Tuesday 23 December 2014

The Elopement, 1764 John Collet

Happy Christmas to all of you who read this blog.

Tuesday 16 December 2014

Monmouth Rebellion

Over at the League of Augsburg's blog are some interesting 1685 photos. This also reminds me to remind you to watch the Walking Through History's England's Last Battle documentary - it was very good and will only be up on 4 on demand for a limited time.
Next year will be a big year for the Rebellion with a major reenactment by the Sealed Knot in July as well as other events by groups like the Taunton Garrison. Watch this space.Or join my Facebook group...

Friday 12 December 2014

Watteau 'Soldiers marching'

Good colour reference for painting French figures

Thursday 11 December 2014

15th Light Dragoons

This regiment was the first in the British Army to have a battle honour - in this case Emsdorf.

John Floyd by David Morier c1768

Biography of this officer of the 15th Light Dragoons here

Saturday 6 December 2014

Marlburian bayonet

A rare drawing of a Marlburian by Marcellus Laroon.

Friday 5 December 2014

1/72 Germania Hungarian grenadiers

SYW. New - see them here

Great Northern War Russians in 28mm

Go here to peruse the listings. Resin in sets of 5. There is a translator down the right side. From Kordegardia  Thanks to Boris for the heads up. These figures look spot on - well done

Battle of Leuthen 1757

Today's anniversary is Frederick's great victory in the SYW. Wiki
 image - The “Potsdamer Wachparade” - Prussian grenadiers advancing - Source: Carl Röchling, 1895
Kronoskaf page

Thursday 4 December 2014

Support Jamie the Jacobite's 70 mile walk

Jamie is on his way! Pictured here at the start of his 70 mile walk, in front of the plaque at St Ann's Church Manchester then beside a somewhat unusually decorated car park on route. Jamie hopes to complete the trek from Manchester to Derby and arrive at Swarkstone Bridge on Saturday in time for the annual Charles Edwards Stewart Society event commemorating the Jacobites arrival in Derby. Along the way he is raising money for The RAINBOWS HOSPICE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE based in Derby and FRANCIS HOUSE CHILDREN’S HOSPICE based in Manchester.
www.justgiving.com/James-Hinton3/

New Civil War book

A brilliant young poet, leading a gallant band whose epic adventure ends in defeat, betrayal and execution. Montrose was a doomed King's general who dared to win - and lost it all. The Scottish Royalist armed forces, along with its principal leader, the Marquis of Montrose, have had a romantic veneer that has long obscured their true composition and function. In this work, the author examines the troops and their operational doctrines within the themes of the early modern Military Revolution, and places the Scots Royalists within a greater European context of development. The book is enlivened by specially-commissioned colour uniform plates based on the latest research, showing how Montrose's troops really appeared on the battlefield.

Battle of Lund 1676

Fought today - wiki here.
image JOHANN PHILIP LEMKE (LEMBKE) Follower of, Cavalier battle.
from here

Friday 28 November 2014

Monmouth telly programme

set your boxes to tape this Saturday 29th November, 8:00pm Channel 4 - Tony Robinson. Details here
Tony Robinson hikes up from Lyme Regis on Dorset's Jurassic Coast to the Somerset Levels in the footsteps of a ragtag rebel army led by the young Duke of Monmouth, the illegitimate son of Charles II.

Thursday 27 November 2014

Aanval op de bergvesting Colle dell'Assietta, Hyacinth de La Pegna, 1754

Go here to see zoomable versionPresumably this is a depiction of the Battle of Assietta in the War of Austrian Succession

Marcellus Laroon

'Apart from its general charm, the picture is most important in that it clearly portrays the uniforms worn by officers and privates of the Grenadier Companies of the Coldstream Guards in the early 18th century.'
Marcellus Laroon, Painting of three children, probably of the Keppel family. From here
'

help with a reader's query

Dear Ralphus, 

I am taking the liberty of contacting you with a question, encouraged by you excellent blog, yet understand if this is a bit off topic. But - given you should have the time and interest, I ask; 

