Private, 1751

The paintings made by David Morier around 1751 are the best information we have of this period on the uniforms of the British and allied army. The Duke of Cumberland commissioned the project and they are to be found in the Royal Collection. This is a copy of the painting of a private of the 4th Horse made by P W Reynolds from his albums held at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It is interesting to see how the carbine is carried, with the butt in a leather holster near his knee and the barrel held in place with a black strap.
The red coat with black facings shows the brass buttons with yellow cloth loops evenly spaced along the lapels that extend the length of the coat. The yellow loops are also to be found on the buff waistcoat and on the cuffs which are partially hidden by buff gauntlets. The wide leather cross-belts cover the chest gave some protection. There is no powder flask and cord on the carbine belt as there was on the belts worn by the Horses Guards, but the spring clip at the end of the belt can be seen clearly here. The saddle cloth and holster cover are buff, edged with white and black stripes and decorated with a wreath on the back and a GR cypher on the front.

Regiment | Uniforms