"British Grenadier headgear" Topic

When did British Grenadiers switch to bearskins from mitres? Were all transitioned by start of American Revolution?

Thanks

The Royal Warrant of 1768 dictated the change in headgear of all grenadiers from the mitre to the bearskin. All units changed at once. The warrant also dictated that the fusilier regiments wear bearskins too.

All units changed at once.

No. They changed when they got around to it.
I would guess that the Boston Garrison never fully changed over. Some engravings show the Bloodletters wearing a cloth miter. While Paul Revere's engraving show tricornes.

Interestingly enough, the miter caps, cloth or bearskin, belonged to the regiment. The soldiers owned their clothing, and paid for it through "stoppages" in their pay.
When Howe marched on Philadelphia, he ordered all the bearskins to be put in storage and left behind. He was infuriated when one regiment kept them with the regimental baggage and wore them in a parade in Philadelphia. But, the Warrants say "As the Colonel shall decide".

It would be inaccurate to depict British Grenadiers wearing bearskins after the Brits skedaddled from Philadelphia. Even at Monmouth, they would be rare.

Speaking of fusilier hats, they were pretty scarce too.

Bloodletters?

I believe he means the Vein Openers, aka the 29th Foot.

I stand corrected on how quickly units complied with the 1768 Warrant. As in many things uniform, compliance varied.

Kemp in The British Army in the American Revolution writes: "Inspection returns show that for some considerable time after the 1768 Warrant many grenadier companies were without bearskin caps. It is more than likely that by the time the American War commenced the official bearskin cap was worn by most grenadiers."

Reid's King George's Army, vol. 3, indicates that the bearskin was unpopular and avoided at times, and notes a few units known to wear goatskin caps instead. Kemp indicates that by the 1770s some units wore painted linen cloths over the bearskin to protect the fur, which was known to fall out over time with wear.

Kemp gives an incomplete listing of unit clothing at certain dates.
3d, still wearing cloth mitre in 1770
23d Fusiliers, still wearing cloth mitre in 1770, mostly cocked hats thereafter

Kemp lists about 10 units as wearing fur but no date given.
He does, however provide some known dates by unit of adoption of bearskin:
5th,1768
6th, 1770
7th Fusiliers, 1770
12th, 1768
13th, 1768
14th, 1765 (before the warrant)
17th, 1769
25th, 1766 (before the warrant)
30th 1755 (before the warrant)
33d, 1766 (before the warrant)
43d, 1767 (before the warrant)

So I think it safe to say that many if not most regiments had the bearskin in their possession by the time of the AWI.

A more difficult question is, did they wear them in the field? We can imagine a host of circumstances that might lead to variations from unit to unit and at different points in time.

We know, for example, that the 5th Foot's grenadiers wore bearskins at Bunker Hill and throughout the campaigns of 1775-1777.John Peebles, a veteran grenadier of the Royal Highland Regiment in the AWI, records an example of the bearskin being worn in battle in his unit.

Spring's book With Zeal and with Bayonets Only, says bearskins were known to be used in action "occasionally." He then gives a fascinating example from the Battle of Brandywine in which the 1st Grenadier Battalion (a composite unit made up of grenadiers drawn from 13 different infantry regiments) were carrying their bearskins on their persons but not wearing them. When it came time for the unit to initiate a bayonet charge, however, the order was given to don the bearskins for their psychological impact on the rebels. Here is the quotation from an eyewitness that Spring cites on p. 116:
"It was here, before we attacked General Washington, that Colonel Medows made the famous speech to the 1st Battalion of Grenadiers, which he commanded: 'Grenadiers, put on your caps; for damned fighting and drinking I'll match you against the world."

This was a long-winded way around to saying that it is up to you whether you want your AWI minis to have bearskins, but you are certainly justified if you do.

"

Two more tidbits about bearskin caps during the revolution.

1. The newspaper The Independent Ledger of Boston, Mass., printed the following advertisement on November 23, 1778: "TO BE SOLD at Tilston's Warfe, TOMORROW, By PUBLIC VENDU at 12 o'Clock, THE most elegant officers and soldiers Grenadier CAPS. The sett of officers and soldiers Light Infantry and Pioneer Caps, Axes, etc. And a Variety of fine Accoutrements, two fine silk standards of King George the Third, lately taken from the regiment of Lord Adam Gordon's new raised Highlanders, …"

The listing of booty up for sale goes on. As it includes an anchor and ships bread, I am guessing that these items were captured at sea from a British ship bound for the colonies. I am not sure of the regiment, but my guess it refers to the 26th (Cameronian) Regiment, which was on the frontier and Canada when the war broke out and largely destroyed in 1775, but then re-raised. Its titular colonel, who never left Scotland, was Lord Adam Gordon.

2. There is a watercolor painting done by Lt. Richard Williams of the 23d Royal Welsh Fusiliers in Boston in 1775 that shows a soldier of the 23d Royal Welsh Fusiliers swearing the bearskin. Apparently the regiment received its bearskins in 1775.

One final note. The bearskin hat was designed to be folded flat, with the non-foldable bits being removable. It was thus possible for a grenadier to have with him in his knapsack the bearskin at all times, even if he was otherwise wearing some other type of headgear.

Correction to above…the 23d received bearskins in 1773, not 1775.

Some of mine wear them, some of them don't. As Colonel I make the decision.

Aside from the Siege of Charleston grenadiers were somewhat rare. On the one hand that means you can probably get by without specific Grenadier figures. On the other for those rare times when Grenadiers were on the field there is the temptation to make sure they are as smart as possible. As to how they actually looked I've seen nothing.