Regimental History

John Savage, 2nd Earl Rivers (b c1603, d 10.10.1654),

He was a very rich and important man from Cheshire. John Savage, Viscount of Colchester and Earl Rivers, was a Cheshire MP from a Catholic family. He and his family owned land in Ireland and England. Oxford educated, he followed into politics and became a Member [...]

John Savage returned back to his home in Cheshire at the beginning of these unhappy differences between the King and Parliament. He was strictly commanded by the King to attend him at York, where under His Majesty’s special command he undertook the Execution of the Commission of Array for the County of Cheshire, and that [...]

Early History

Sir John Boys (1607-1664) Born: 1607 at Bonnington, Kent Governor of Donnington Castle Died: 8th October 1664 at Bonnington, Kent John Boys Military career started at a very early age as he gained his experience as a mercenary in Flanders during the 30 years wars, when he returned to England he then late [...]

Donnington Castle stands just to the north of Newbury on the junction of the road from London to the western ports and the road from the north to the southern ports. It was well placed to harass Parliamentarian communications.

Two days after the First battle of Newbury, on 22nd September, 1643, Colonel John Boys, a [...]

“We come to December 1645, and Dalbier with Cromwell and having surprised that same house and garrison of Basing, the said Dalbier, with two Regiments of horse and three of foot marches into Newbury, of whose Sir John Boys being advised fires Donnington town and other adjacent villages, as was commanded by the Lords and [...]

1, it is agreed upon, that Sir John Boys, Knight, Governor of Donnington castle aforesaid, shall march according to the Articles issuing agreed upon (that is to say) upon Wednesday morning next, being the first day of April, by 6 of [...]

The following article is taken from the Christmas Special 1985 edition of A-TE-PRO-TE, The (then) Official Newsletter of Earl Rivers’ Regiment:

PILGRIMAGE TO GOODNESTONE-NEXT-WINGHAM IN THE COUNTY OF KENT

In June of 1982 Samuel Bleeps took me on a trip to visit the last resting place of Sir John Boys and allowed me to [...]

Taken from “Castles” by Charles Oman, K.B.E. M.A. All Souls College, Chichele Professor of Modern History in the University of Oxford; Member of Parliament for the University; Hon. LL.D. (Edin) and Fellow of the British Academy, etc.

Published by The Great Western Railway, Paddington Station, London 1926

Donnington

It would not be quite correct to [...]

Plan of Donnington Castle. From: “The Antiquities of England and Wales” (1783) by Francis Grose.

After the [English] civil war was over, Mr. Packer pulled down the ruinous parts of the building, and with the materials erected the house standing under it, now in the occupation of Mark Basket, esq.

The castle at present belongs [...]

Thomas Blagge Thomas Blagge, was baptised in 1613 and married Mary North of Mildenhall, daughter of Sir Roger North. He was a groom to the bedchamber of Charles I and when civil war broke out in 1642 he raised a regiment for the king. It is difficult to believe that he raised the regiment in [...]