Roger Williams (soldier) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roger Williams
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The title page of Williams' book The Actions of the Lowe Countries.
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| Born | c. 1539–1540 |
| Died | 12 December 1595 (aged 55–56) London, England |
| Buried |
St. Paul's Cathedral, London
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| Allegiance |  Dutch Republic Kingdom of Navarre Kingdom of England |
| Battles/wars | Dutch Revolt War of the Catholic League |
Sir Roger Williams (born around 1539–1540, died 12 December 1595) was a brave Welsh soldier and military thinker. He fought for the Protestant side against Spain in many wars. A famous leader, Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, once said Williams was "worth his weight in gold" as a soldier.
Later, Williams became a close friend of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex. He was seen as a national hero for his daring actions against the Catholic League. People described him as a strong-willed Welsh soldier who was very loyal to Essex.
Williams also wrote about war. He believed armies needed to become more modern. He thought they should use new military technologies.
Some experts on William Shakespeare think Williams might have inspired the character of Fluellen. Fluellen is a Welsh captain in Shakespeare's play Henry V. Like Williams, Fluellen is known for being argumentative but also very loyal.
Contents
Life of a Soldier
Williams was born in Penrhos, Monmouthshire. His parents were Thomas Williams and Eleanor Vaughan. It is believed he studied at Brasenose College, Oxford. He spent most of his life as a soldier, mainly fighting in Europe.
Williams wrote that his first experience in war was in 1557. He was a young page serving William Herbert. He took part in the attack on St. Quentin.
Fighting in the Netherlands
In 1572, Williams was part of a raid during the siege of Goes. This was a Spanish base. The attack failed because there were more enemy soldiers than expected. Williams and Rowland Yorke escaped by crawling through ditches.
In 1577, he joined John Norreys' group of English volunteers. They went to the Low Countries (modern-day Netherlands and Belgium). Williams served as Norreys' military advisor.
In the 1580s, Williams fought in the Netherlands. He was helping William the Silent, Prince of Orange, against Spain. He was there in 1584 when the Prince was killed. Williams helped capture the assassin, Balthasar Gérard.
In 1585, Williams joined the Earl of Leicester's army in the Netherlands. They were fighting the Spanish forces led by the Duke of Parma. Even though this campaign was not very successful, Leicester praised Williams. He said Williams was "noe more valiant than he is wise". Williams was made a knight after the Battle of Zutphen in 1586.
He also fought for the Protestant leader of Cologne, Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg. He fought alongside the Dutch soldier Martin Schenck von Nydeggen in Westphalia. During the Siege of Venlo in 1586, Schenck and Williams nearly killed the Duke of Parma.
In 1587, Williams and his soldiers were in Sluys (Sluis). The Duke of Parma began a siege of the town. After a brave defense, the English and Dutch soldiers had to surrender. Parma offered generous terms. Williams politely refused to fight for anyone but his queen, Elizabeth. He said if he ever did, it would be for "that hero of the Protestant cause, King Henry of Navarre."
Return to England and France
Williams returned to England in 1588 to help fight the Spanish Armada. He then joined Sir Francis Drake on an expedition to Spain and Portugal in 1589. Later, he fought for the French Huguenots (French Protestants).
He met the Earl of Essex in 1589. They became close friends. Queen Elizabeth sent them to lead an army to help Henry of Navarre. They fought against the Catholic League during the Spanish occupation of Brittany in 1592. Williams continued to serve Henry against the League. He won a big victory at the Battle of Arques.
After Essex went back to England, Williams became the main commander of the English forces. He also acted as the Queen's representative. Soon after, he captured Aumerle with only 600 men. During the Siege of Rouen in 1592, he almost killed the enemy leader Giorgio Basta in a fight. These actions made Williams a famous hero in England. People published pamphlets about his brave deeds. King Henry praised Williams and his men greatly.
Williams returned to England for good in 1594. His health was poor, and he died the next year. Many people mourned his death. He left his property to the Earl of Essex. Williams was buried in St Paul's Cathedral with a big military funeral. The Earl paid for the expensive funeral.
Military Writings and Ideas
People at the time saw Williams as an expert on military matters. He wrote A Brief Discourse of War in 1590. This book shared his ideas on military rules. He also wrote Newes from Sir Roger Williams in 1591. After he died, his experiences in the Netherlands were published in a book called Actions of the Low Countries in 1618.
Williams carefully studied the Dutch and Spanish armies. He praised the strict discipline of Parma's soldiers. He also looked at how to build strong forts. Williams strongly supported new weapons. He believed the English army had to use new technology. He thought the traditional English longbow would soon be replaced by better firearms. He argued that combining firearms with close-combat pikes was the future of warfare.
Williams was described as a "fiery Welshman." He was sometimes seen as rough, stubborn, and even a bit wild. However, he was widely respected as a very honest and skilled soldier. His book A Brief Discourse of War is considered an important work on military theory from that time.
Williams and Shakespeare's Fluellen
Many people have noticed how similar Sir Roger Williams is to the character Fluellen. Fluellen is a Welsh officer in Shakespeare's Henry V. He is very focused on military rules.
Historian Julian S. Corbett said Williams, "with his professional pedantry, his quaint and forcible turns of speech, his vanity and cool valour, was another 'Fluellen'." Another writer, Sidney Lee, noted that Williams, like Fluellen, had a quick temper and spoke very directly.
Some Shakespeare experts, like J. Dover Wilson, believed that Fluellen was directly based on Sir Roger Williams. Wilson thought Fluellen was a clear "portrait" of Williams. Williams had been with Essex during a French campaign and died in 1595.
However, some critics point out a difference. Fluellen strongly supports old military traditions. Williams, on the other hand, was a big supporter of modernizing armies. While Fluellen's arguments in the play might make fun of the debates Williams had with his critics, Fluellen actually supports the views of Williams' main opponent, Sir John Smythe.