Do you have any idea about the uniform worn by the horsemen in this picture? Or any other comments on the image? I have bought the painting at an auction in Denmark, and it is signed 'Mevlen'. One possibility is the Flemish painter Adam Frans van der Meulen (1632-1690). See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Frans_van_der_Meulen


Knowing AF Meulen's affiliation with Louis XIV, I am trying to figure out the uniforms of the horsemen in order to place the scene more precisely in history. Now, he did paint extensively on battle scenes, but also things like this, of encounters (and ambushes) in the woods and on roads. (I am not quite sure what the men on the ground are representing, though, but there seems to be a story being reflected). 


Any comments or ideas are welcome - from my initial research I realise that French uniforms weren't fully standardised before the end of the 17th century. From other images the furthest I could get was that they resembled the attire of French musketeers a bit, yet there are no guns carried, as far as I can see. The red trousers with the ornaments do look like something someone with a higher standing might be wearing (officers, members of court??), but maybe the cavalry as such had a fairly high standing?

Best regards, 


Tormod

Tuesday 25 November 2014

Raise the Clans: The Wargamer's Guide to the Jacobite Britain By: Martin Hackett


Most wargaming titles concentrate on the more popular periods of history, such as the Napoleonic Wars and the Second World War. In this book, Martin Hackett brings his extensive wargaming experience and historical knowledge to the Jacobite Wars of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, taking us from the Glorious Rebellion of 1685 until 1746, a period of history with much less coverage in wargaming terms. He takes us on a tour of all the relevant sites and gives us the historical facts, together with a comprehensive set of wargame rules, to allow realistic Jacobite wargames to be recreated on any scale and with any relevant figures. Profusely illustrated in colour and black and white, Martin begins with the Glorious Revolution and takes us through all the Jacobite battles of the period, from Killiecrankie up to the final battle on Culloden Moor. Martin Hackett, author of Lost Battlefields of Britain and avid wargamer, tells the story of this tumultuous time in British history, and shows us how to play realistic wargames in this period.

"Der vollkommene Teutschen Soldat" 1726

from here

Thursday 20 November 2014

Maxen 1759

Today is the anniversary of this 7 YW fight. Kronoskaf page

Tuesday 18 November 2014

Sunday 16 November 2014

Black Hussar Seven Years war

I am not an expert on the Seven years war but these 28mms by Black Hussar are some of the best I have seen - these are French command - just out - check them out here

Review of the Prussian musketeers here (German text). Facebook page


Monday 10 November 2014

Saxon cavalry 1/72

Some useful cavalry from the History in 1/72 site. More photos here

Saturday 8 November 2014

new Seven Years' war book

SUMMERFIELD (Stephen) PRUSSIAN FUSILIERS OF THE WAR OF SUCCESSION AND THE SEVEN YEARS WAR: UNIFORMS, ORGANISATION AND EQUIPMENT. 224pp., colour illustrations throughout. 2014. As this catalogue goes to press we are just completing the editing of this book ahead of time. Following Stephen’s acclaimed study of Prussian Musketeer uniforms (now out of print awaiting a revised edition) he turns his attention to the stunning uniforms used by the Fusilier regiments, the regiments being classified by the system devised by Hans Bleckwenn. This is the most detailed study to date, meticulously researched to provide a full service history for each regiment plus the most detailed study of their uniform, the fusilier caps, officer’s uniforms & lace, musicians uniforms & flags. Essential, terrific. £37.50

Wednesday 5 November 2014

Battle of Rossbach

Today November the 5th is the anniversary of this Prussian victory. Wiki here

Sunday 19 October 2014

website for the Queen's regiment

Go to queensregiment.co.uk/ for images and text for the Marlburian redcoats. Facebook page here
The Queen's Regiment will be making it's second appearance at Hampton Court Palace on the 25th & 26th October 2014 to celebrate the 300th anniversary of King George I's accession to the throne,

