I'm Sadie, your hostess for the moment. Feel free to browse awhile.
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I'm a writer who has surpassed the age of 29 and has thereby been advised to claim that as my age forevermore. I'm also an aspiring authoress and amateur historian. Although born in America, I've long loved the history of the UK and I dream of visiting one day. While what I write varies, most of it is either historical fiction or modern romance. Sometimes both, if I can get away with it. I dabble in many eras, but the Regency remains my favorite.
The first Duke of Wellington is, as this site likes to term it, my blorbo. He's integral to several of my current WIPs, the focus of a significant portion of my Thriftbooks wishlist, and the subject of numerous books I already own. My wish to know everything about him fights with the fact that I hate reading about him being an idiot, and he could definitely be an idiot.
I love to learn. I also love to debate, so long as you do so in good faith and bring sources. I welcome genuine interaction. If I come on your post asking for sources on Wellington or any other topic it's because I have keep notes on Wellington and the Regency, and I want to add your fact to them.
Hopefully, running this blog helps me finish something I can one day publish.
If you'd like to look at the full series of weekly posts exploring Smith's Costumes of the Army of the British Empire, search the tag #CABE Project 2026.
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In 1809 William Bullock moved to London and opened the Liverpool Museum at 22 Piccadilly. It was an immediate hit, welcoming more than 22,000 visitors its first month, and 80,000 in its first six. In April of 1811, one of the visitors was the 35-year-old Jane Austen who wrote to her sister Cassandra that she and her cousin Mary Cooke “after disposing of her father and mother, went to the Liverpool Museum and the British Gallery, and I had some amusement at each, though my preference for men and women always inclines me to attend more to the company than the sight.”
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“15th. – PRINCE ESTERHAZY’s BANQUET. – Chandos House, in Chandos Street, Cavendish Square, was opened on Sunday night, for the first time for more than twenty years, with a grand dinner and concert. This magnificent structure was erected by the Grand Duke, a title conferred on his Grace in consequence of the style of regal splendour in which he lived. [….] Once more terrestrial greatness appears in that quarter of the town – the prototype of the Chandos family may be seen in that of Prince Paul Esterhazy, their possessions exceeding 35,000l. sterling per annum. The party consisted of 26 persons, comprising the Prince Regent, Prince Esterhazy, Lord and Lady Castlereagh, Marquis and Marchioness of Hertford, Duke and Duchess of Montrose, Marquis of Anglesea, Earl and Countess of Bathurst, &c. &c. At six o'clock the domestics were arranged in the hall and on the grand stair-case, dressed in new and magnificent uniforms, namely, twelve livery servants wore yellow cloth, with broad stripes of silk lace, embroidered very richly with the family arms, an equal number of those usually out of livery were caparisoned in superfine dark blue coats, waistcoats, and breeches, embroidered with silver in a style of great excellence; those dresses had only arrived from Vienna in the preceding week. At the head of the corps appeared the celebrated hussar, who is seen only on occasions of state. This person wore a dress of which the pelisse and pantaloons cost 270l. At seven o'clock the Prince Regent arrived, and was introduced in the great drawing-room, to the Princess Esterhazy, a very beautiful young woman, just turned of 20, and highly accomplished. The principal apartments were furnished after the Grecian taste; rosewood and gold, the cabinet work; the curtains, chairs, and sofa covers of crimson striped silk, very rich and handsome. At half past seven the company sat down to dinner. The banquet consisted of three courses, comprising every delicacy; the wines excellent, and the desert was extremely fine. The Prince Regent staid until a late hour.”
— The Edinburgh Annual Register, July 15, 1816, Vol. 9
Welcome back to our exploration of Charles Hamilton Smith's Costumes of the Army of the British Empire, in which we'll be looking at a different print every week of the year.
This week we're looking at "Grenadiers of the Foot Guards in full Dress".
So, one interesting thing about this print is that it has the 2nd Foot Guards on the left, the 1st in the center, and the 3rd on the right. We've talked extensively about the 1st, or Grenadier Guards, but I don't think we've yet talked much about the 2nd, or Coldstream Guards, or the 3rd, or Scots Guards. As I happen to know that there's at least one more print involving Guards, however, I think we'll focus on the Coldstream Guards today and save the Scots for another time.
