The Blew Regiment LTB

The Blew Regiment and the Civil War

he Blew Regiment of the Cittie of London Trayned Bandes was a militia regiment formed in the Seventeenth Century, comprising of approximately 1200 musketeers and 800 pikemen drawn from the middle class citizens of London, generally members of the various business guilds. At that time England had no standing army, so local trained bands were the only permanent forces that could be called upon in times of strife.

Upon the outbreak of the First English Civil War in 1642 London declared for the Parliamentarian cause, as did its trained bands. The Blew Regiment was involved in most of the the significant battles of the First War, which culminated in the Battle of Naseby in 1645 where the armies of Charles I were finally defeated.

The Parliamentarian victory in the First War brought to an end the hitherto widely accepted belief that English monarchs ruled by Divine Right, and gave birth to the Parliamentary system we have today. The trained bands became part of the New Model Army, formed in 1645, which was England's first standing army.

The Blew Regiment today

The regiment was formed in 1982 and has a membership of approximately 120 men and women drawn from all walks of life. The regiment is part of the Sealed Knot Society, the largest re-enactment organisation in Europe. The re-enactment aims of our regiment are currently twofold. Firstly, we aim to portray a Company of Foot (infantry) from the Blew Regiment, London Trayned Bandes, in the campaign season of 1643, setting off to relieve the siege of Gloucester and eventually fighting on the fields around Newbury, in what can be termed the Regiment's finest hour.

Towards achieving this, we encourage the membership to research and roleplay typical militia characters of the times, to equip and dress themselves accordingly and take on the spirit of the fight for liberty and freedom for the known world's largest city.

Secondly as an alter-ego, we have decided to work towards a better representation of a New Model Army Foot Company (infantry) and have chosen Tichborne's Regiment of Foot. This we hope will be a new challenge to the membership, especially in learning more on the events of the Interregnum following the Third Civil War campaigns and the governance of the Land by the Major-Generals assisted by the New Model Army regiments. Attention to uniform, certain items of equipment and particulars in drill are necessary for an accurate portrayal, all targets well within reach of the current membership.

In addition the "authentic camp" or static living history displays, which the Regiment recognises the increasing importance of, and pledges to give more attention to an important part of the re-enactment hobby. Part-neglected in recent years, the formation of a History Group within the Regiment should provide a focus for all the individual efforts currently being made.

The Regiment also supports The Battlefield Trust with an organisational membership and as of Christmas 1996, a London branch of the Portage Trust, the charity which supports families with pre-school children with special needs. The Regiment hopes to organise several small scale fundraising events throughout the season for the support of our chosen charity. Above all, the Regiment is a collection of like minded indviduals and families, all looking to enjoy themselves in the hobby of re-enactment.