Flags for the Strathbogie Regiment

"...he caused make some ensigns where upon ilk side was drawn a red rampant lion..."

Spalding 

I am playing catch-up with this post. I realised while updating the blog this week that I had forgotten to share the flags for the Strathbogie Regiment, a unit which I completed some time ago and which can be seen here. The great thing about the flags for this unit is that we actually have some contemporary details on their appearance thanks to my favorite 17th century blogger, John Spalding.


Spalding, an Aberdonian Lawyer (but lets not judge him too harshly for that) and part-time soldier in the Aberdeen City Militia was a prolific contemporary observer of current events, recording copious news and gossip of his time in his hand-written blog, "The History of the Troubles..." [click here for free online eBook]. Spalding was a Royalist, but is generally quite balanced in his writing compared to several of his contemporary historians, biographers and bloggers. Be warned though, he writes in old scots english, a dialect similar to the Doric and Buchan dialects that can still be heard in parts of Northeast of Scotland.

Spalding's writings are such a treasure of information because he would often record details which his contemporaries may have thought too trivial or so obvious as to be uninteresting (and to be honest much of it is). However, almost 500 years later some of his observations provide us with wonderful insights. One such treasure for wargamers, re-enactors and vexillologists is his description of a set of flags ordered by the Marquis of Huntly for his forces in early 1644...

"Upon Monday the 15th of April he [Huntley] returned about six hours at even to Aberdeen he caused make some ensigns where upon ilk side was drawn a red rampant lion having a crown of gold above his head a 'CR' for Charles Rex having the motto 'For God the king and against all traitors' and beneath 'God save the king'. There were diverse others made for the barons. The marquis and his followers wore a black taffeta about their craig whilk was a sign to fight to the death but it proved otherwise"

An excerpt from "THE HISTORY OF THE TROUBLES AND MEMORABLE TRANSACTIONS IN SCOTLAND DURING THE REIGN OF CHARLES I" By JOHN SPALDING, COMMISSARY CLERK ABERDEEN

There is one curious line in this quote; "There were diverse other made for the barons". Spalding could be saying here that a range of different flags were made for "the barons" (which I assume refers to all the nobles that fought under Huntly) . However I have interpreted this to mean that a number of similar sheets were provided to all Gordon regiments of 1644. This would include the Strathbogie Regt and Monaltrie's Regt, which later split into Inverey's Regt and Monymore's Regt in early 1645.

For the Strathbogie flags I have faithfully reproduced the text and device is described by Spalding but concede that the exact layout is speculative. Unfortunately Spalding neglects to mention the field colour of these flags and we are left frustrated, wondering how Spalding could take the trouble to let us know that the regiment wore black neckscarves, but could neglect to mention the colour of the flags! 

I have chosen to make one of the flags Yellow, as this seems a good match for a red rampant lion in Scotland, and I have made the other white, for no other reason than it makes the red lion really stand out on the table top. But if you think it through there are not many other likely field colours. 

As with all my flags, they are prepared in photoshop, printed on good quality paper and then re-painted. The finished article can be seen on the Strathbogie Regiment in the photos included and in the full post on the Strathbogie Regiment.

The Strathbogie Regiment

I finally finished the Strathbogie Regiment a couple of weeks ago, but a work trip to Canada and a heavy week of preparation for the trip have prevented me from holding a proper photoshoot until today.

The figures are all Perry Miniatures from the Scots of the Civil War and English Civil War ranges. Several of the figures have been converted from English troops to Scots by clipping/carving off the English head gear and addition of Scots bonnets with green stuff. This is an easy conversion and gives much more variety if painting a large Scots army, especially useful for command models.

The unit is modelled advancing into action at Auldearn and, within the constraints of available models, is based on the two-page illustration of the Strathbogie regiment by Gerry Embleton which can be found in the Osprey book "Auldearn 1645 - The Marquis of Montrose's Scottish Campaign" by Stuart Reid.

