"A British grenadier's cap question" Topic

I know that the order known as the 1768 Royal Warrant largely changed the look of the British Army from the time of the Seven Years' War/French and Indian War to the time of the American Revolution. I believe I've read somewhere that the old headgear of the grenadiers, the mitre cap, even though it was replaced by the bearskin hat, was modified by sewing bearskin across its facing to conform to the warrant. Would there be any articles better describing this, or better yet, photos illustrating it?

Thank you.

I have never heard of that.
However, I would THINK that such modifications as you describe probably came BEFORE the Warrant of 1768 was issued. Such Warrants usually have the effect of catching up with the regulations to reflect what was already wide practice. Some of those rascal Colonels were probably getting away with bearskins ("As the Colonel shall direct…"), and those in charge of enforcing uniformity thought they would codify it.

I had not heard that before. Hopefully SuperMax or Historygamer or some such will be able to confirm or deny that.

Personally, it doesn't make any sense to me. But I've been wrong before.

Eric

I want to say that I seem to remember that the original idea of the bearskin was to perhaps act as a cover for the cloth mitre cap. I have to admit that might just be one more tall historical story.

The only documented British unit I am aware of that was wearing the bearskin during the F&I period was the 42nd, as shown in the 1751 (circa) paintings done by Morier. It is not known, as far as I know, if the other highland regiments raised later followed that or not.

The old Osprey book on Wolfe's Army, but Robin May, has a plate of a 60th grenadier in a bearskin, but I believe in the text he confesses to a little speculation there. Unfortunately the movie, "Last of the Mohicans" ran with that plate, as it probably looked cool to some art director. Dr. Scott Stephenson once told me he came across an order for some of the cloth mitre caps to be made for the 60th, I believe in Philadelphia – which would put that about 1758 – though the grenadier company of the 1st battalion did not accompany Forbes on his campaign – but instead went with the main army.

Like much of the army fashion, it is always a case of which came first, the chicken or the egg – did unofficial wear precede the regulation? Often hard to say. We do know that in 1762 an inventory of the 1st battaliion's grenadier company at Fort Pitt listed no mitre cap, but a tricoren instead.

A quick look at the Morier paintings shows that not all grenadiers even had wings on their coats.

Again, what any one regiment did is hard to tell. Sorry I can't be more definative. Perhaps SM has more.

I do know that other countries were wearing bearskin caps at the time, but what drove the British army to convert is something I am not aware of.

Thank you, fellas. I'm learning some very informative stuff here!

What I was particularly interested in were the uniforms worn by the British Army from the time of their occupation of Boston in October 1768 until the beginning of hostilities in 1775. Is it possible that, in particular, the grenadier companies wore their mitre caps when they rowed ashore to Boston that year? And is it also possible that the occupying army generally had the same appearance as they did during the SYW/F&IW (red waistcoats, white leggings, etc.) until they gradually acquired the look they had during the American Revolution? I've come to understand that many armies back then wore their old uniforms until they were worn out, to give time for the arrival of new uniforms. Thanks, again!

Ah, different question altogether.

The most credible period print was the Revere one of the Boston Massacre:

link

It clearly shows a blend of old style (pre-1768 Royal Clothing Warrant) and the new clothing styles. In short, the coats are the old style, the small clothes seem the newer style – as does the spatter dashes they wear.

Based on this print, Don Troiani did this painting to reflect the mix of clothing perhaps being worn at the time:

link

The paintings done of the 25th Regt of foot in Minorca also reflects a mix of uniform styles, including the bearskin caps
link

Does this help?

I really need to re-enact less and write a book. :-(

you bloody well do…onto it…now…

I've come to understand that many armies back then wore their old uniforms until they were worn out, to give time for the arrival of new uniforms.

To a point…
The uniforms were owned, and paid for, by the men. Stoppages of pay paid for them.
However, the bearskins were owned by the regiment, and thus saved for special occasions. I like to argue that the 23rd wore their fusilier bearskins on the march to Lexington adn Concord. Maybe, maybe not.

Did some regiments continually occupy Boston from 1768 until the outbreak of hostilities? I don't know, but I think it is more likely that they were in flux.
It is quite possible for some regiments away from home for quite some time to acquire eccentric habits and uniforms.
However, if they spent time back in England or Ireland, they were more likely to conform to the Warrant.

I agree John. Think about the 10th deployed to the frontier and what they looked like when they returned to the main army. Yikes.

Seems like I recall new clothing issues to the men every year for small clothes and every other year at most for coats and things? Or coats were cut down for waistcoats after a year or so? In any event, it wouldn't take very long for uniforms to wear and and need replacement, so I'd expect that within a year or two of new regulations, most regiments would be newly kitted out. I doubt many large stockpiles of pre-made regimental clothing were maintained (were they??), rather that clothes were made up to order as needed.
But someone here probably knows some detailed info about exactly how uniform orders were processed.

There is a fur-fronted grenadier mitre, belonging to an officer of the Carmarthenshire Militia, in the Carmarthen Museum. I've got photos at home, but won't be able to stick them up before Monday.

However, my guess is that this particular item was made that way by the tailor and wasn't simply an old mitre cap with fur sewn to it – mainly because the Carmarthenshire Militia didn't really exist between disbandment at the end of the ECW and re-establishment during the AWI.

Thank you to EVERYONE who's responded so far! You've all been of great help. R Mark Davies, if you can find your photos to put up, I'd appreciate that very much!

The following is an illustration of the Boston Massacre by famed 19th century artist Howard Pyle, which appeared in Harper's Magazine in 1883:

Some accounts given say that the soldiers involved were "grenadiers", which the artwork clearly shows. I would think, though, that at least some required uniform elements from the 1768 Warrant would have been implemented by 1770 (like, for example, the bearskin hats). Also, given the reputation of Massachusetts winters, maybe it was possible that, on the authority of the commanding officer, the soldiers would have worn their older colored trousers and spatterdashes, to combat the cold?

Hmm. LOTS of "what ifs", here!

Wow, if I had the picture I would run to the nearest garbage can and file it in there. That is a mess. There are so many things wrong with those uniforms it isn't even worth detailing.

Looks like the stuff I remember seeing as a kid in history books.

Of course it was done in 1883, so I guess we have to cut the painter some slack. :-)