Bass Drummer 1856

The strange costume of this musician has it's origins in the uniforms of the black time-beaters of the latter part of the 18th century. The jacket is very similar to that worn by Jean Baptiste and the percussionists of the Band in 1811. The costume also features in Band Drummer 1866. In this picture the drum is carried on a spring clip attached to a white belt that is worn under the jacket. The jacket is short sleeved and worn over a sleeved waistcoat which is white with red sleeves. He has a scarlet shako to match the jacket and trousers. The falling horsehair plume is also red. The ornate band sword with it's brass hilt is hung from a waistbelt with a white frog. The drumsticks are strangely different from each other, one of them has a wide head while the other is small and spherical.
There were three of these time-beaters in the band of the Scots Guards. This outfit was not worn in the regiment after c1866.

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