ARMY LISTS OF THE ROUNDHEADS AND CAVALIERS, CONTAINING THE NAMES OF THE OFFICERS IN THE ROYAL AND PARLIAMENTARY ARMIES OF 1642

In the introduction, written in 1862, the editor of this publication states that it is a reprint of the original tract which is dated 1642 and is preserved in the Bodleian Library. He never saw another copy, though he admits that one or two may exist; it is, he points out, of extreme rarity. With the lists the editor has added one or two lines of biographical notes on those persons who ‘rendered themselves prominent’.This publication is the Second Edition which differs from the first in that Peacock has added four more lists of officers in an appendix, which, he says will be useful to students of seventeenth century history, and he has also revised the biographical notes, added to some and corrected others.
The book opens with the Cavaliers, a ‘catalogue’ of the names of Dukes, Marquesses, Earls and Lords that ‘have absented themselves from the Parliament, and are now with His Majestie’ [sic]. This is followed by a list of names of those subscribing to the cost of horses for three ‘Moneths, thirty dayes to the Moneth, at two fhillings fix pence per diem’. This list is headed by Prince Rupert of the Rhine with 200 horse; in all there is a total of 1695 horses. Then come the officers of the regiments of infantry, which are numbered 1 to 14, every regiment having about 1,000 ‘souldiers’. After this is the Parliamentary Army under the command of the Earl of Essex, the Captain General. There are nineteen regiments of foot, each named after its colonel and each consisting of 1200 men in addition to the listed officers. There are 75 Troops of Horse each with one to four officers and 60 horse and five troops of Dragooners (a dragoon was a musket so dragooners were, in effect, mounted infantry) each with 100 horse. With the parliamentary lists we have the nominal roll of orthodox divines (clergymen), each representing a county and described as fit persons to be consulted by Parliament on Church matters. There is also a Royal Navy (the King’s Navy) list and a Merchant ships list giving the name of each ship, its tonnage, the name of the captain and first lieutenant and the strength of the ship’s company. At the end is the appendix, mentioned above, which contains among others a list of cavalier prisoners taken at Naseby, 14 June 1645. There is a good index of names – very necessary in a book like this. A fascinating documenmt!