Page "History of the British Army" Paragraph 7

After the English Tudor queen, Elizabeth I, died childless, the Scottish Stuart, King James VI, found himself also King James I of England, and moved to London.

His heir, Charles I, became embroiled in war over his attempt to rule England without a Parliament.

Ultimately, the quarrel led to the English Civil War, and war in Scotland and Ireland.

Initially, both King and Parliament attempted to make use of the existing Militia or Trained bands, but except for the London Trained Bands which Parliament could usually count upon as an important trained reserve, these pre-existing organisations were superseded by regiments raised and organised on the pattern of the Dutch or Swedish military system as used in the Thirty Years War on the Continent.