Posts Tagged ‘Perth’
Highland Officer's Doublet - 42nd Royal Highland Regiment of Foot
As a result of publishing an image of the Scottish Feathered Bonnet, I received an email from someone with an interest in the Black Watch in the Crimean War. Thus I thought I would publish this excellent example of the traditional highland military dress.
The 42nd Regiment of Foot, more commonly known today as The Black Watch, landed at Kalamita Bay in the Crimea in September 1854, as part of the Highland Brigade, 1st Division, English Army of the East. Their battle honours include Alma, and the Siege of Sevastopol.
The coat in this photograph is the scarlet doublet, introduced in 1855, and worn by Black Watch officers during the later part of the Crimean War, at least through 1856. Although the facings on collar and slash cuffs appear black, this is a regiment designated as ‘Royal’, therefore, the facings are a very dark blue.
The doublet has two rows of nine each regimental pattern diamond-shaped highland buttons down the front. Each button bears a crown over the number ‘42’. There are two ‘Inverness’ style skirts on the lower front with three buttons each, and loops of gold braid. There were short skirts on the rear as well.
The single row of braid and the crescent badge on both sides of the collar indicate that an Ensign wore this particular doublet. Ensigns were not only Second Lieutenants in the Crimean period, but often carried the colour or colours – the Ensign of the regiment and the Queen’s colour.
Although the doublet shows campaign wear, and a roughly hand-stitched mend under the left arm, there is no specific evidence it saw action in the Crimea.
This artifact was photographed courtesy of The Black Watch Museum, Perth, Scotland.
Judging from the responses, I guess many of you enjoyed the Ram’s Head Snuff Mull, so I thought I’d add a few more photographs from “Crimean Memories: Artefacts of the Crimean War.”
Black Watch Bonnet
The Highland bonnet shown here was worn at the Battle of the Alma, Crimean War, by Captain Sir Peter Halkett, 42nd Highland Regiment of Foot. The 42nd is more commonly known as The Black Watch.
The officer’s bonnet is cocked and feathered with six black ostrich feathers, ten inches deep, according to regulations. The skull is blue cloth fastened at the back with black ribbons. It has a check band of the regimental pattern, and a silver regimental badge bearing the name ‘Egypt’, surmounted by a Sphinx on the left side. There is a scarlet vulture feather, eight inches long, above the badge on the left side. The black ribbons can be seen, but a black leather chin-strap is missing.
Thanks for enjoying the photographs.
This artifact was photographed courtesy of The Black Watch Museum, Perth, Scotland.
Ram's Head Snuff Mull - 42nd Royal Highland Regiment of Foot
So many of the 1500 photographs I took in the UK for our recently released book, “Crimean Memories: Artefacts of the Crimean War,” were unusual, with interesting histories, but this snuff mull is one of my absolute favorites. It is a silver mounted ram’s head snuff mull, which had a home in the Officer’s Mess of the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment of Foot until the Crimean War.
The Crimean War took place between 1854 and 1856, primarily on the Crimean Peninsula in today’s Ukraine. Imperial Russia had for some time been exhibiting expansionist ambitions which were threatening established trade routes to India. Under what was perceived as a veiled attempt to further these ambitions, Russia invaded parts of the Ottoman Empire (Turkey). Britain, France, and eventually Sardinia joined Turkey and declared war on Imperial Russia.
The 42nd Royal Highland Regiment of Foot, more commonly known as The Black Watch, landed at Kalamita Bay in the Crimea in September1854, as part of the Highland Brigade, 1st Division, of the English Army of the East. Their battle honours include Alma, and the Siege of Sevastopol.
The snuff mull in this photograph is the head shoulders and horns of a ram, and is about two feet square. It currently rests in a fine case in The Black Watch Museum, Perth, Scotland, where we found it. It was originally in the 42nd Regiment Officers’ Mess, and contained snuff in the round silver jeweled tray on its top between the horns. There was a ritual-like ceremony attached to the snuff use that each officer was bound by mess tradition to follow.
According to the Black Watch Museum records, this particular mull was brought to the Crimea by the Highland officers to be used in their mess, but upon arrival, they found no source for proper snuff. Thus, the commanding officer used the snuff mull as an inkpot. On close examination you can see the ink stains inside the round tray on top of the mull.
After the war, the mull was lost. It literally disappeared for 75 years. It was found under odd, but interesting circumstances. There is now a silver plate added on the front of the snuff mull which reads: “This Black Watch snuff mull was discovered in a saleroom by H.M. Queen Mary who presented it to the Black Watch in 1932.”
Thus, this superb artefact found its way to its rightful home, and I found an amazing story to attach to my photograph of this noble creature. There’s something endearing about the way he is looking at you – almost as though he’s looking across the ages.
This artifact was photographed courtesy of The Black Watch Museum, Perth, Scotland.
