The Blew Regiment in the English Civil Wars
The original regiment was a militia group formed of approximately 1200 musketeers and 800 pikemen drawn from the middle class citizens of London, generally members of the various business guilds. At that time England had no standing army, so local trained bands were the only permanent forces that could be called upon in times of strife.
Upon the outbreak of the First English Civil War in 1642, London declared for the Parliamentarian cause, as did its trained bands. The Blew Regiment and the other trained bands went on to become part of the New Model Army, formed also in 1645, which is widely accepted as England's first standing army.
The Parliamentarian victory in the First War brought to an end the widely accepted belief that English monarchs ruled by Divine Right, and gave birth to the Parliamentary system we have today.
Additional Resources
A general history of the English Civil War...
...Or, alternatively, the English Civil War explained in less time than it takes to drink a pint (slowly)
A summary of The Battles & Engagements of the English Civil Wars
Historical background of the London Trayned Bandes
A guide to dressing as a London Trained Bandsman
Firearms used during the Civil War