Syr John Owens Regiment of Foote



 This is a great ECW project. Lots of work gone into investigating the appearance of Charles' Oxford army with new gear being made and excellent illustrations like this one from the late great Richard Scollins from an old Military Modelling. FB page here

Ramillies 1706

Tuesday 14 October 2014

Saturday 11 October 2014

Thursday 9 October 2014

New book from David Blackmore

In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the British Army's victories over the French at battles such as Blenheim in 1704, Minden and Quebec in 1759, and over the Jacobites at Culloden in 1746, were largely credited to its infantry's particularly effective and deadly firepower. For the first time, David Blackmore has gone back to original drill manuals and other contemporary sources to discover the reasons behind this.

This book employs an approach that starts by considering the procedures and practices of soldiers in a given period and analyses those in order understand how things were done and, in turn, why events unfolded as they did. In doing so, he has discovered a specifically British set of tactics, which created this effectiveness and allowed it to be maintained over such a long period, correcting many of the misconceptions about British infantry firepower in the age of the musket and linear warfare in a major new contribution to our understanding of an important period of British military history.



Barry's little Scanian War project Part 1 - HOW IT STARTED

Monday 6 October 2014

Seven Years War at Terezin

Last weekend was the time when all the Czech SYW groups get together at Terezin, a fortress, for a last battle before the season ends and I always look forward to seeing the photos. More here

Tuesday 30 September 2014

Queen Anne’s regiment



 Had this email this morning and you can bet it made me very happy - hope you enjoy the pictures and news as much as I did. This is a great development


'My mate Lance (of Galloping Major miniatures) has recommend your blogs, I’ve enjoyed reading them!

We are both members of a new unit created for the period 1705 to 1715. We recreate the Queen Anne’s regiment, which became the 8th foot. Our first event was at Hampton Court to celebrate the arrival of George 1 in 1714, back in Easter this year.  We have another event at Hampton Court on the 26th & 27th October. I’ve attached a couple of pictures for you. Hope they are of interest.
We don’t have a website as yet, we have been too busy researching and making kit!
Hope you like the pictures!

Hopefully we will be at more events next year.

cheers


Derek Richardson

Monday 29 September 2014

New releases from Minden miniatures

There's some interesting new figures on the Alte Fritz blog. One is a gout ridden Maurice de Saxe in his litter supported by Uhlans de Saxe. This has got to be this year's most interesting personality figure. Also new and worth checking out are the Cuirasiers du Roi. So something for french forces everywhere... Also while you're there look at the Kickstarter Project on the artillery equipment.

New releases for Northstar's 1672 range


Civilians and the Bishop of Munster have been released. Facebook page

Friday 26 September 2014

French army of 1761

Here
 Recueil de toutes les troupes qui forment les armées françoises. Dessiné et illuminé d´après nature Nuremberg: Raspe, 1761

Wednesday 24 September 2014

French from Black Hussar Miniatures

This German manufacturer of 28mm SYW miniatures have some good product out there - newest on the shelves is the French - look well researched and executed. Facebook page
Webpage 
Blog post on the research on the French

Tuesday 23 September 2014

Outlander (TV series) redcoats

It's a good thing that the new TV series about a woman travelling back in time to the Scotland of the 1740s wasn't being screened in the run up to the referendum as the depiction of the English is terrible. Take your typical bad guy - Sheriff of Nottingham's men, the English in Braveheart and the Patriot and you have an idea of what they're like. People believe things they see on the tv....there should be more balance but I suppose the series isn't aimed at me - my wife's enjoying it. I am cringeing...

Prestonpans 1745-2014

All photos by Ruth Watson. These photos appeared on the Lace Wars FB page and I thought you'd like a look. Top is some of the 10th (Cobhams) Dragoons. Excellent unit. Second is the Highland charge hitting home. Third pic is one of the Edinburgh City Guard running for his life. Bottom is the Hanoverian troops volleying. List of participant groups