Pelham Corbet

Painted in or around 1634 by John Souch, Pelham fought in the civil war for the royalist side and was captured at Shrewsbury. Here he is pictured in a fine embroidered or brocade white doublet, (although the sleeves could be separate and held in place by the parti-coloured strings on his shoulders) a long buffcoat with silver decoration, red breeches with pointed decoration, and a fine pair of white, soft leather high-heeled boots. He also has a fine feathered hat, a nice pair of gauntlets, a wide gorget around his neck and he is holding a leading staff, the kind of polearm that looks good but actually isn’t that much use on the field of battle. It’s a badge of rank rather than a weapon. The portrait is held somewhere in an unnamed private collection.

Henry Grey, Earl of Stamford

Painted in 1638 by Cornelis Janssens van Ceulen. Grey was a parliamentary officer who fought all through the war. Here he is painted in a round frame, looking just over our left shoulder as we look at him, in a military buffcoat and gorget over which is a fine linen falling band with wide lace. The fabric is almost fine enough to be see through, but not quite. His coat is secured with a profusion of gold laces and he’s also wearing a white, possibly linen doublet with slashed sleeves.

 

Daniel Goodricke by unknown artist

Painted in 1634, Daniel Goodrick had just returned from the Thirty Years War and was yet to rise to the rank of Sergeant Major in the Parliament army. He is a confection of several colours. Bright red breeches and almost completely braided slashed sleeves, (through which you can see his shirt and the red lining) on his doublet under a leather buffcoat with braided seams. The falling band shows off a wide edge of bobbin lace over a metal gorget. On his hip he holds a red blocked hat with ostrich plumes, and hanging from a black sash is the Order of Gustavus Adolphus. This painting is owned by the York Museums Trust

Sir Thomas Wharton

Painted by Van Dyck in 1639, Sir Thomas was a royalist and member of the Oxford parliament in exile during the war. Interestingly his brother Philip, Baron Wharton was prominent for Parliament, commanding a regiment in the Earl of Essex’s army for a while. Even allowing for Van Dyck’s customary embellishment of his subjects, Sir Thomas is sumptuously dressed as the military man, with an embroidered silk doublet and breeches, short buffcoat, tied with metallic cord and a red garter ribbon. Notice the shirt has been pulled out for effect where his buffcoat has been left untied. His falling band is plain, but his boots and boothose are quite magnificent. The ostrich plume on his hat isn’t a cheap accessory either. The original hangs in the Hermitage museum, St Petersburg.

Detail of the boots.

I’d love to know what the insignia is hanging from his left hip on a red scarf. I originally thought it was the Order of the Garter, but the riband ought to be a shade of blue and the medal definitely isn’t a lesser George.

Nathaniel Fiennes

Engraved by Hollar in 1644, the prominent parliamentarian and Lord Saye and Sele, pictured in an oval with mad hair. Fiennes looks like he just came from the battlefield with his falling band tied up with ribbon and his gorget over his buffcoat. A portrait of him in a sleeved buffcoat hangs at his ancestral home, Broughton Castle but here he has cloth sleeves attached and well braided. His coat is tied with decorative ribbons rather than the lacing which seems to go with all the museum coats still remaining.

The Kings Majesties Last Message

And Declaration to His Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax. Printed in London 1647. The King was still hopeful that he could reach a negotiated settlement even though he’d all but lost his forces and the war by this point. He’s wearing a short tabbed doublet under his robes. Tom Fairfax is showing due deference by doffing his hat, which has a neat twisted hat cord, and he wears a short doublet and baldrick belt for his sword, though that isn’t shown. The King still has his sword even though he was in captivity. Fairfax is also wearing a gorget plate under his small shirt band to indicate he’s a military man in case we didn’t know.

Henry Colthurst

Etched by Hollar in 1644. I can find no information about Henry, but he seems pretty well-to-do in gorget and buff coat with a rather splendid full face helm on the table. Plain falling band and a simple baldrick. Note the small buckle.