Kilted Soldier Print

[Highland Logan]

Yes, I kept going back to my books on the Highlanders of this period (including the excellent two part series "Sons of the Mountains" by Ian Macpherson McCulloch) and while I'd agree that every thing else about the uniform is correct, that the lace upon the regimental coat looks wrong, if the lace is in fact not rectangular (as the 78th wore).
It could be a distortion of the photo but I'd almost swear it looks pointed on the end, like that of the 42nd & 77th of the period. However I could be wrong, and will wait for a better quality picture.

Here is a link with some photos on the 78th Frasers. I agree that the photo may not pass muster on the "real" 78th, but artists sometimes add flair to their work, as I have added below.

That really is an excellent print. It is reminiscent of the Dewars White Label prints done by Schenley's in the late 1930s and early 40s as a promotional item. These prints depicted officers from various regiments of HM's forces in full or walking out dress. There were five sets of prints, each depicting six different regiments. In 1942 you could have ordered all five sets for the princely sum of $1.25! And that included postage. I hope you have a nice place to hang you highlander.

We have had similar prints done in Canada for our Highland regts, and they are as fanciful as the McIan prints, and just as accurate.



"In the 1950s, the Hiram Walker & Sons Distillery in Ontario produced a series of colour plates depicting officers of Canadian Highland Regiments. The prints are today collector's items, and are notable in some cases for being more fanciful than truthful. The print depicting an officer of The Calgary Highlanders, however, does give an interpretation of what the most advanced state of Ceremonial Dress for the Regiment would be if it decided to make such uniforms a priority. The scarlet jacket (or "redcoat") was the standard field dress of the British Army from the late 1600s to the early days of the 20th Century, and continues to be the idealized ceremonial dress uniform of Commonwealth infantry regiments (excepting Rifle Regiments). Many items depicted in the Hiram Walker prints are actually worn today by officers, including the sword ("claymore"), kilt, badger head sporran, red/white hose, sword belt, officers' shoulder sash, tartan plaid, and brooch. Scarlet jackets and feather bonnets, however, are only worn by drummers of The Calgary Highlanders, and the fullest expression of ceremonial dress has never been achieved. The reintroduction of distinctive Service Dress uniforms (the Distinctive Environment Uniform, or DEU) in the late 1980s has provided the Canadian Forces with a distinctive "Army" uniform that is both practical and economical, while still allowing the major components of "Highland Dress" to be worn with pride." - From the Calgary Highlander website


Frank

[BoldHighlander]

Here is a link with some photos on the 78th Frasers. I agree that the photo may not pass muster on the "real" 78th, but artists sometimes add flair to their work, as I have added below.

I've seen the one of the "Highland Officer" before but at the moment the background on who it is escapes me (I'll check my records later & see if I can find him). It is post-American Revolution (I believe). The Kilmarnock/Hummel style bonnet was was not generally adopted by the Scottish regiments until 1779, though the 42nd & 71st did adopt it late in the war. Other units serving wore the old style "flat" bonnet (solid blue in color).
That and as mentioned the 78th wore buff, not green facings (the regimental coat in the painting is correct for late 18th century, but not the period of the F&I War).

The one entitled "General Wolfe's army scales the Heights of Abraham in the attack on Quebec" unfortunately also suffers from improper headgear (diced band bonnets). The flat bonnet worn by the Highland regts during the Seven Years War & Rev War were primarily solid blue or had a red band around the base, though the diced balmorals was starting to appear by 1760, but it took sometime for change to take place, especially with units serving in North America. Also their coats were basically plain in back, without all the lacing.

I'm not ready to say the print is not correct, some of the lace appears correct, some however doesn't. It the blurred condition of the photo.
Once a better one is posted we'll better be able to tell.

[Highland Logan]

You are correct on some of the odditys you caught. And yes, no green facings, this was for Regt with Royal designation. I think the mix up is the word "Fraser". The 78th Fraser's were during the Seven Year's War (what you Americian's call the French and Indian War), and the 71st Fraser's were during the Americian Revolution. My 5th Great grandfather was a solider with the 71st. The link I gave was to history which the 78th took part in, but someone there screwed up and posted a picture of the other "Fraser's" the 71st. Here is a better link of a member of the 78th Fraser's. The tartan however is wrong, as the 78th wore Fraser, and a generation latter the 71st wore Goverement Issue (Black Watch). So in reguard to tartan in the print SWC picked up would be correct for the 78th.



Frank

[SFCRick]

nice find

[BoldHighlander]

You are correct on some of the odditys you caught. And yes, no green facings, this was for Regt with Royal designation.

