ROYAL S. GLOUCESTERSHIRE MILITIA DRILLING ON COLLEGE GREEN

“Royal S. Gloucestershire Militia drilling on College Green outside Gloucester Cathedral”, c.1778
Artist: English School
Location: Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum
Redcoat Images, No. 1,443*

Observations

• 1 Drummer whose age appears to be at least mid- to late-teens. He is definitely not a “drummer boy”.
• Drummer wears a buff or light yellow short coat with red facings.
• Lace has a design which includes red; 5 sleeve darts point up; the pocket flap is edged with laced; the turnbacks appear to have lace where they hook to each other; there is no lace on the body of the coat.
• The other soldiers are wearing blue-faced and buff-faced coats, and the drum has a field of blue as we would expect with a royal regiment. If the drummer were permanently assigned to this regiment, he would be wearing a red coat with blue facings. Perhaps he is “on loan” from another regiment, or perhaps his regiment  just happens to use a field of blue rather than buff on the drum.
• Drummer wears a cocked hat with white trim an his hair is clubbed.
• Knee breeches with half gaiters.
• Black neck stock is visible.
• Drum belt is not visible, but is likely the shoulder style rather than “around the neck” as that would explain the belt not being shown at this angle.
• No sword present
• Other notes: “This was painted by a local artist who is identified though not named on the far left of the picture. Also shown are Captain Neal (as a boy playing with a hoop); Sergeant Greatwood; Mrs. Lumley; Colonel Lord Berkeley; Miss Savage; Sir John Guise; Reverend Mr. Bishop.” http://www.glosters.org.uk/collectionitem.php?id=4656&from=&to=&category=1&campaign=&keywords=

*Special thanks to Dr. Gregory Urwin's Redcoat Images for supplying the image.

DUBLIN VOLUNTEERS ON COLLEGE GREEN, 4TH NOVEMBER, 1779

“DublinVolunteerson College Green, 4th November, 1779”
Artist: Francis Wheatley
Location: National Gallery of Ireland
Redcoat Images, No. 1,530 (Addendum)

Observations:

•Thisis a rare gem in that we see both the front and back views of the drummer’sclothing.

•Drummersare full grown, so cannot be described as a “drummer boys”.

•Thedrummers’ black cocked hats are trimmed with red fur and a dark hackle sticksup on the left side. Their hair is powdered and clubbed.

•Theywear yellow coats with red facings and turnbacks. The drummer’s lace is whiteand red and is placed on the sleeves, shoulder wings, and rear vent opening ofthe coat. Shoulder wings are the color of the coat with lace edging them. In adiversion from the normal vertical lace on the shoulder wings, the artist showsthe lace formed in the same manner as the buttonhole loopings which are set inpairs with bastion or flowerpot loopings. The wings also feature red fringe atthe bottom edge. The 5 sleeve darts point downward. The pocket flaps are turnedsideways and the buttonhole loopings are paired like the lapel buttons.

•Otherclothing details include knee breeches, white stockings and half gaiters.

•Neitherdrummer carries a sword.

•Thedrum belt is carried from the neck rather than over the shoulder.

•Thedrum is wooden with the front painted blue. A simple tack design is visible.

LADY LOUISA LENNOX WITH HER HUSBAND'S REGIMENT, 25TH REGIMENT OF FOOT

“Lady Louisa Lennox with her husband's Regiment, 25th Regiment of Foot with Lord George Lennox beside her”, 1771
Artist: Giuseppe Chiesa
Location: © National Army Museum

Observations: 1 Fifer, 1 Piper, 1 unknown regimental musician


Fifer

• Full-length yellow coat with red facings, bomb device on turnbacks
• Red and white lace: sleeve darts point up; cape and lapels are edged with lace as well as the standard buttonhole looping; shoulder wings are yellow with vertical lace; there is one “buttonhole” looping just below the bottom of the lapel; pocket flap has 3 buttonhole loopings and the buttons are below the flap; there is no lace placed along the 3 back seams nor along the edges of the skirts. A black neck stock is visible.The artist depicts black long gaiters, so we can assume the fifer is wearing knee breeches.Red and white lace: sleeve darts point up; cape and lapels are edged with lace as well as the standard buttonhole looping; shoulder wings are yellow with vertical lace; there is one “buttonhole” looping just below the bottom of the lapel; pocket flap has 3 buttonhole loopings and the buttons are below the flap; there is no lace placed along the 3 back seams nor along the edges of the skirts. A black neck stock is visible.
• Cap is made of white bearskin and is trimmed with a red cord and a sprig of greenery. There does not appear to be a plate on the front of the cap.
• A sword is hanging at the fifer’s left side, likely from a waist belt as it rests inside the coat. The sword has a silver colored hilt with a plain ball pommel.
• The fifer’s hair is plaited and tucked into his cap
• The fife case belt is made of leather with a red, white and blue cord running the length of the leather belt.
• The fifer is shown with what appears to be a “5 o’clock shadow” at his chin and upper lip, indicating that is not a young boy.

Piper

• Yellow coatee (short coat in highland fashion) with red facings, bomb device on turnbacks
• Red and white lace: 5 sleeve darts point up; cape and lapels are edged with lace as well as the standard buttonhole looping; shoulder wings are yellow with vertical lace; the front edge of the skirts are laced; pocket flap has no buttonhole loopings nor buttons, but is laced along the edge of the flap; we cannot see if there is lace placed along the 3 back seams. The cuff is not a round cuff, but a piece of red cloth cut into a triangle and placed at the end of the sleeve.
• Traditional Highland military dress is featured on this piper. He wears bag-hose stockings with his square-buckled shoes. A blue, green and black plaid great kilt serves to cover the rest of his body
• The bonnet is dark blue with a red band. It is not “diced”, nor is there a button or “badge” on his bonnet. A tuft of black feathers completes the headgear.
• A sword is not present. Perhaps this piper had a dirk hanging in front of him, but we’ll never know. 
• Hair is queued.
• The bagpipes appear to be trimmed with a white material, likely ivory.
• The piper is clearly a grown man.

Unspecified Musician

• Full-length yellow coat with red facings.
• Red and white lace: sleeve darts point up; cape and lapels are edged with lace as well as the standard buttonhole looping; additional lace details are not clear. A black neck stock is visible.
• The artist depicts black long gaiters, so we can assume he is wearing knee breeches.
• Cap is made of white bearskin. There does not appear to be a plate on the front of the cap.
• A sword does not appear to be shown. However, this musician wears a white leather shoulder belt of some sort which appears to run over the right shoulder then tuck inside the coat. It is unclear what this belt is used for.
• The hairstyle is not shown.