Tuesday 10 March 2015

WSS: Schomberg's Regiment of Horse

The regiment was originally raised by William Cavendish, 4th Earl of Devonshire (later Duke of Devonshire) in his home county of Derbyshire and neighbouring Nottinghamshire - they were named Cavendish's Horse or alternatively the Earl of Devonshire's Regiment of Horse.

In gratitude for their loyalty during the Glorious Revolution, by Royal Warrant dated 31st December 1688, the new King William commissioned the Earl of Devonshire's Regiment of Horse to form part of his regular army. In August 1689, the Regiment shipped to Ireland in response to James II landing there with an army. In Ireland, the Earl of Devonshire ceded the Colonelcy of the Regiment to the Count de Schomberg, son of the army's commander the Duke of Schomberg.

Schomberg's Regiment of Horse formed part of the right wing of William's army at the Battle of the Boyne (1690). The Regiment returned to England in 1691. 1692 saw the Regiment shipped to Belgium, where they fought in most major battles including the Battle of d'Otignies (1693) and at the Siege of Namur (1695). In 1697, the Regiment returned to England and their armour was placed in storage.

After ten years of comparative peace in Southern England, the Regiment crossed the Channel once more in 1702 to join Marlborough's army in Belgium for the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-14). Marching to Germany, they fought at Schellenberg and Blenheim (1704). At Blenheim, the Regiment fought with distinction and lost a number of officers and men, with 56 horses killed. Fighting minor actions throughout the campaign in Holland, Germany and France, the Regiment fought the Battle of Ramilies in 1706.



The figures are from Black Hat, painted by Roger and based by me.  The flag is from Warflag.

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