Actually blue was for regiments with the Royal designation, such as the 42nd RoF Royal Highland Regt (Black Watch) in 1758; & the 84th RoF Royal Highland Emigrants (1775) whom were raised from veterans of the 42nd, 77th & 78th that served in the F&I War and had settled in the colonies, and from Highlanders (some former Jacobites) who resided in North Carolina (the Cross Creek Highlanders who fought in the battle at Moore's Creek Bridge).

The 71st Frasers (1775) wore white facings. Silver braid for officers, white lace w/ red worm for OR's (other ranks), arranged in paired square-end loops. Plain blue bonnets were originally specified, but a portrait of Mjr McPherson (1st Bn) shows a Kilmarnock bonnet. According to Stewart of Garth (42nd RHR - 1787) the regt adopted a red hackle in about 1777.

Green facings were worn by the 76th RoF (MacDonald's) Highlanders raised in 1778. They were sent to New York in the summer of 1779, and served in the southern campaign (Petersburg, Green Springs, & Yorktown), except the Grenadier coy, which stayed in NY.

There were also two Provencial units:
The Highland Company of the Queen's Rangers (a.k.a Mackay's Coy of Highlanders / a.k.a the Colonel's Coy). They wore green sleeved waistcoats, old style plain blue flat bonnets, and either Government sett tartan or what is now known as Red MacNab (depending upon the source).

The other unit is the North Carolina Highlanders (1780). They wore blue sleeved waistcoats & plaids from the stores of the 71st, who by this time in the south were wearing linen overalls.

I think the mix up is the word "Fraser". The 78th Fraser's were during the Seven Year's War (what you Americian's call the French and Indian War), and the 71st Fraser's were during the Americian Revolution. My 5th Great grandfather was a solider with the 71st. The link I gave was to history which the 78th took part in, but someone there screwed up and posted a picture of the other "Fraser's" the 71st.

That's a great story about your 5th Great Grandfather
There's a story that my Grandpa Scoby served in Washington's army, though he would've been in his 50's. Possible, but I'd be more inclined to believing he might have been in the F&I War (he came to this country in 1740 at the age of 20).
I have Scots ancestor, a McReynolds (from the Keppoch branch) that barely escaped an encounter with "Bloody Ban" (Tarleton) at Camden where he recieved a musket ball to the ankle that crippled him for life (at the age of 20). Interestingly the 71st Frasers were involved in that battle as well.

I also had three Scoby cousins who served with the Loyalist Queen's Rangers.

Here is a better link of a member of the 78th Fraser's. The tartan however is wrong, as the 78th wore Fraser, and a generation latter the 71st wore Goverement Issue (Black Watch). So in reguard to tartan in the print SWC picked up would be correct for the 78th.

Frank

Thanks. Nice picture, despite the tartan screw up. As mentioned earlier, there is some debate amongst historians as to rather the 78th wore (red) Fraser or a brown tartan. I really have no opinion. However it is noted in volume 2 'Sons of the Mountain' that
"the debate over what Fraser's Highlanders' actually wore has been under discussion for some fifty years. A snippet of plaid, worn by Captain Thomas Fraser of Struy of the 78th Foot and passed down through his family, is now in possession of the David M. Stewart Museum in Montreal. It is a faded reddish brown color and has lost much of its original vibrancy through exposure to the elements and the passage of time. At least three contemporary paintings show the 78th Foot wearing a red-based sett with brown, blue and green stripes The Pinch of Snuff by William Delacour, executed around 1760, shows a company officer on campaign in North America wearing a reddish-brown sett with black or green overstripes.
The Death of Wolfe completed by Benjamin West in 1770 shows the red-haired Colonel Simon Fraser wearing a belted plaid, a sett of brickish-red background with broad green stripes and double-red overstripes. a recently-discovered portrait of Colonel William Amherst at the foot of Flagstaff Hill (Signal Hill) at St John's Newfoundland, 1762, shows a crouching Fraser's Highlander wearing a red-brown tartan with green stripes. The figure might be Captain Charles Macdonell of Glengarry, who was mortally wounded in the subsequent assault.
American-born Benjamin West was working in New York in 1757 and probably saw the 78th pass through the city on its way to winter quarters in Connecticut. West prided himself on the detail in his paintings and collected actual equipment and weapons used in the plains of Abraham battle including Wolfe's fuzee, and a grenadier's cap. When he painted a figure which resembled Robert Rogers, he gathered some of Rogers' equipment to be used in the portrait. Given West's attention to detail, one may assume that his portrayl of Simon Fraser's plaid is correct."

