Middlesex Duke of Cambridge’s Hussars, Yeomanry Cavalry

Sergeant 1830

This ink and watercolour sketch illustrates the first uniform of the Uxbridge Yeomanry Cavalry. The mounted figure being a sergeant of the Uxbridge Yeomanry while the standing figure is a rifleman of a Volunteer Infantry unit. The uniform was described as being, ‘singularly neat and effective and was of light dragoon pattern.’ A rifle green double breasted coatee with two rows of gold metal buttons and black facings which included the turn-backs on the tails. The men wore brass shoulder scales and the officers had epaulettes. The girdles were yellow and red for the other ranks. The trousers were described as blue with a red stripe down the side but this sketch shows green trousers. The combination of green and blue was unusual so it may be that the trousers were green at first but had to change because of a lack of cloth of that colour. Another explanation may be that this is a speculative sketch to show the intended uniform before the raising of the regiment. The shako was the usual 1830s bell-topped shape, of very dark green cloth, black caplines and a drooping black horsehair plume. Giles Huston was a member of the Uxbridge Troop from 1830 to 1880 and wrote his comments on the uniform in his manuscript, ‘Recollections of Uxbridge’:
‘The shako was at that time the only head attire served out and this was a very heavy and large leather and felt abomination, with a flat top about 12 inches in diameter and with a black, heavy horsehair plume fitted in front so that the whole weight pressed on the forehead of the wearer, and the coat being thickly padded at the breast made the suit anything but comfortable, and nothing could have been designed more hideous as a military uniform. In summer white duck trousers were worn, but these were discontinued about 1841.’

Regimental Details | Uniforms