Montrose's Royalist Army any new research?

[glenning]

Sorry for the necroposting - but what's the "take" on bonnets in the Irish brigade nowadays?

[sepoy1857]

Given that the standard infantry regiment in Britain was armed with pike and musket until the early 1700's, I would expect that if the Irish regiments were only musket armed it would have been noted. For me the lack of comment suggests standard armament with pike and musket, as why comment on the obvious.

Yes exactly...spot on Sir!

[Friends of General Haig]

Sorry for the necroposting - but what's the "take" on bonnets in the Irish brigade nowadays?

I think the bonnet was peculiarly Scottish headgear (and perhaps the very North of England) and poorer Irish would have worn something closer to a Monmouth cap (woolly hat). There was some Scots in the brigade at the start of the campaign so perhaps a sprinkling of bonnets then? Later, as the campaign progressed and equipment wore out or was damaged/lost, then local clothing, such as bonnets, would have been pressed into use. So perhaps more bonnets by September 1645.

All very much IMHO 

[glenning]

Thanks! I was thinking a majority of Monmouth style hats with the odd bonnet and helmet thrown in the mix.

Differents shades of blue, right? I heard someone mentioning drab bonnets but I can't seem to find any sources on that.

[Radar]

For the Irish component of Montrose's men:

Alas we don't really know that much about exactly what form C17th traditional headwear took, so I went the monmouth caps route to represent Irish baraid. Most figure sculptors utilise images from Ospreys as their primary source material. I've also utilised a few rough brimmed hats, cabascets and morions to represent those who fought in earlier European conflicts.  I utilised a quote for my clothing colours palette;  Sir J T Gilbert's (History of the Irish Confederation and the War In Ireland 1641-1643) description of the Confederates fighting at Kilrush being almost indistinguishable from the bog due to the dark colours they wore.

Occam's razor is going to have any Irish flavour to their clothing being replaced by Hodden grey as their campaign drags on, their clothing wears out, and they replace it with whatever is available locally.

There is a new volume due soon from Helion, coauthored by Ed Furgol, on Montrose's Army. He gave a taster on it at last year's Century of the Soldier conference. For balance a second edition of his Covenanting Armies is in the pipeline too.