Britons (North) (Loyal) Volunteers (Middlesex)?

[figheadair]

I'm posting this question here because it involves the Government Tartan albeit that the question is principally about the regiment. Mods - please feel free to move this eslewhere if it would sit better in another section.

Does anyone know who exactly the Britons (North) (Loyal) Volunteers (Middlesex) were?

That is the regimental name associated with a uniform in the collection of the (UNational Army Museum that belonged to Capt Alexander G Davidson who became a Lieutenant in the Regiment 15 Jul 1803 and Captain on 24 Oct 1806. The uniform is Highland (box-pleated kilt, sporran and knitted hose). I'm assuming that he belonged to the North British Loyal Volunteers but the use of 'Middlesex' in the title is confusing as is the exact identity of the regiment.

I've asked the question on a military forum and the only reply, which I think unlikely, was that Sounds like he purchased his commission and raised his own Battalion, so he may have dressed them as he saw fit. I think they could have been based around Kingston. Kingston is Kingston on Thames in Surrey. Black Watch Officers were sometimes referred to as Surrey Highlanders but that's for a completely different reason. I really cannot see a regiment raised outside Scotland during the Napoleonic era wearing Highland Dress.

Any thoughts?

[Bruce Scott]

In this Bonhams ad http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/16569/lot/110/ there is the following reference to the Loyal North Britons but nothing further:
"The Loyal North Britons Volunteers were a regiment composed of ex-patriot Scots based in Knightsbridge. C.1790."

[Jock Scot]

Oh I don't know Peter, the British Army have been known to come up with some pretty illogical ideas over the years! Actually, the idea of an ex-patriot Scots Regiment does have a certain logic to it, after all, we still have the London Scottish. Perhaps they may help?

[Bruce Scott]

Googling has brought up a few references to the Loyal North Britons but not much additional information so far.

The London Scottish had been, early on, the 7th Middlesex (London Scottish) Rifle Volunteers and the 7th Middlesex (London Scottish) Volunteer Rifle Corps. London, or parts thereof, being in Middlesex no doubt accounted for the County title. Perhaps the same applied to the North Britons.

Edit: "When the Rifle Volunteer Corps were raised, there was no County of London, only the City of London. Surrey and Kent extended to the south shore of the Thames at Greenwich and Deptford, with Middlesex on the north bank. Consequently units raised in what later became the County of London bore the old county names. Some recruited to battalion strength, but many were individual companies and these were amalgamated to battalion strength by 1880 and renumbered."
http://www.army.mod.uk/infantry/regiments/23663.aspx

[figheadair]

Oh I don't know Peter, the British Army have been known to come up with some pretty illogical ideas over the years! Actually, the idea of an ex-patriot Scots Regiment does have a certain logic to it, after all, we still have the London Scottish. Perhaps they may help?

Jock - indeed it has. The LS Sec is a member of XMarks so perhaps he can help. Stuart, any thoughts?

[Mike_Oettle]

Bonhams were a bit off the beam in referring to the regiment as comprising ex-patriots (literally, people who were once patriotic but are not any longer). The word they should have used was expatriates (people living away from their home country – in this instance, Scots still in Britain, but outwith Scotland).

[Bruce Scott]

It seems that on one documented occasion they paraded in their "national costume".
https://books.google.com.au/books?id...20reay&f=false

There is a also print of a soldier of the unit here:
https://repository.library.brown.edu...em/bdr:230216/

[figheadair]

Bruce, well found. The engraving is interesting in that it suggests that the Loyal North Britons wore a typical red coat and buff/white breeches with a Highland style feather bonnet and had a tartan plaid/campaign blanket. The memoirs of John Marchall make reference to the officers parading in their national costume and that is what seems to be the outfit in the NAM which includes Red Coat and a Government tartan box pleated kilt. The latter was possibly supplied by George Hunter, the Army clothing contractor, who had offices in Wdinburgh and London and whom supplied many of the gentry, plus Geo IV, with their Highland outfits.