Uniform question- Royal North British Dragoons "Scots Greys"

[ChaosCossack]

I've been researching the Greys uniform and have run into some conflicting information.

According to Franklin's "British Uniforms and Equipment of the Napoleonic Wars" (probably the most comprehensive Brit uniform resource I've seen) the facings are royal blue (agreed) and the lace is WHITE. Other sources put the lace as yellow. All sources agree the officer's lace is gold.

I haven't scanned the page from Franklin's book but it shows it much like this:

As opposed to this:


If anyone can confirm one or the other I'd be much obliged.

Colin

 

[Tony Barton]

Yellow lace is given by all the sources that I have.
I think it normally followed that of the Officers. The Greys officers wore gold, so the men wore yellow.
If you read the text in Franklin, he states that the lace was originally white, but changed to yellow in October 1813.

 

[Clive]

British Cavalry Uniforms Since 1660 by Michael Barthorp has a very clear illus showing the lace as yellow .

 

[Tubby-Nuts2]

Colin,.. Looking at the slow motion shots, 3.30 mins into the clip! I would also say yellow! for the troop, and gold for the officers!


Regards,

Mark

 

[polyphemus]

The only doubt I would have is the form of lace during the transition from white to yellow. The lace changed from horizontal to vertical around 1812/1813 and I've always understood that the change from white to yellow occurred at the same time. The first picture in Colin's post shows the new form of lace but in white, not sure about.

I've checked Wellington's Army (Greenhill Books) in which are published contemporary plates by Charles Hamilton Smith . In there is a plate of a trooper of the Greys published in December 1813 which clearly shows the lace as yellow. The accompanying text by Philip J Haythornthwaite describes how the colour of the lace in the regulations was changed from white to yellow in October 1811 to match the gold lace of the officers.

Also it should be noted that the regiment did not go on campaign after service in Flanders in 1793-1795 until 1815.

Hope that helps.
Geoff

 

[Tony Barton]

The change in the lace occurred with the complete change in style of the jacket, with the 1812 changes which took effect in 1813.

 

[ChaosCossack]

Thanx Guys
That's exactly the confirmation I needed. 95% of the pics I've seen showed yellow but when I checked Franklin, that's when the confusion arose. It showed the progression of changes in the jacket from 1793 to 1813 but carried the blue facings and white lace through all the evolutions.

I think I can proceed with confidence with the yellow lace... IMHO it looks better in yellow than white anyway

Thanx again

Colin