44th East Essex - 1840's Officers Coatee

[redcoat1812]

Hi there,

I am interested in recreating an officers uniform for the 44th East Essex circa 1840's. In particular that of a Major. Would anyone have any pictures etc of such a coatee from this period, or information for where I could find some?

Cheers

Andy

[Liz]

Hi Andy

From memory there is a full colour image of Captain Souter of the 44th in one of Osprey's reference books, complete with one of the 44th's Colours wrapped around him. It was one of the Men At Arms series but I can't remember which one and I'm away from my books for another week and a bit. Hopefully this will be enough to jog somebody else's memory in the meantime,

Liz

[FROGSMILE]

Hi there,

I am interested in recreating an officers uniform for the 44th East Essex circa 1840's. In particular that of a Major. Would anyone have any pictures etc of such a coatee from this period, or information for where I could find some?

Cheers

Andy

Hello Andy, I hope that these images might be useful to you.

At that time (until 1855) a Major's badge of rank comprised a Bullion fringed epaulette on both shoulders with a star on top. There were only two Majors in each battalion so they were not company officers, who were Captain and below.

From 1840 to 1845 the Infantry of the Line wore a bell-shaped shako of black beaver, with a sunk laquered top communicating by stitched side straps of black leather to a similar band encircling the bottom of the cap. When this shako was first issued a white hackle feather was worn, a white ball tuft being substituted later. The gilt plate with its diamond-cut star of white metal surmounted by the crown was worn by several units, each Regiment bearing its own number and honours. The chin strap and gilt chain was attahced to the lions' heads at the sides.

The coat was the one worn in the 1830s and described in the 1834 Dress Regulations. It is double breasted with two rows of ten gilt buttons, 3" apart at the top and 2" at the waist. The high blue collar now has two gold loops instead of one, and the plain blue round cuff has a red slashed flap with 4 gold loops and buttons.
The lining was white kerseymere which appears on each edge of the tails. The tails had regimental skirt ornaments at the lowest point where the turn-backs met. There were also slashed flaps on the skirts with four gold loops. Battalion company officers had an epaulette on each shoulder. Rank was indicated by the length of the gold bullion fringes. Flank company officers had large gilt fringed wings. The rest of the uniform consisted of a bell-topped shako which was 6" high with ball tuft (see colours below). Winter trousers were of Oxford mixture with a thin red stripe down the outer seam. For summer (1st May- 13th Oct) they wore white linen trousers.

The three officers in the foreground of the first print below represent the three types of company in an infantry regiment in 1846. On the left is the light company, on the right, leaning against the tree is the grenadier company and in the middle a battalion company officer wearing epaulettes. They all have scarlet coatees with blue velvet facings. The collar is covered in gold lace at the front. The gold lace and buttons replaced silver in 1830-31.

All three have white leather shoulder belts for their swords. The belt plates differed in that the Grenadier officer has a grenade design and the light officer a stringed bugle, also a gilt whistle on a chain attached to his belt.

The crimson sashes worn round their waists have cords and tassels for the flank company officers and the standard type with tassels hanging on the left side for the battalion officer. Their swords are similar except for bugle and grenade embellishments on the hilts, and are kept in leather and gilt scabbards.

The uniforms are little different from those worn in 1831, except for the shape of the shako which is no longer bell-topped but straight-sided with peaks at back and front. The badges are the same shape but on closer inspection the bugle and grenade devices can be found. The ball tufts replaced the plumes on top of the shako in 1835. The battalion companies had a white over red ball, the light companies had a green one and the grenadier companies had a white one.

[redcoat1812]

Dear Liz and Frogsmile, a fantastic response - many many thanks, will print that off and digest.

Frogsmile, I am interested to see that the Company officer (Captain and below) wears an epaulette on each shoulder, this was not the case in earlier periods and was one of the reasons I had gone for a Major. I may reassess my options in the light of this and opt for a Centre Company Officer.

I assume that the Regimental tail ornament was of a standard design for most regiments save for the inclusion of the appropriate Regimental number and title?

The belt plate will be an interesting research topic in its own right.

Many thanks again for the information, it is much appreciated.

Kind regards

Andy

[Liz]

One further issue you may need to look into is the colour of the facings (as shown on the cuffs, for example). There were variations between regiments and I seem to recall that either the 44th Foot or the 13th Somerset Light Infantry had their facings changed to pale blue after the 1st Afghan War as a mark of distinction.

One of our honorary academic advisors DavidB (formerly amoaful73) has published a chart of infantry facings online as noted here http://www.victorianwars.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=275 but I'm having trouble accessing it right now. If you can't access it either you may want to contact him directly.

[jf42]

Am I right in thinking that the ball-tufts on Infantry shakos, having replaced the white feather in 1835, remained all-white for battalion and grenadier coys of most regiments until the introduction of the 'Albert' shako? Thereafter, they returned to the original company distinctions of white-over-red, white and green. My point being, the cap distinction of a centre company in the 1840 would differ according to whether it was first half of the decade or the second and which model shako he was wearing. Roughly speaking.

