 estimated the total strength of nine Trayned Bande regiments and seven of auxiliaries at 18,094 officers and men. As Levett estimated the strength of Auxiliary regiments at 1,000 men each, the two which he did not mention would add 2,000 men to give an overall total in excess of over 20,000 men. In addition to those men, The Committee for London Militia also had two regiments of 'Cittie Horse' under its control. Six independent troops had been raised in the city in 1642 and formed into a regiment under Colonel Edmund Harvey the following year. A second regiment of eight troops was raised in 1643 under the command of Colonel Richard Turner". (LONDON & LIBERTY - Ensigns of the London Trained Bands, Keith Roberts selected extracts from p.7 to p.13)
The Red Trayned BandesRed: Signifieth Justice or a noble and worthy anger in the defence of religion or the oppressed.
|
The White Trayned BandesWhite: Signifieth Innocence or Puritie of Conscience, truth and an Upright Integritie without Blemish.
|
Yellow Trayned BandesYellow: SignifiethHonour or Hight of Spirit, which being never seperate from Virtue in all things is most jealous of Disgrace and may not endure the least shadow of Imputation.
|
The Blew Trayned BandesBlew: Signifieth Faith, Constancie, Truth and Affection or Honourable Love.
|
The Green Trayned BandesGreen: Signifieth good Hope, or the accomplishment of Holy or Honourable actions.
|
Orange Trayned BandesOrange: Signifieth Merit or Disert and is a foe to ingratitude.
|
"In the seventeenth century every company of a regiment of foot carried its own flag was known as a 'Colour' or 'Ensign'. The Ensigns of a regiment commonly followed a system whereby the Ensigns of each company were different. The Ensigns themselves were made of taffeta and were about six foot six inches square...The colours chosen for Ensigns and Cornets were also intended to relate to particular virtues which the colonel who chose them held to be most valuable". (LONDON & LIBERTY - Ensigns of the London Trained Bands, Keith Roberts p.28)
|
www.CittieofLondonBrigade.org
|
