Philipsburg 1676

This spectacular depiction is worth looking at in detail. There's so much going on in this picture. I don't know much about this event. Apparently elements of the British Brigade were present. I am a little confused as to what went on at this siege. Anyone know?

Naerden 1673

Thanks to Motorway again I have some more images to share with you. This one which is all the more interesting for being tinted I found by searching rampjaar - it's the siege of Naerden - part of the revival of the Netherlands' fortunes in the Franco-Dutch war.

Crossing the Boyne

I really like Motorway's 1672 blog http://rampjaar.blogspot.com/ - he has a great skill at finding obscure pictures of the period from Dutch collections and really gets some interesting images. This collection of Dutch pictures from all the museums is excellent.

I found this excellent image of the Boyne up there - excellent detail.

Sergeant Gunner

This curious image is listed at Anne S K Brown as a British Sergeant Gunner c1630. I dunno...what do you think? Shoes look later ...note the bottle on the ground.

Zvezda release Syw grenadiers

This set will no doubt be of interest to gamers of the mid 18th century. Zvezda website

Chieftains 'Battle of Aughrim'

Irish music inspired by the battle in 1691 considered the bloodiest battle in Irish History. Wiki here .

Interesting that originally it was Aughrim, being the decisive battle of the campaign not the Boyne that was celebrated by Loyalists on the 12th July but when the calendar changed the Boyne became the focus of the 'twelfth' - on the old calendar it was on 1 July. Nowadays everyone has heard of the Boyne but forgets Aughrim.

Clubmen

If you steal our cattle - we will bid you battle
On the 2nd July 1685 the Duke of Monmouth met 'at a marshy place' with the Somerset Clubmen - unfortunately there was only 160 of them rather than the 10,000 rumoured to be assembling. Monmouth led them into Bridgwater the next day under their banner - an apron on a pole. Who were these clubmen and why were they in the folk memory as a force to be reckoned with?
Clubmen first came into existence in the English Civil War as locals, tired of the plundering and marauding of the passing armies, grouped together in associations of lightly armed vigilantes. A good piece on the Clubmen of the Civil War is here.
Poorly armed and trained they were no match for the Civil War armies. They were easily brushed aside though they often had the upper hand in petite guerre, attacking isolated units and convoys. More here
Dorset Clubmen