I'm guessing the 24th Regiment shako shown, by the red base to the long white plume, must date from before the change to all-white feathers in 1831. Or was this a later peculiarity of the 24th?

[FROGSMILE]

Am I right in thinking that the ball-tufts on Infantry shakos, having replaced the white feather in 1835, remained all-white for battalion and grenadier coys of most regiments until the introduction of the 'Albert' shako? Thereafter, they returned to the original company distinctions of white-over-red, white and green. My point being, the cap distinction of a centre company in the 1840 would differ according to whether it was first half of the decade or the second and which model shako he was wearing. Roughly speaking.

I'm guessing the 24th Regiment shako shown, by the red base to the long white plume, must date from before the change to all-white feathers in 1831. Or was this a later peculiarity of the 24th?

Until 1835 an upright worsted plume was worn from the front of the Shako (for officers a feather plume), all in the traditional colours that you have quoted. This was replaced in 1835 by a ball tuft (in worsted for ORs and silk for officers). The shako would change according to date but I do not know that the colouration of tufts did so. I have been unable to find any reference to an 1831 change to all white feathers?

An exception to the colouration of tufts was, as you have mentioned in a separate thread, the 46th Regt's, whose Light Company affected a red instead of green tuft from 1833 on (and later adopted by the entire regiment).

There were two Bell Top Shakos, the 1816 pattern had a lace top band and then the 1829 pattern had the black leather band top that lasted until the Bell Top was replaced by the Albert in 1844.

Notice the method of securing the officers waist belt sash for a Flank Company officer and also the relative simplicity of the 44th Regt officers' coatee button. The facings of the 44th Regt at that time were yellow, as per the officer illustrated. http://44th.webs.com/colours.html

[FROGSMILE]

As an example of the type of shako worn by the 44th Foot at the time of the Afghan wars here is an 86th (Royal County Down) Regiment of Foot Officer’s Bell top Shako

The shako has a velvet backed chin chain introduced circa 1840. It comprises a beaver felt shako body and stands 7” tall at the sides and on each side has V shape leather straps which are designed to provide some support to the shako body. The dished leather sunken crown is approximately 11” in diameter. The front peak is approximately 2 ½” wide at the centre and projects downwards.

The universal fire gilt helmet plate comprises a seven pointed rayed star and large QVC crown. In the centre of the plate is an eight pointed silver (white metal) cut star over which rests a title strap with Royal County Down surrounded by a wreath of laurel leaves and a sphinx at the top. In the centre of this device is an Irish harp and crown and behind this device are rich royal blue and green enamels. On each side are battle honours for India and Bourbon and below the Arabic numerals for 86.
The shako would have had a white over red woollen pompom which is now missing. This would have been attached to a slider located behind the universal helmet plate and as such the crown does not have the earlier method of securing a tall feather through a tube and wing nut device.

Here also are 65th and 66th Regt Shako plates (universal stars), which show how the central device for each regiment was different according to its own honours and traditions.

And finally a 65th Regt officers cross belt plate.

[FROGSMILE]

And finally detailed photographs of a Field officers (Lt Col's) coatee for the 45th Regt in the 1840s, including the regimental emblem affixed to the coatee skirts.

[jf42]

Those bell-top shakos are handsome but a nightmare to wear, I imagine.

My mention of 1831 for white feathers was slightly wide of the mark.

On February 10th 1829, it was ordered that the company cap distinctions for Infantry Regiments (Light Inf and Rifles excluded) should be changed to an all-white feather or worsted plume. Rifles and Lights adopted a green worsted ball-tuft to replace falling plumes of cockfeathers or horsehair.

This news prompted the Fifth (Northumberland) Regiment to protest at the 'extinction' by this measure of the white feather distinction that the Fifth wore, it was said, to commemorate their victory over a superior French force on St Lucia in 1778 (It was only recently, in 1824, that the Fifth had obtained official authority to wear a distinction that had been in evidence certainly since c.1792).

On petition from the Fifth's Colonel, the King granted a distinction as an equivalent for that which the Regiment has lost and in July 1829, the Regiment were authorised to wear a red-over-white feather in place of the white "as a peculiar mark of honour, whereby its former services will still be commemorated, and a perpetual incitement be afforded to a continuance of its good conduct" (H. Taylor, Adj. Gen.
Horse Guards. July 11th, 1829)

The Fifth were designated Fusiliers six years later and the red-over white hackle is still worn by the Royal Regt of Fusiliers today.

What the infantry's grenadiers said regarding the purloining of their white feather distinction, I have yet to ascertain. The Highland regiments, apart from the Black Watch, retained white feathers in their feather bonnets until the suspension of Full Dress in 1914.