[Woodsheal]

I've seen it before. It's supposed to depict an officer of the 78th Reg't (Fraser's) wearing the debated "brownish" tartan. The diced bonnet is incorrect for the 1750's, but otherwise it's a decent rendering of a highland officer of the French & Indian War period....

[BoldHighlander]

I've seen it before. It's supposed to depict an officer of the 78th Reg't (Fraser's) wearing the debated "brownish" tartan. The diced bonnet is incorrect for the 1750's, but otherwise it's a decent rendering of a highland officer of the French & Indian War period....

Brian, are you referring to the recently discovered painting?

[Highland Logan]

Actually blue was for regiments with the Royal designation, such as the 42nd RoF Royal Highland Regt (Black Watch) in 1758; & the 84th RoF Royal Highland Emigrants (1775) whom were raised from veterans of the 42nd, 77th & 78th that served in the F&I War and had settled in the colonies, and from Highlanders (some former Jacobites) who resided in North Carolina (the Cross Creek Highlanders who fought in the battle at Moore's Creek Bridge).

You are cottect... it was late, my error.

The 71st Frasers (1775) wore white facings. Silver braid for officers, white lace w/ red worm for OR's (other ranks), arranged in paired square-end loops. Plain blue bonnets were originally specified, but a portrait of Mjr McPherson (1st Bn) shows a Kilmarnock bonnet. According to Stewart of Garth (42nd RHR - 1787) the regt adopted a red hackle in about 1777.

So far as any research I have found or paid for, the 71st left very few records, and a lot is based on what others wore, or stories. Don Troiani did a famous print with a Pte. of the 71st wearing trews made from his kilt.

That's a great story about your 5th Great Grandfather

He was wounded, and sent to serve with the Royal Garrison Btn. in Bermudia. I have copys of his discharge papers, and he took a land grant here in Nova Scotia, founding my home town.

...encounter with "Bloody Ban" (Tarleton) at Camden...

Play fair or I'll talk about the Swamp Fox.. lol

Nice picture, despite the tartan screw up. As mentioned earlier, there is some debate amongst historians as to rather the 78th wore (red) Fraser or a brown tartan. I really have no opinion. However it is noted in volume 2 'Sons of the Mountain' that
"the debate over what Fraser's Highlanders' actually wore has been under discussion for some fifty years. A snippet of plaid, worn by Captain Thomas Fraser of Struy of the 78th Foot and passed down through his family, is now in possession of the David M. Stewart Museum in Montreal. It is a faded reddish brown color and has lost much of its original vibrancy through exposure to the elements and the passage of time. At least three contemporary paintings show the 78th Foot wearing a red-based sett with brown, blue and green stripes The Pinch of Snuff by William Delacour, executed around 1760, shows a company officer on campaign in North America wearing a reddish-brown sett with black or green overstripes.
The Death of Wolfe completed by Benjamin West in 1770 shows the red-haired Colonel Simon Fraser wearing a belted plaid, a sett of brickish-red background with broad green stripes and double-red overstripes. a recently-discovered portrait of Colonel William Amherst at the foot of Flagstaff Hill (Signal Hill) at St John's Newfoundland, 1762, shows a crouching Fraser's Highlander wearing a red-brown tartan with green stripes. The figure might be Captain Charles Macdonell of Glengarry, who was mortally wounded in the subsequent assault.
American-born Benjamin West was working in New York in 1757 and probably saw the 78th pass through the city on its way to winter quarters in Connecticut. West prided himself on the detail in his paintings and collected actual equipment and weapons used in the plains of Abraham battle including Wolfe's fuzee, and a grenadier's cap. When he painted a figure which resembled Robert Rogers, he gathered some of Rogers' equipment to be used in the portrait. Given West's attention to detail, one may assume that his portrayl of Simon Fraser's plaid is correct."

The problem with all of these, like I pointed out earlier is that artists tend to make things "better", adding this or that, and just making what was apear grander, and larger than life and how they think it should look.

Link to the page with this picture from the Clan Fraser website.

[Sheep In Wolf's Clothing]

Link to the page with this picture from the Clan Fraser website.

That's him. Probably a better picture than I could get with my camera.
Sara

[Sheep In Wolf's Clothing]

I was just looking at the Fraser website and noticed the following:
"The descendants of these soldiers have spread far beyond the towns, villages and farms along the banks of the St. Lawrence River."
Maybe not far enough! I guess that he belongs here!
Sara
Who is doing some non-work related web surfing today at her desk!