"Colours of 58th Foot" Topic

I've just finished painting this regiment, circa 1801, for the campaign in Egypt and am about to add the colours. This brings me to the vexed question of the regimental colour for those regiments that had black facings: would the regimental colour have been black or white?

The 1768 warrant of course specifies black but it's often said that black was deemed unsuitable and white was used instead. Some surviving examples (eg. for the 64th Foot) support this. However, there is a regimental colour for the 58th (albeit a post-Napoleonic one) preserved in the Auckland War Memorial Museum and this is black.

My thinking is that if this Regimental colour from 1841 is black, why would the Napoleonic version have been different?

Any thoughts, views or information on the subject would be most welcome.

"Regiments with black facings had a a black field with a red cross of St. George." pg 177.

"58th Foot – black field with a red cross. pg 180. Note this circa 1812-15.

Ref A Scarlet Coat: Uniforms, Flags and Equipment of the British in the War of 1812, Rene Chartrand, Service Publications, 2011.

In the Osprey Napoleonic Flags 2000, Vol 2, pg. 6. "The Second Colour of those which are faced black, is to be St. George's Cross throughout, Union in the Upper Canton; the Three other Cantons Black." The aforementioned is a direct quote of 1768 Royal Warrant.

However, the note at the bottom of page six states; "In fact this was never put into effect, the Regimental Colour of regiments with black facings being as those with red and white facings." or white instead of black.

The author does not explain why it was it was never put into effect nor does he provides any evidence for this statement.

I know there is documentary evidence that the 89th Foot had black facings and their regimental colour had a black background during the War of 1812, particularly at the Battle Crysler's Farm, Nov 1813.

I would tend to go with Chartrand's more recent book…a black field. That is what I have done with my 89th Foot.

I hope this helps.

There would have been less trouble with black colours than with black coats, since colours were mostly painted not dyed, so faded less.