RESEARCH PRIZE

I've been thinking about this for quite some time and wanted to run the idea across you, the Williamite Warfare followers.

Those wargamers in this period who are interested in the Nine Years War are comparatively well catered for in terms of uniform guides and researched publications. Anyone wishing to wargame the battle of the Boyne for instance is particularly well provided for, compared to my preferred campaigns of the Franco-Dutch Wars from 1672. One particularly good work is C.A. Sapherson's Dutch Army of William III which brings me to my question and suggestion. 

Is anyone interested in jointly funding a research prize for uniforms and armies of the Dutch Wars from 1672? Has anyone had experience with funding research in the past? It seems to me that there is the strangest gap between figure ranges being released for this period and no corresponding guides either in development or being released. Osprey Publishing, that mainstay of uniform references is noticeably mute in this period.

Living as I do in the southern hemisphere and otherwise committed to my career and family, I am unable to take the year off and take up residence in Europe to do this myself. My serious lack of French or Dutch also has me at a distinct disadvantage.

I am personally prepared to contribute GBP1,000.00 toward any sponsorship for the archives of the Netherlands to be 'mined' and an equivalent work to Sapherson's to be developed. My hope is that with enough contributors, a project could be undertaken to produce an exhaustive reference from the as yet publicly available records in France and the Netherlands.

Does anyone have any ideas about how we might take such an initiative forward?

FEEDBACK WANTED

It has been a very long time since my last posting on this, one of my four blogs. I believe it will remain in a state of semi-slumber for some time due to my personal circumstances. I am now seven months into a two year posting to the Kingdom of Tonga - a country of very poor internet capability. My ability to research is severely restricted as is my development of any miniature army for this period. I have collected half of the troops I intend to wargame with in a grand manner - already several hundred. I hope to begin painting them before much longer but for the want of any certainty of uniforms for my chosen period (1674).

It's also been a while since even visiting this blog for me and I notice that I have gradually gathered more followers. This is both gratifying and surprising given that I believed this to be a very niche period - which brings me to my feedback query.

Has anyone used my rules variations or army lists yet? If so, I'd really like to know what you think and if you'd like to share, please comment here and I will post them. I have not myself. Thanks in advance to anyone who does so. Please stay tuned for my next post which is a research appeal.

Happy wargaming.