a heavy leather coat, long-skirted and frequently sleeved, worn by cavalry.

midway between the size of a musket and a carbine; a matchlock weapon.

term given to a cavalry manoeuvre whereby the men in the front rank first their pistols and then rode to the rear to reload. While the front rank were riding to the rear, the second rank rode up to fi [..]

men who lived in rural areas who got together to form a group who would protect their farmland from any military force that approached.

a commission issued by Charles I to lord-lieutenants ordering them to summon the militia. Parliament questioned whether such an act was legal.

this was established on July 4th

during the English Civil War this usually referred to the armour worn by pikemen. It consisted of a breastplate and a backplate.

heavy cavalry equipped with three-quarter length armour. Rarely seen in the English Civil War though Sir Arthur Hesilrige’s ‘Lobsters’ were classed as cuirassiers. They belonged to a different age – s [..]

an artillery piece that fired a fifteen-pound shot. At 4,000 lbs in weight, it was not particularly manoeuvrable. A demi-culverin weighed 3,600 lbs and fired a nine-pound shot.

mounted infantry. They rode into battle and fought on foot (though they were capable of fighting on horseback). Their name probably comes from dragon, which was a short matchlock weapon used at the ti [..]