"British for the French Revolutionary Wars" Topic

Hey all. Our group has been toying with building armies from the French revolutionary war timeframe. What British 28mm models would be correct for this time frame? Did they wear a Bicorn similar to that of the AWI period? Would AWI period figures suffice? Or should they be modeled with the shakos that dominated the peninsular war era? Thanks?

Hey all. Our group has been toying with building armies from the French revolutionary war timeframe. What British 28mm models would be correct for this time frame? Did they wear a Bicorn similar to that of the AWI period? Would AWI period figures suffice? Or should they be modeled with the shakos that dominated the peninsular war era? Thanks?

Bicorns if you are after the Flanders campaign

bit of a mix if your doing Egypt

there are a number of pictures on line if you google such as Hewgill prints of the British army in 1795

there are various figures out there – look up Carry on Up the Dale for some ideas

cheers

For flanders 1792-1795 and the Holland 1799 campaign are Reiver Castings and Trent figures available. Bicorn figures are for India and afaik very big.
The difference between AWI and French REvolution are mostly the collar (down for AWI and standing for FR); the tricorn would become more flattend later on.

For the Egyptian campaign go to Perry figures

The hat worn by British line infantry wre basically the same hat as in the AWI but 'set up' more and with the front less pinched. Not, technically, a bicorne, as in those worn by the French or by British officers after 1800.

Some regiments had begun to leave off the white tape binding along the brim of the hat. This was made offical in 1796 or 1797, I believe.

Another notable difference was that, by 1790, many regiments had adopted a an ornament 'feather,' fixed behind the black cockade. Usually this was a cut-feather 'hackle' though several regiments wore a 'tuft' of worsted wool instead, as would later be worn on the infantry cap between 1800 and 1812.

Being non-regulation, colours varied according to the colonel's fancy but the majority of regiments favoured black or white feathers, with white also being favoured for grenadier companies and fusiliers, while green had come to be associated with light companies. Some regiments still wore just the cockade on its own. Highland regiments also wore distinguishing feathers

How long the feathers survived active service during the 1793-95 campaign is another matter.

In the following link is a selection of the military plates published by Captain James Hewgill, based on watercolours by Edward Dayes, the Duke of York's personal draughtsman. Published in early 1792, they represent the three Foot Guards regiments and the nine most senior Line infantry regiments, circa 1790-91. Dayes also executed a pair of watercolours of the 42nd not shown here.

The prints show the variations in hat ornamentation sported by just 12 regiments, as well as details of the Guards grenadier and Fusilier bearskin cap.

Curiously, few of these regiments were in Britain and near London at the time the paintings were made.

It may be stating the obvious to say that in Flanders by 1794 and in the jungles of the West Indies, soldiers would hardly have looked as depicted.

Hewgill prints:
link

At which point did the British go to the Austrian-like, short-tailed jacket, closed to the waist, single-breasted with tapes across the chest? I believe they had it – and shako – in the Egyptian campaign.

By the way, I love the "hideous" colour of the 5th Foot – Gosling Green – in the link above. I am having NO luck in matching it for the 5th Northumberland Regiment of Foot in the Peninsular war!

GdeP

Garde, the British coat transformed between 1797-1800. First the 1768 coat, as it had evolved since the AWI, was closed with hooks and eyes across the front with lapels turned back and cut square at waist level. The tails remained the same length.

Then, later the same year, the lapels were done away with and the coat became single breasted with white lace buttonhole loops across the chest. At the same time the tails were shortened slightly and cut away more at the front but still protecting the stomach; the whole resembling somewhat the Austrian kollet of 1767

Finally, in 1800 the coat was shortend to hip length, with turnbacks at the front opening from just below the the waist. At the same time the cocked hat was replaced by the peaked cap for infantry and other foot troops.

Here is a link to a helpful Funken series of illustrations from 'The Lace Wars.'

Would Brigade Games figures work for Egypt? They have French for Egypt, including Kleber uniforms and dromedary corps on camels. The photos of the British are in stovepipe shako. I'm assuming the British would work Egypt, but have not done any research yet.

Brigade Games French link

Brigade Games British link

Another vote for Brigade Games. Much of the Napoleonic line is specifically for Egypt. Good stuff. I like the figures a lot.

'Brigade Games'- skirmishers wearing infantry cap carrying blanket rolls, and option for 'top hats' (aka. 'round hats') for officers and ORs; all appropriate for Egypt.

90th Perthshire Volunteers in 'Tarleton' helmets would be good, but, hey…!

So it looks like Generalstoner49 could use AWI British up through 1796 – bicorn and all.

Thank you 42 Flanker for that great information!

GdeP

Well, I guess, though the low collars of the 1768 Warrant would be wrong and I forgot to mention the knee-length wool gaiters that were introduced c. 1785 to replace the ankle-length ones of the AWI period.

Mind you, certain regiments received supplies of brown and blue trousers organised by public donation and sent out in the autumns of 1793 and 1794, which some AWI figures might represent effectively.

Some regiments also received great coats, while other received drafts who had been sent out wearing only canvas 'slop suits' without either drawers or stockings.

PBI

Great input guys! Thanks so much!

For your information
go to the site of the rijksmuseum Amsterdam at rijksmuseum.nl
in the right upper corner search function
type S.G.Casten
he has made sketches of various english troops of this period which shows turned down and standing collars
it's in dutch but probably you manage

Brownand, we were discussing the Casten images earlier this year. As far as those labelled as British soldiers are concerned, I think we have to take them with a pinch or two of salt.

Didn;t know about that discussion.
But these pictures are contemporary and do give an imprssion of worn uniforms; maybe for british a little bit suspect as you say but that's with a lot of drawings

The trouble with the British uniforms as depicted is that they bear little relation either to the 1768 warrant uniforms or how the clothing evolved in subsequent years.

It is hard to imagine how the uniforms illustrated by Casten were the result of direct observation. The turned down 'capes' (collars) aside, the cut of the coats in terms of lapels and cuffs (or lack of), etc., appear to be works of imagination, or perhaps based on coats of other countries.

Over-the-knee gaiters shown on several figures hark back to the regulation items of the American War period, little worn, except perhaps on ceremonial duty in London, and superceded circa 1785. I could go on…

As for the "Englische' Highlanders, the less said the better!