Bored with the everyday look of your English Civil War sash - Royalist red, Roundhead tawny? Then take a look at these chaps . . .

Both the officers in the above portraits fought at the battle of Nantwich in January 1644, commanding formations on the Parliamentarian right wing. The website "historicalportraits.com" suggests that the battle scene in the background of William Fairfax's portrait probably depicts the fighting there (http://www.historicalportraits.com/Gallery.asp?Page=Item&ItemID=926&Desc=Sir-William-Fairfax-%7C-Edward-Bower)

Was the black sash, then, the colour favoured by Parliamentarians at the battle of Nantwich?

Another Parliamentarian sporting the black sash, but one who served in the south of England rather than the north - the Kentish colonel and Regicide, Sir Michael Livesay.

Parliamentarian Sir Thomas Fairfax has here gone for the green sash, in a portrait which post-dates the battle of Marston Moor (judging from the scar on his jaw). On the right, royalist George Digby wears and washed-out blue-green, rather than the traditionally royalist red sash. However, this portrait would appear to date from after 1653 (when Digby was awarded the Order of the Garter, the blue ribbon of which he also wears), at which time Digby was a commander of French forces. We must therefore conclude that the blue-green sash is a French distinction.

Despite fighting on opposing sides, both Lord Conyers and Darcy (royalist commander of the Yorkshire trained bands) and an unknown Commonwealth officer are distinguished by a sash of blue.

Twin portraits of two royalist Byron brothers, both attired in what might be described as 'dress' sashes with delicate embroidering. However, don't let the tawny orange of Sir Nicholas Byron mislead you into thinking he was a closet Roundhead - these portraits date from the 1630s.

Denzil Holles's sash is just the sort of tawny-orange expected oon an officer who served under Essex on the Edgehill campaign, but the allegiance of the unknown officer on the right is not at all clear. Has his royalist-red sash faded to 'carnation', or was it always that colour?

Another problem the well-dressed officer might encounter - how to wear the sash, on the shoulder or around the waist? Whether carnation, red or red and white, the three Cromwellian officers above prefer theirs round the upper arm.

If you have your own opinion, please feel free to comment below.

Robert Hodkinson
January 2018

Images sourced, unless otherwise stated, from Art UK [online] available: https://artuk.org

Fairfax: These that fell on our Reer were that part of their Army that lay on the other side of the Town, who had past the River. Those who were drawn up under their Works, fell upon our Van, which was marching to the Town. Thus was the Battel divided, there being a quarter of a Mile betwixt us, in the Division that first engag'd. . .

The other part presently after assaulted our Front: There Sir William Brewerton and Colonel Ashton did very good Service; and so did Colonel Lambert and Major Copley, with the Horse. They were once in great danger, but that they being next to the Town, were assisted by Forces which came to their Succour in due time.

A Note on the sources:

Sir Thomas Fairfax wrote two accounts of the battle at Nantwich. The first appears in a letter addressed to the Parliamentarian Lord General, the Earl of Essex, dated four days after the battle (Rushworth, Historical Collections). The second (less detailed) account appeared in Fairfax's “Short Memorialls”, written following the war. Excerpts from this later account are rendered in italics in the passages above.

Both Lord John and Robert Byron wrote reports of the battle in despatches addressed to the Marquis of Ormonde, commander of English forces, Ireland. Their reports are dated 30 and 31 January 1644 respectively.

Parliamentarian cavalry captain John Hodgson survived the fighting at Nantwich and went on to serve at the battles of Preston and Dunbar. He wrote his autobiography c.1670.

Nantwich lawyer and land-owner Thomas Malbon's manuscript account of the war in Cheshire is dated 1651.


Robert Hodkinson,
January, 2019


Sources:

Carte, T. (ed.), A Collection of Original Letters and Papers Found Among the Duke of Ormonde's Papers, 2 vols. (London 1739).

Dore, R. N., The Civil Wars in Cheshire (Chester, 1965)

Fairfax, T., Short Memorials of Thomas, Lord Fairfax, by himself (London: 1699)

Horsfall Turner, J. (ed.), The Autobiography of Captain John Hodgson (Brighouse: 1882)

Malbon, T., “Account of the Civil War in Cheshire and the Adjacent Counties”, in: Hall, J. A History of the Town And Parish of Nantwich (Nantwich, 1883)

Rushworth, J., “Historical Collections: Military action in 1643”, in: Historical Collections of Private Passages of State, Volume 5, 1642-45 (London: 1721)

Images, unless otherwise stated, have been adapted from those created by James Lancaster for the Battlefields of Britain website, part of the CastlesFortBattles.co.uk network:
http://www.battlefieldsofbritain.co.uk/battle_nantwich_1644.html