Thursday, November 17, 2011

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.

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