Sir William Waller

A supporter of the Parliamentary cause, Waller raised his own cavalry regiment and captured Portsmouth in September 1642. He subsequently fought at Edgehill, learning lessons from the defeat of the Roundhead cavalry. He spent the remainder of the year securing the approaches to London and several strategically important locations such as Farnham, Winchester and Arundel.

In early 1643, Waller was made Major-General of the West and fought along the Welsh Marches. He secured Bristol and won an important battle at Hingham House, outside Gloucester. His run of victories was finally brought to a halt in April 1643 by Prince Maurice at Ripple Field. He then campaigned against his old friend Lord Ralph Hopton, who had been made commander of the Royalist armies in the West. In July 1643 he escaped defeat against superior numbers at Lansdown Hill, but was crushingly defeated a week later at Roundway Down.

In November 1643, Waller was appointed commander of the forces of the newly formed Southern Association. After a series of skirmishes and manoeuvres, Waller gained his revenge for Roundway in March 1649 with his victory at Cheriton. The battle was considered the greatest Parliamentary victory to date, and demonstrated that the quality of the Roundhead cavalry had improved. Waller’s forces, working with the Earl of Essex’s army, were to mark the King’s army whilst Essex marched into disaster in the south-west. Attempting an assault on Cropredy Bridge in June 1644, Waller’s army was bloodily repulsed and promptly fell apart. He fought in the Second Battle of Newbury and was the last of the old Parliamentary generals to stand down after the formation of the New Model Army.

Pack contains one mounted metal miniature.