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.