7th Hussars

Drumhorse and Musicians 1876

The 7th Hussars went to Edinburgh in June 1876 and the artist Ebsworth saw them march into Jock's Lodge Barracks. This coloured sketch was made by him to record the band uniforms. By this time they were wearing breeches and knee boots and the busby bag was decorated with yellow braid. The whole regiment now had an all white plume on the busby, including the band. There is no sign of the red and yellow braid worn on the tunic as it was in 1857. On the right of the picture we can see a row of three trumpeters with their backs to us. They have white pouch-belts with black leather pouches which have a badge in the middle. They are watched by the Trumpet-Major. Also, we can see the way the cap-lines are looped around the neck, not under the arm like other hussar regiments.
The drumhorse is a grey roan, ridden by a drummer with corporal stripes. The drum banners look the same as those of 1857 which is puzzling because the Norton painting of the regiment at Aldershot in 1874 shows the drum banners as having the battle honour LUCKNOW centrally placed below the garter. Ebsworth has only put PENINSULA and WATERLOO on the laurel wreath. It is possible that the new drum banners arrived later in the year and that Norton completed his painting in late 1876 to incorporate the new banners.
The musicians have plain black sabretaches, suspended from a webbing belt worn under the tunic. Two white leather slings supported the tache and another two supported the sword. Two officers on the left of the picture have full dress scarlet and gold sabretaches, and gold laced pouch-belts. A mounted musician to the right of the drumhorse has a brown leather holster for his instrument. To the left of the drumhorse and behind the horse's head is an officer in a cocked hat with a red feather plume. He is the veterinary surgeon. The drums on the ground on the right, in front of an animal that looks like a mascot brought back from India, seem to be a snare drum and a bass drum. They both have blue hoops with red edges and a yellow worm running through. The snare drum is brass while the bass drum is blue with painted badge etc.

Regimental details | Band