Black Watch sporran change?

[OC Richard]

This lovely photo is up on Ebay now.



The seller didn't know anything, I told him it was a member of the Black Watch 1856-1869.

That timeframe comes from the doublet design. Doublets were introduced for the Highland regiments in 1855 (pipers had been wearing them for some time already) the initial pattern being double-breasted. They were changed to single-breasted the next year. This photo, said to have been taken in 1860, shows a similar doublet to the one in the Ebay photo. Note the piping around the top of the collar, and the piping on the epaulettes.



In 1869 the three-point cuffs were changed to gauntlet cuffs. This photo shows a number of changes: the sporran badge moved from a shield on the hair onto the cantle, the piping removed from the epaulettes, the piping moved from the top to the bottom of the collar, the addition of collar badges, and of course the new cuffs (pipers had already been wearing gauntlet cuffs for years).



To narrow down the date of the Ebay photo, I wonder about four things:

1) what date was the sporran badge moved from a shield on the hair to the cantle itself?

2) what date did the piping move from the top of the collar to the base?

3) what date were collar badges adopted?

4) what date was the piping removed from the epaulettes?

With those big Crimean beards it's often impossible to see the collar!

[blackwatch70]

To narrow down the date of the Ebay photo, I wonder about four things:

1) what date was the sporran badge moved from a shield on the hair to the cantle itself?

2) what date did the piping move from the top of the collar to the base?

3) what date were collar badges adopted?

4) what date was the piping removed from the epaulettes?

With those big Crimean beards it's often impossible to see the collar!

Apparently numerous changes in uniform of 42nd Reg of Foot occurred in 1868-1870.

OR's sporran cantle was changed in 1870.
Same year the white piping round the top of the collar was changed to the base of the collar and whiite metal collar badges introduced.

Old Forage cap was replaced by th Glengarry bonnet at about this time also (interesting, the glengarry was issued in 1868, but does not appear in photographs until 1870).

About 1870 Officer's Levee Dress Sporran changed to 5 gold bullion tassels on looped gold cords, the sporran top was changed to brass etc. etc...

The information was taken from the series of articles about Black Watch uniforms, written by P.D.Clendenin for the Dispatch magazine (mid of 1970s).

[OC Richard]

Thanks!

I don't know, but I'm guessing, that the date 1869 I've read when all the Highland regiments switched to the gauntlet cuffs was actually the date a new doublet which was different in a number of ways was adopted. The changes as you suggest might have taken place over a period spanning 1869-1870.

Until getting that photo I hadn't realised how much the classic Victorian-to-1914 uniform differed from the uniform seen in the Crimean Heroes photo series.

EDIT: In reading Barnes today I see that he states that in 1870 Other Ranks' doublets were changed from Madder Red to Scarlet.

[blackwatch70]

Same year the white piping round the top of the collar was changed to the base of the collar and whiite metal collar badges introduced.

I was incorrect and I have to change to the correct information.
The collar badges was introduced in 1874.