We follow the history of the army from its inception as a standing force after the overthrow of the English republic and the restoration of the House of Stuart, through its increasing ‘professionalisation’ during the War of the Spanish Succession to the death of Queen Anne. Highlighting the many different types of arms of the ‘regular’ soldier, this podcast concentrates on the major campaigns and the far-flung theatres of war of the early ‘Lace Wars’ period is illustrated by the many (and often overlooked) sources held by The National Archives.
Ralph Thompson is a Reader Adviser and has worked at The National Archives since 1999 and is a member of the Early Modern Team. He studied at Kingston University and completed an MA dissertation which focused on English foreign policy in the Baltic during the 1650s. His research interests have included ‘Scotland and the War of the Three Kingdoms’, ‘Surrey and the Civil War’ and the later Stuart and early Georgian armed forces.
Click on the tab above to view the slides from the presentation which comprise The National Archives’ sources.