I have not seen the text of the actual Order of Feb 1829. Michael Barthorp states in British Infantry Uniforms since 1660 that the change to the white feather was ordered in 1831 and that green ball-tufts were adopted by the Rifles and Lights in 1830. I have yet to explore those inconsistencies more thoroughly.

There might have been confusion with changes to Foot Guards headgear in 1831 or arising from the fine series of paintings by Alexandre-Jean Dubois Drahonet in the Royal Collection executed between 1831 and 1834.

I am uncertain of the copyright situation so I shall post the link:http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/egallery/maker.asp?maker=13073&row=60

[FROGSMILE]

Those bell-top shakos are handsome but a nightmare to wear, I imagine.

My mention of 1831 for white feathers was slightly wide of the mark.

On February 10th 1829, it was ordered that the company cap distinctions for Infantry Regiments (Light Inf and Rifles excluded) should be changed to an all-white feather or worsted plume. Rifles and Lights adopted a green worsted ball-tuft to replace falling plumes of cockfeathers or horsehair.

This news prompted the Fifth (Northumberland) Regiment to protest at the 'extinction' by this measure of the white feather distinction that the Fifth wore, it was said, to commemorate their victory over a superior French force on St Lucia in 1778 (It was only recently, in 1824, that the Fifth had obtained official authority to wear a distinction that had been in evidence certainly since c.1792).

On petition from the Fifth's Colonel, the King granted a distinction as an equivalent for that which the Regiment has lost and in July 1829, the Regiment were authorised to wear a red-over-white feather in place of the white "as a peculiar mark of honour, whereby its former services will still be commemorated, and a perpetual incitement be afforded to a continuance of its good conduct" (H. Taylor, Adj. Gen.
Horse Guards. July 11th, 1829)

The Fifth were designated Fusiliers six years later and the red-over white hackle is still worn by the Royal Regt of Fusiliers today.

What the infantry's grenadiers said regarding the purloining of their white feather distinction, I have yet to ascertain. The Highland regiments, apart from the Black Watch retained white feathers in their feather bonnets until the suspension of Full Dress in 1914.

I have not seen the text of the actual Order of Feb 1829. Michael Barthorp states in British Infantry Uniforms since 1660 that the change to the white feather was ordered in 1831 and that green ball-tufts were adopted by the Rifles and Lights in 1830. I have yet to explore those inconsistencies more thoroughly.

There might have been confusion with changes to Foot Guards headgear in 1831 or arising from the fine series of paintings by Alexandre-Jean Dubois Drahonet in the Royal Collection executed between 1831 and 1834.

I am uncertain of the copyright situation so I shall post the link:http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/egallery/maker.asp?maker=13073&row=60

Thank you JF, I did vaguely recall something about this (and the 5th's protest) but not the detail and I do not have any of my books to hand as they are as yet in storage, including the Barthorp book you refer to. As for how the grenadiers felt, what about the three original regiments of fusiliers (7th, 21st and 23rd) who, as entire battalions, had far greater entitlement to the white feather distinction than the Grenadier Guards.

I can only assume that the 24th Bell Top that you queried was an 1829 pattern shako with an 1816 pattern feather plume, which I imagine must have been quite common at first.

[jf42]

My profound apologies at my accidental omitting of reference tothe Fusiliers- although, of course, they were grenadiers in all but name.

The chagrin of the 7th, 21st and 23rd at the upstart Fifth stealing a march on them must have turned the air blue.

1816 feathers on 1829 shakos- chacos?-. Of course.

All of which begs the question, why when Horse Guards were conceding distinctions to every Jock, Lacadaemonian and Percy, did this imposition of swingeing, tactless uniformity take place. Cost? Hardly.

[FROGSMILE]

My profound apologies at my accidental omitting of reference tothe Fusiliers- although, of course, they were grenadiers in all but name.

The chagrin of the 7th, 21st and 23rd at the upstart Fifth stealing a march on them must have turned the air blue.

1816 feathers on 1929 shakos- chacos?-. Of course.

All of which begs the question, why when Horse Guards were conceding distinctions to every Jock, Lacadaemonian and Percy, did this imposition of swingeing, tactless uniformity take place. Cost? Hardly.

I have just recalled why the original Fusiliers did not kick up much of a stink, your mention of Barthorp's book has quite literally jolted my memory. It was because under the same changes the Fusiliers had been granted a falling (cascading) plume in white, and the Light Infantry and Rifle regiments had the same in green. Presumably they were content that this marked their unique status sufficiently. It's quite amusing to think of all these regiments jostling for marks of their unique identity, the Fusiliers, the Rifles, the Guards, the 5th and 46th, and of course no doubt the 42nd too.

[jf42]

I would have expected no less of those Fuzileers.

[FROGSMILE]

I would have expected no less of those Fuzileers.

But of course.....a white hackle signifies 'Right of the Line' after all.

Here is the button of the 44th to add to the info provided for the OP of this thread.