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Tyldesley's Standard Sir Thomas Tyldesley

 

Sir Thomas Tyldesley's

Regiment of Foote

Being part of The King's Army of
The English Civil War Society

    

    

The picture above is of Sir Thomas Tyldesley
Courtesy of Peter Tyldesley of Tyldesley Family History, Tyldesley One Name Study

A brief history of our noble predecessors

    

Monumental Inscription

Raised in Lancashire at the beginning of 1643 Sir Thomas Tyldesley's Regiment fought for the Royalists against the forces of Parliament. Their first action was at the unsuccessful siege of Preston on the 9 th of February 1643 where Tyldesleys Foot held the walls against assault for 2 hours before a gate was stormed and resistance collapsed. Sir Thomas received his knighthood for his action at the storming of Burton on Trent on the 2nd of July 1643. Tyldesley, at the head of his Regiment of Horse, charged across the thirty-six arch bridge and succeeded in entering the town. He then took his regiment to join King Charles I at Oxford and took part in many actions including Prince Rupert's campaign to restore Royalist control to Lancashire in 1644.

The Regiment took part in numerous actions during the war, the most famous being Marston Moor on the 2nd July 1644, the largest battle in the civil war. Tyldesley's Horse formed part of the second line of the right wing of the Royalist Army and Tyldesleys Foot took their place in the front line of the infantry. The battle went badly for the King and by the end of the evening only two Regiments, including Tyldesleys, continued to fight back as the rest of the King's Army withdrew. It is said this group fought to the last man and their stand may have saved the remnants of the Royalist army, delaying pursuit until it was too late.

Regrouping back in Lancashire, the Regiment took part in further actions, predominantly in the North West, until eventually on 25th August 1651, Sir Thomas was killed in action at Wigan Lane.

The Inscription above is from his Monument in Wigan Lane which was raised by his Cornet Alexander Rigby Esq. In 1679.

If you wish to know more about Sir Thomas, “The Finest Knight in England” (ISBN 0946525390) by Stuart Reid, a former Commanding Officer of Sir Thomas Tyldesley's Regiment, is available from Caliver Books.

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