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From: Frank W Bullen <>
Subject: George Monck - (Was "I know").
Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2001 22:42:09 +0200
References: <013a01c15aeb$7293fc80$a9977a3f@monkey>


Hi Janet,

I'll try to make this brief but comprehensive, so don't shoot me if I omit
some fairly minor points. George Monck was "quite a guy".

Hewas born in 1609 at Torrington, in Devon, the second son of Sir
Thomas Monck,. At 16, he served with the Spanish and later the Dutch
armies. He came home in 1640 and served in the Royalist cause, being sent
to Ireland to fight the Roundheads.. He did well, but was captured in 1644
at the Battle of Nantwich, and was imprisoned in the Tower. There, he
wrote, "Observations upon Military and Political Matters" a book which
caught Cromwell's eye. In 1646, Cromwell offered Monck his freedom if he
would join the New Model Army and serve with it in Ireland. Monck
accepted, and Cromell was so impressed with his abilities that he decided to
give him command of a regiment, choosing a Yorkshire regiment belonging to
one Colonel John Bright, who was retiring.

But this was the same regiment that had captured Monck in '44, and they
"would have none of him", so Cromwell formed a new regiment, raised near
Morpeth, in Northumberland, from companies of two existing regiments, in
July/August 1650. The new regiment was named, "Monck's Regiment of Foot".
It is now known as "The Coldstream Guards".

After sterling service in Scotland, (in which Monck's Coldstreamers fought
there against my own Regiment), and after the death of Cromwell and the
flight of Richard Cromwell, England was like a rudderlesson ship. On
January 1, (some say Jan. 2) Monck, whose regiments of foot and of horse
were stationed at Coldstream on the Scottish borders, marched his force
south to London and, as MP for his home county, Devon, persuaded Parliament
to offer Prince Charles Stewart (whom the Scots had already crown King)
terms for
resuming the Throne as Charles II.

Charles signed (the Treaty of Breda) and landed at Dover on 25 May, 1660,
being met by Monck. In gratitude, Charles bestowed upon Monck the Order
of the Garter and (most unusually, personally placing the Order round
Monck's
neck), created him Duke of Albemarle and appointed him Lord General of the
Land Forces, His regiment of foot became, "The Lord General's Regiment"
and adopted the star of the Order of the Garter as its badge, which it wears
to this day.

Since Parliament had ruled that the New Standing Army should be disbanded in
its entirety, it was only the Venner Riots of 6 January 1661 that saved this
regiment and its sister regiment of horse (later linked with troops of horse
Charles had raised in Holland - now the Life Guards) as their defeat of the
rioters proved that the country needed a standing army to maintain law and
order, and that Monck's two regiments were too valuable to lose.

So, Charles having signed what has been called "the birth certificate of the
British Army on 26 January 1661, on Valentine's Day, 1661, at Tower Hill,
the two regiments laid down their arms as Commonwealth troops and picked
them up immediately as Royal troops in the new Standing Army.

Later, Monck was created Lord Admiral, and is renowned for giving the
following command to the Fleet, "Wheel to the Right - Charge!"

Monck died on 3 January 1670.

----- Original Message -----
From: Janet Ariciu <>
To: <>
Sent: Monday, October 22, 2001 1:19 PM
Subject: I know


> This date is not for this list but I have no idea where to go.
>
> Has anyone ever hear of this man and his family.
>
> Monck, George, Duke of Albemarle ( 1608-70)
> I was told he was English soldier and sailor.
> He service with Dutch and fought against Spain from 1629 to 1638.
>
> I am wondering about this for one my surnames is Muncus, Momus, Munch or
> Munkers.
>
> Thank you Janet
>
> ______________________________
>




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