The French in Ireland

Hello again.

Phew!!! I just about managed to get in a post before November is out as, yet again, the out of kilter work/ life balance, the poor light and life in general has slowed progress to a crawl. Never mind.

By a lucky coincidence, a chap named John asked a question on the French regiments in Ireland in and around 1690 on a Facebook group a few days ago and, as it was something I had delved into in some small way, I was able to help. I also informed John that I had finally finished a couple of regiments and said I would post a few pictures, so here we are. I believe the Facebook group was "Pike & Shotte Wargaming", aimed at the Warlord Games rules but far wider in scope and knowledge than a single rules set. So, for John, and hopefully a few others out there, here are some more figures it has taken me about seven years to varnish and base after initially painting them back around 2012.

The figures are again the old plastic Wargames Factory ones, with some conversion work, the flags hand painted onto calico following originals depicted in the excellent Mark Allen series on the French army of the time way back in the early 90's in "Wargames Illustrated" magazine. I believe these works have now also been collected in one of the "Century of the Soldier" works (from Helion, I think) covering the army of Louis XIV.

Will I be painting up more French?

Unlikely, in truth, because I want to concentrate on the Jacobite regiments and William's army to oppose them. Painting more French would, I think, steer me more towards the Marlburian War and thereby diminish any focus on this specific project, which is taking me forever anyway! I do fancy doing the Zurlauben Regiment though, if only to get some bluecoats on the field amid all the grey and red. The flags are pretty distinct too.

If you are in Birmingham, England, tomorrow, I am sure you can get a copy of this book and lose yourself a load more cash at the "Wargamer" show at the King Edward VI Sheldon Heath Academy. Sadly, I cannot make it, despite the best laid plans, so I will have to content myself with walking the dog, sorting stiff out and possibly, just possibly, getting a little painting done...

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REGIMENT TOURNAISIS

Regimental flag to the fore, Colonel's flag behind.

REGIMENT FOREZ

Regimental flag to the fore, Colonel's to the rear. Lots of puddles on bases - this is Ireland, you know!

Just an overhead shot to show my basing method, with these troops set to feature in games of "Beneath Lily Banners" ultimately. 50mm square bases with five or six infantry figures on them.

More Jacobites Ready For Action!

Hello again.

Hot on the heels of Lord Louth's Regiment of Foot come the first of the regiments and units I first painted back in 2012, but have only just got around to finishing off. This project really has been a triumph of perseverance over planning!

Formed from a variety of converted and "as is" Wargames Factory plastic Marlburians, these were inspired originally by a few things - the "Beneath Lily Banners" rules, Mark Allen's work on the French army at the end of the 17th and into the 18th Century, the Jacobites featuring specifically in Wargames Illustrated issue 54 for March 1992, some very nice looking games at shows, the availability of the aforementioned Wargames Factory figures and various bits of reading matter, such as Michael McNally's "The Battle of Aughrim, 1691". Apart from the plastics, which enabled me to get into the period cheaply and paved the way for relatively easy conversion work, which I was "into" at the time, there were also several ranges of metal figures available to fill out what I expected to be a considerable number of regiments.

Of course, as is always my way, the wind changed and so did my tastes, as other projects came and went to match show games with anniversaries (Bannockburn, Malta, etc) and these figures languished in storage until now. I added more figures to what I started with from the likes of Reiver Castings, Copplestone and Foundry, but they are only now starting to make it to the painting table, as first evidenced by Lord Louth's Regiment.

As usual, the flags are my own hand painted on calico types. So, without further ado, I give you the regiments of the Earl of Antrim, the Lord Grand Prior and a couple of light guns to add a bit of extra bang for the proverbial buck.

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Hinchliffe guns from my spares box with a couple of converted Wargames Factory plastic crew figures and tools again from the spares box.

The Earl of Antrim's Regiment of Foot.

Identifiably Irish given the "In Hoc Signo Vinces" motto on the flag.

The Lord Grand Prior's Regiment. As Mark Allen kindly showed grenadier caps in his artwork back in the March 1992 issue of Wargames Illustrated, this regiment was provided with a couple of grenadier figures for some variety.

I like a few puddles on my Irish bases. If you have ever been to Ireland, you will know why!!!

Lord Louth's Regiment

Hello again.

Way back in the heady days of July, 2012, with the London Olympics around and about and dear, old Blighty feeling good about herself for at least a couple of weeks, I posted what was, then, the last pictures and words for my then vogue "1690" project. The post was about a squadron of the "Montpuillan Horse" I had made from the Wargames Factory Cavalry set, the first of my planned Williamite cavalry to feature and, so far, the only squadron of Williamite cavalry I have built!

The project took a back seat for seven, long years, whilst I busied myself with Medieval English and Scots, 16th Century Mediterranean figures, Dark Ages, Swiss, Burgundians and French and Indian Wars stuff for various show games. I kept buying a few figures here and there with the intention of returning to the period, but nothing happened. Until now, that is!

Way back in 2012, I used the Wargames Factory infantry as the basis for an element of pikes, simply adding brass wire to the plastic bodies, and that element was painted as Lord Louth's Regiment, with mostly grey coats and feuille morte/ filamot ("dead leaf") facings. I had every intention of adding the rest of the battalion, but that did not happen, until now that is!

Lord Louth's Regiment of Foot in all its glory.

 After seven years, I finally got around to painting the rest of the battalion. Unlike the pikemen, theses are almost all Copplestone Castings, the exception being the Reiver Castings Officer front and centre. The are several problems with having such a gap in progress on a project and, more specifically, a single regiment.

1. Exactly what colours did you use for the figures painted all those years ago?
2. What style or techniques were you using to paint figures back then?
3. Do the exact colours still exist?
4. If you based the figures, as in texturing those bases, what materials and colours did you use? Can you match the new ones to the old ones?
5. Has research material moved on to show regiments and/or their flags differently to what we used to think?

As is the norm with my regiments of supposedly identical figures, I like to vary things a bit. Hair colour is the main difference, but, with something like a Jacobite force in the field, with fresh recruits mingling with older hands and inadequate supplies, some further variety can come in with breeches, stockings, hats, weaponry and pose if desired. Look closely at the photo above and you will see some variations in coat colour but more in breeches and stockings.

The colours, taken from Michael McNally's book "The Battle Of Aughrim, 1691". The motto is what I would call a typical Irishism - "Festina Lente" translates as "Hasten Slowly"...They are my usual rectangles of calico attached to brass wire and hand painted.

 As I mentioned above, research can and does move on. The flags are taken form McNally's book, mentioned in the above caption, but Mark Allen's work back in "Wargames Illustrated" issue 54 (March 1992) draws on other sources and shows them differently. There is also a query around exactly what feuille morte/ filamot looks like. It simply means "dead leaf" and Allen (see above source) quotes it as "yellowish brown". Out with my dog at this time of year, I am seeing all sorts of dead leaves in all sorts of vaguely brown colours! Mine may be a little too tawny, but I am happy with it. As Lord Bellew's regiment may feature soon, I need to be happy with it as he used the colour of his flags and cuffs too!

Captain and unshaven drummer.

The regiment laid out as it will eventually feature on the table top under the "Beneath the Lily Banners" rules.

So, it remains to be seen whether I get distracted again, especially for seven years, but this project at least has nudged along a smidgen. With so many other desires and potential distractions, it might in truth be a while before it nudges along some more, but, the good news is that I have started texturing the bases for the other 10 regiments I painted back in 2012, along with a couple of light artillery pieces, and have spray undercoated a regiment I believe will become Bellew's in the not too distant future, so I am at least optimistic of some progress very soon!

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