"British Uniforms in 1799" Topic

I'm searching for information on the uniforms of the British in this transition period which is a little elusive. I have the reference material sorted out for the early campaigns 93' and 94' but am trying to ascertain what sort of kit(coat, gaiters, trousers, and bicorne or shako) for the 1799 invasion of Holland with Russia. I have read the first version shako was introduced in 1800 so too late, does this mean bicornes? Or, perhaps something along the lines of the Egyptian getup with mini top hats. I've got a decent library on this but it has holes nonetheless. (Haythornthwaite, C.S. Grant, Osprey).

(Landing of British troops on the Texel, Holland, 27 August 1799)

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British infantry attacking a gun crew in the campaign in Holland 1799.

See this one too: link

This is great, thanks. Nothing like period art to help.

No worries.

Light infantry with transverse foxtails , also some infantry would have tarlton helmet.

There are some useful illustrations in The British Military Library, or, Journal… Linked to the 1804 edition, but the uniform plates carry over from the 1799 edition.
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Here's an example from my collection:

TMP link

Here is a past thread on this topic I just found. Always a dearth of minis for this period. Too bad.

Enfant Perdus, that is a great image, evokes so much period feel, the end of the old order, so to speak but a new age dawning, etc.

By 1799 Infantry coats were being buttoned closed with no lapels- a forerunner of the closed jackets of the 'Napoleonic' period.

Cocked hats with were athwart the head in bicorne style, with hackle or worsted 'feathers' of non regulation regimental design (but commonly black or white, perhaps with coloured tips). A white feather had been ordered for all in 1797 but this appears to have been disregarded. White and green 'feathers'for grenadiers and light infanty, respectively, were becoming common. AFAIK, their distinctive caps, generally speaking had not been worn in the field since the AWI.

Buttoned pantaloons or trousers had become more common for service in the field: blue for officers (with Hessian boots), white for the rank and file (brown and blue donation cloth trousers had been supplied to some troops in the Low Countries 1793-95)

The Pierre Turner illustration of a Third Guardsman in 1799, from Michael Barthorps 'British Infantry Uniforms from 1660' gives a good overall impression.

William Loftie's quirky watecolours from 1796-1804, give a an overal impression of how officers' uniforms were changing. They can be found on line here courtesy of Gallica:
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Great sources 42flanker! So, to be clear the light infantry was not wearing their fox fur or Tarleton hats?

So, would line infantry from the 1793-94 campaign be "close enough" for the 1799 landings in the Netherlands?
Thanks,
Phil

@Wealdmaster "So, to be clear the light infantry was not wearing their fox fur or Tarleton hats?"

I am not sure about the light companies added to the Foot Guards added at the time of the Duke of York's Low Countries campaign. They may have worn the round hats with crests that we see in illustrations but, AFAIK, following the AWI flank companies of line regiments wore cocked hats, for everyday use and in the field, and their regulation caps were kept for formal parades. Their flank status was indicated instead by distinctive company feathers Highland corps would have worn the cocked bonnet.

Having said that, the painting of "The Death of Colonel Moorehouse at the Storming of the Pettah Gate of Bangalore" in 1791 does show smart light coy soldiers of the 36th Regiment in smart crested helmets but to what extent that is a realistic depiction of soliders on campaign in central India, I have my doubts.

@Phil "would line infantry from the 1793-94 campaign be "close enough" for the 1799 landings in the Netherlands?"

In the end that's matter of personal preference, isn't it? The essential difference would be the closed coats in 1799. Under cross belts, how obvious would that be? The sail-like cocked hats worn athwart the head were perhaps the most distinctive feature of British infantry in the 1790s, laced for the earlier portion, unlaced for the latter. Paint the 1793-94
hats black and bob's your uncle.

These may be of use.

Some Simkin and a couple of Loftie pictures. Mainly of officers, unfortunately.

Great images. Alas, no one has ever made figures for this period other than very dated attempt by Minifig in 15mm.

Boki has the line infantry. Regular light dragoon's stable through peninsula. Artillery and heavy cav.