The regiment is clothed in hodden grey with many troopers wearing tartan breeks or shouldered plaids. This adds a bit of colour and a highland look, and distinguishes the regiment from the grey ranks of the government troops. Headgear is the ubiquitous blue bunnet with the exception of a couple of troopers with monmouth (woolly) caps and a sergeant with floppy hat. I did promise a step-by-step on painting the plaids and will try and get round to that next. 

The flags are based on a description of a set of colours ordered by Huntly in early 1644. The text and device is described by Spalding but the field colour is speculative. I have used yellow for a company colour as yellow is a most suitable field for a rampant lion. I have reproduced the same colour in white for a Colonel's colour. I have also followed Spalding and given the regiment black neck scarves.

"Upon Monday the 15th of April he [Huntley] returned about six hours at even to Aberdeen he caused make some ensigns where upon ilk side was drawn a red rampant lion having a crown of gold above his head a 'CR' for Charles Rex having the motto 'For God the king and against all traitors' and beneath 'God save the king'. There were diverse others made for the barons. The marquis and his followers wore a black taffeta about their craig whilk was a sign to fight to the death but it proved otherwise"

An excerpt from "THE HISTORY OF THE TROUBLES AND MEMORABLE TRANSACTIONS IN SCOTLAND DURING THE REIGN OF CHARLES I" By JOHN SPALDING, COMMISSARY CLERK ABERDEEN

For it's "I've come east and I've come west

And I've come through Strathbogie-oh

And the bonniest lady that ere I saw

She was followin three gypsy laddies oh"

Excerpt from the Lyrics to "The Gypsy Laddie" (trad.)

Strathbogie is the ancient name for the modern burgh of Huntly in the Northeast of Scotland. It was the principle seat of the Marquis of Huntly who raised this infantry regiment first in 1639 and again in 1644 and in 1645 for the King's service. In 1639 the regiment took the field with the Royalist Army at Megray Hill and defended the Bridge of Dee to Montrose's Covenanter force. The regiment was re-raised in 1644 and garrisoned Aberdeen for the Royalists. In October 1644 a small detachment of the Strathbogie Regt. was present at Fyvie with Montrose, but deserted before being engaged. 

In February 1645, following Montrose's victory over Argyll at Inverlochy, Lord Gordon, Huntly's eldest son, defected to the Royalists bringing the Gordon Cavalry, and the Strathbogie Regt was raised on a permanent basis. The regiment then fought with Montrose at Auldearn, Alford and Kilsyth. The unit avoided destruction at Philiphaugh as the Gordon's had left Montrose after Kilsyth due to a quarrel. The Gordon's continued to fight on for the King and the Strathbogie Regt took part in Gordon's  infamous Storming of Aberdeen in May of 1646.

The regiment numbered around 500 men at Auldearn and was armed as regular pike and shot. They performed well for Montrose throughout 1645 and are generally considered well trained and disciplined.

I am dedicating this regiment to my Dad who passed away this summer. My dad got me hooked on local history at a young age and was my companion on many visits to Northeast castles and battlefields including the spectacular Huntly Castle, home of the Marquis of Huntly.

The next regiment on the painting table is Farquharson of Monaltrie's Royalist Regiment. This unit will have two command stands to allow it to do double duty as the Earl of Sutherland's Government Regiment.

Strathbogie Regiment WIP

Been pushing hard to get Montrose's foote finished and Strathbogie is my last infantry unit on the Royalist OOB for Auldearn. Below are some WIP shots of the complete pike and command. These fellas just need to be based and provided with pikes and they are ready for the table. 

Before I base them I will finish the shot sleeves which I am working on just now. I don't add the pikes until I am basing so I can position the individual infantry models to make sure that the colours and pikes don't interfere with each other and that the unit looks good together.

Here are front/back shots of some of the pike men...

Now some shots of the command stand and remaining pike men. The hodden grey clad pike men without plaids pictured with the command below were finished first as they were faster to paint.

And finally a close-up of a painted Gordon Colour to show how I hand paint and shade the colours. This is not the same one used in Strathbogie's Regt, I plan to use this for a Gordon command stand.

Will post some WIP pictures of the shotte sleeves once I have made some good progress. It will be a stretch, but aiming to have the Strathbogie Gordons done by month end, then onto the Gordon Horse.