Surrey Trained Bands facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Surrey Trained Bands
Active	1572–1662
Country	England
Branch	Trained Bands
Role	Infantry and Cavalry
Size	4 Regiments of Foot, 1 Regiment of Horse
Engagements	Siege of Portsmouth Battle of Worcester
Commanders
Notable commanders	Sir Richard Onslow

The Surrey Trained Bands were a part-time army in Surrey, England. They existed from 1558 until 1662, when they became the Surrey Militia. These groups were called upon when England needed to defend itself. For example, they helped protect the country during the Spanish Armada in 1588. They also fought in the English Civil War.

How the Trained Bands Started

For a long time, everyone in England was expected to help defend the country. This idea was updated by two laws in 1557. These laws said that each county's local army, called the militia, would be led by a Lord Lieutenant. This person was chosen by the King or Queen.

It wasn't practical to train every single person. In 1574, Surrey had 6,000 able men, but only 1,800 had weapons. So, after 1572, only a special group of men were chosen. These men were called the Trained Bands. They practiced regularly to be ready for battle.

Fighting Spain: The Armada Crisis

When England went to war with Spain in 1585, training the militia became very important. Counties like Surrey, which were near the coast, got special training from professional captains. This meant they had fewer men, but they were much better trained. Surrey's group started with 2,000 men, but this was later lowered to 1,000. These 1,000 men were split into four companies.

Counties usually sent unemployed people or even criminals to fight in wars overseas. The Queen did not want her trained soldiers to be sent away. Giving weapons to these new soldiers was expensive for the counties.

In 1588, when the Spanish Armada threatened England, the Trained Bands were called into action. Eight companies from Surrey went to a camp at Tilbury. There, Queen Elizabeth gave her famous speech on August 9th. Surrey provided 1,900 soldiers in total. About 1,522 of these were trained. They used different weapons like muskets, pikes, and even old-fashioned bows. After the Armada was defeated, the soldiers went home but stayed ready. The Surrey Trained Bands were called out again in 1594 and 1596.

The Trained Bands also helped keep order at home. They were camped near London during the trial of the Earl of Essex. When King James I became king, 100 Surrey soldiers helped guard City of Westminster during his coronation.

Changes Under King Charles I

Sir Richard Onslow (1601–64), a leader from Surrey.

The Trained Bands became less organized over time. But King Charles I tried to make them a strong national army. By 1638, the Surrey Trained Bands had 1,500 men. They had soldiers with muskets and pikemen with armor. They also had 129 horsemen. They were organized into different groups:

• East Division Trained Band
• Middle Division Trained Band
• West Division Trained Band
• Surrey Auxiliaries (a new group started in 1642)
• Surrey Trained Band Horse

Sir Richard Onslow was a leader of the Surrey Trained Band Horse from 1626 to 1642. He also led the Surrey Auxiliaries.

The Trained Bands were called out for the Bishops' Wars in 1639 and 1640. In 1640, Surrey was asked to send 800 men to fight in the north. Many people in the southern counties did not want to go. Some counties even sent untrained people to take their place.

The English Civil War

One big disagreement between King Charles I and Parliament was who should control the army. This led to the First English Civil War. In 1641, Parliament started taking control of the Trained Bands. Sir Richard Onslow, a Member of Parliament for Surrey, gathered the Surrey Trained Bands in January 1642. They took control of the county's weapons for Parliament.

In August and September 1642, the Surrey Trained Bands left their county to help in the Siege of Portsmouth. In November, they were back defending a bridge near Kingston during the Battle of Brentford.

As the Civil War continued, the Trained Bands were mostly used to find new soldiers and weapons for the main armies. Sir Richard Onslow, for example, created the Surrey Redcoats. This group guarded Guildford and helped in the Siege of Basing House.

Southwark Trained Bands

The Trained Bands in City of London were different. They saw a lot of action. Southwark, a part of London, had its own Trained Bands. In 1643, they were put under the control of London's military leaders. The Southwark Trained Bands had two groups in 1642, but by 1643, they had one main group called the 'Yellow Regiment'. This group had nine companies and 1,394 men. They were called 'Yellow' because of the color of their flags.

Like the London groups, the Southwark Trained Bands also formed an extra group called the 'White Auxiliaries' in 1644. This group was made up of younger men and apprentices. This helped share the duty among the citizens.

The London and Southwark Trained Bands helped guard London's defenses. They also went on short campaigns outside the city. The Yellow Regiment of Southwark fought with the Earl of Essex's army from October 1643 to January 1644. The Southwark White Auxiliaries joined another army in May 1644. They fought in the Battle of Cropredy Bridge in June. After this battle, many soldiers from the White Auxiliaries became discouraged and went home.

The Yellow Regiment was called out again in October. They were left to guard Reading, Berkshire, and missed the Second Battle of Newbury. They later helped in the Second Siege of Basing House and returned to London in December 1644. The White Auxiliaries helped the New Model Army during the Siege of Oxford in 1645. A group of 100 musketeers from the White Auxiliaries also helped in the final siege of Basing House later that year. This ended their part in the First English Civil War. Both Southwark groups marched in the Earl of Essex's funeral in October 1646.

After the Civil War

After the Civil War, Parliament tried to make the army smaller and rely more on the local militia. New laws were passed to organize the militia in different counties, including Surrey. The name 'Trained Band' started to disappear in most places. Sir Richard Onslow was asked to lead a Surrey Militia group to Scotland, but the order was canceled.

During a Scottish invasion in 1651, county militia groups were called to help the New Model Army. The Surrey Militia went to Oxford, and some of them fought in the Battle of Worcester.

After the wars, Oliver Cromwell took control of the Militia. He made it a paid force to support his rule. Surrey seems to have kept a group of 100 horsemen.

The Surrey Militia

When the King returned to power in 1660, the English Militia was restarted by a new law in 1661. The King's leaders were in charge, and men were chosen by a lottery system. This militia was seen as a "Constitutional Force." It was meant to balance the main army, which had supported Cromwell's rule. The militia was given almost all the responsibility for defending England and keeping peace inside the country.

What They Wore

There isn't much information about what the Trained Bands wore. Onslow's Surrey Redcoats might have worn red coats. The Southwark White Auxiliaries were named after their flags, not their coats. Green coats are mentioned for the Surrey Trained Bands in 1643. Later, under Cromwell, the Militia started wearing the army's standard red coats.

When Southwark had two groups in 1642, one had white flags with red designs, and the other had red flags with yellow designs. By September 1643, the single Southwark group had white flags with blue designs, but they were still called the Yellow Regiment. The Southwark Auxiliaries had white flags when they started in 1644, but these changed to black by 1645.

More Information

• British Civil Wars, Commonwealth & Protectorate, 1638–1660 (the BCW Project)
• History of Parliament Online.
• Queen's Royal Surreys