As with all regiments within the Sealed Knot Thomas Ballards has both a 17th Century and a 21st Century identity. In fact the modern regiment has now been in existence for 10 times longer than its forebear and six times longer than the war it was formed to fight !

So here is a brief history of Thomas Ballard himself and the Regiment he commanded.

From genealogical research I have seen it is probable, though not conclusive, that Thomas Ballard was born in 1600 and was the 3rd son of Henry Ballard.

He was however the first son to survive to adulthood. The family crest was that of a white griffin on a black field, which the modern day regiment have adopted for their own standard.  The family lived in Southwell near Nottingham/Newark and also owned property in Lincolnshire. Despite this it seems that Thomas pursued a military career, rather than wait to inherit his fathers estates. There are records of him serving under Lord Grandison in England in 1640 (The Bishops War) and Lucy Hutchinson, writing about the 1st siege of Newark, makes reference to Ballard being bred in the wars abroad (the 30 Years War) though sadly with no details.

This would explain his appointment to command and recruit a regiment for service in Ireland, following the rebellion there in the spring of 1642. Five regiments were raised for service in Ireland at this time, though only one was actually sent abroad. The other four were incorporated into the Parliament army though it appears that Ballards were under strength and marched late as Thomas had been, according to a Parliament Ordinance of 23rd September 1642, imployed in the Service of the State. Ballard himself was present at a skirmish at Southam on 22nd August, though apparently with an unidentified body of horse rather than his own foot regiment. By October the regiment was complete and had joined the Earl of Essexs army in the Worcester area. At this time Ballard was appointed Sergeant-Major General of Foot and had command of four regiments  his own, Essexs foot, Lord Brooks and Denzil Holles  totalling 3604 men excluding officers. Ballards own regiment numbered 776 men and 33 officers with the men formed into 10 companies. This brigade was the largest of three within Essexs army and probably the most colourful Ballards regiment were in grey coats, Holles in red, Essexs in Orange and Brooks in purple ! On Wednesday 19th October the army marched forth from Worcester to intercept the Kings forces who were marching on London. By 22nd October the Parliament army was at Kineton and belatedly discovered that the King was only six miles away at Banbury. Neither army could easily move away without exposing itself to attack and the Kings army was between Essex and London. Battle was now inevitable and both armies arrayed themselves beneath the hamlet of Edgehill for the fight on Sunday 23rd October. Ballards brigade was positioned on the left centre of the army, behind another brigade, with 600 musketeers detached to the left flank to counter Royalist dragoons. After a largely ineffective initial artillery duel the battle began in earnest. Royalist cavalry charges on both flanks routed the Parliament horse and must have had a devastating effect on the 200 musketeers from Ballards own regiment who were defending the flank with no pike support. Luckily the badly disciplined Royalist horse left the field to plunder the baggage train and the infantry battle began in earnest. Unnerved by the defeat of their cavalry and Royalist foot pressure the brigade in front of Ballards broke and ran. Despite this Ballards four regiments stood firm and, while they engaged their opposing foot, two regiments of Parliament cavalry that had been in reserve attacked the flanks of the Royalist foot. This, combined with the advance of the two remaining Parliament foot brigades, caused many Royalist units to rout. Despite this the return of some Royalist cavalry strengthened the Royalist foot and, with darkness falling and both sides low on powder, the armies retreated. Ballard himself was a signatory to one of the best contemporary accounts of the battle A Relation of the Battel  at Edgehill in the County of Warwick, sent to Parliament after the fight. Despite the battle ending in a stalemate the losses suffered by Thomas Ballards Regiment were dreadful. While the brigade as a whole is estimated to have lost less than 40% Ballard lost nearly 45% of his men  from 776 down to 439, many of whom may have been wounded. Two company commanders had been lost and two companies formerly of 80 men were down to 19 and 15 each.

There are no further records of the regiment participating in major actions though when Essex took his remaining army to Turnham Green Ballards may well have been represented. Sadly Edgehill marked the zenith of Ballards regiment as the reduced unit was relegated to a Garrison unit and in 1643 Thomas Ballard himself left to command an attack on Newark. Francis Martin took over and the last record of Martins regiment on the rolls of Essexs army has it only 80 strong in April 1644. Ballard himself fell from favour after a failed attack on Newark in February 1643. Some accounts have it that he did not pursue the attack because he had friends in Newark  likely if he had grown up nearby  though others that the attack was rushed and that Ballard himself was wounded. It is believed that he subsequently left England (he apparently applied for a pass to do so from Parliament) and may have been buried in Rouen, France or emigrated to America (where there were several Ballards amongst the early settlers despite it not being a common name) or even joined Henry Morgan in Jamaica.