Grenadiers
The basic unit of British infantry, in terms of field organization, was the battalion. [2; 24] Battalions were comprised of ten companies, eight of line and two flank companies. [2;24] The flank companies, one a Light Company, the other the Grenadiers, had slightly different uniforms and training, but they carried the same arms as the rest of the army in most cases, though some Light companies had rifles instead. [2; 24]
Around 1500, grenades came into use as a weapon of siege warfare. [3] In the decades after the Civil War (1642-51), grenades were issued to some of the infantry. [3] This created a new brand of soldier, special assault troops called grenadiers, who carried pouches full of grenades in addition to their muskets. [1,3] Height and strength may have been two of the criteria taken into consideration in their choosing, but they were generally selected from veterans and experienced soldiers. [3,4] Flinging the balls required them to be dexterous as well. [3] Further, their headgear also had to change. [4] Early Grenadiers wore a distinctive, tall mitre cap, which, in addition to making them look formidable, lacked a brim, which might interfere with throwing the grenades. [4] Later grenadiers, like those above, wore bearskins, like this 1794 example from the 97th. [5]
The grenades themselves were iron balls filled with gun powder. [1] The one below is an example from around 1700. [3]
The Coldstream Guards
Technically, the Coldstream Guards are the oldest continuously serving regiment of the regular British Army. [6] The regiment was first raised in Scotland, in 1650, by Colonel George Monck, as part of the New Model Army. [6] It saw its first action a month later at the Battle of Dunbar, where it helped defeat a Scottish Royalist force. [6]
A decade later, in January 1660, Monck marched the regiment from the village of Coldstream (located just north of the Anglo-Scottish border) to London, in order to help reinstate the Rump Parliament. [6] Before long, Monck was assisting in the Restoration of King Charles II. [6] When the regiment was called to assist in putting down an army mutiny in January 1661, it secured its survival despite the new parliament's call for the disbandment of the New Model Army. [6] The following month, the regiment symbolically laid down their arms to leave the New Model Army, before immediately entering the Crown's service as the Lord General's Regiment of Foot Guards. [6]
As we've mentioned before, precedence in the army is generally given based on the age of the unit. [6] Yet, although it is technically six years older than the 1st Regiment of Foot, because it entered the Crown's service four years later, the Monck's regiment was designated the 2nd Regiment of Foot. [6] The regimental motto "Nulli Secundus," or "Second to None" clearly demonstrates how little willing they were to accept this. [6,7] Monck died in 1670 and the Earl of Craven took over the unit. [6] At this time they adopted the name "the Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards." [6]
The Coldstream Guards were not long in the service of the Crown before they were dispatched to fight as marines in the Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665-67). They also helped to defend Tangier from Moorish attacks in the late 1660s. Upon returning home, they helped suppress the Duke of Monmouth's rebellion, fighting at Sedgemoor (1685). [6]
Perhaps in an attempt to make up for their previous disloyalty, and yet still falling on the wrong side of history, the Coldstream Guards supported James II during the Glorious Revolution. This, of course, did not endear them to the new King, William III. He sent them off to Flanders, where they fought at Walcourt (1689), Landen (1693), and the Siege of Namur (1695). [6]
The regiment got a taste of Spain during the War of the Spanish Succession (1702-13) before moving onto Flanders. It raised a 2nd Battalion in 1711 and returned home in 1713. Yet the succession wars were not over and the 1st Battalion fought in the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-48), first at Dettingen (1743) then again in Flanders. At some point the Coldstreamers must have regained the Crown's confidence, as they were recalled home to help defeat the Jacobite Rebellion (1745-46). Further conflict abroad came in the Seven Years War (1756-63), where the 1st Battalion fought at St Malo (1758) while the 2nd fought in Germany. [6]
Much like the 1st Guards, a detachment of the Coldstream Guards fought as part of a composite Guards unit in the American War of Independence (1775-83). They participated in the New York campaign before moving south to the Carolinas. The unit surrendered at Yorktown (1781). [6]
The Coldstream Guards had a much larger role in the French Revolutionary Wars (1793-1802) and the Napoleonic Wars than the 1st Guards. The 1st Battalion deployed to Holland in 1793 and fought that year at Lincelles and Tourcoing before returning home in 1795. In 1800, the regiment moved to Gibralter, and in 1801, it decamped to Egypt, fighting at Alexandria in March 1801, returning home in December. [6]
In 1807, the 1st Coldstream Guards took part in the Copenhagen campaign, in which the Danish fleet was seized to keep it away from Napoleon. [6] Two years later, this battalion deployed to the Peninsula, where it would participate in most of the major battles: Oporto (1809), Talavera (1809), Barrosa (1811), Fuentes d'Onoro (1811), Salamanca (1812), San Sebastian (1813) and Nive (1813). [6]
Its 2nd Battalion had much less luck in the early Peninsular War. Like the 1st Guards, it suffered the Walcheren expedition before being sent to Cadiz for 1810-12). [6,7] Only after the French Siege there had been lifted did it participate in the remainder of the Peninsular campaign. [6]
In the Waterloo Campaign, the 2nd Battalion of the Coldstream Guards was part of the 2nd British Brigade of the 1st British Division. [2; 237] They, along with the 2nd/3rd Guards were under the command of Major General Sir John Byng. [2; 237]
The regiment marched with the rest of the All-British Guards Division under Lieutenant General Sir George Cooke from Nivelle to the Battle of Quatre Bras, arriving after the Prince of Orange's mismanagement of the situation led to the breaking of a British brigade by French cavalry. [2; 64-65, 237] They skirted the Western edge of Bossu wood and the entirety of Cooke's division was south of it within half an hour, supported by artillery. [2; 66] The French attacked and were repulsed, this repeated, but the English were able to rally and soon formed a line a mile long in front of the wood, supported by Brunswick infantry in squares in echelon on their left flank. [2; 67] In this formation they captured both Pierrepont Farms while the center drove the French from Gemioncourt and Lairalle. [2; 67] By the end of the day, they had regained every foot of ground they had occupied that morning. [2; 67]
On the 17th, the Allies retreated to remain in line with the Prussians. [2; 73] Cooke's Division was one of those used to disengage from the French and two of Byng's light companies were the last to break contact around 2pm, leaving behind only cavalry and horse artillery [2; 75] That evening, the light companies of all four Guards battalions secured the chateau of Hougoumont, thrusting back a French unit sent to do the same. [2; 87] The two light companies of the 2nd Guards Brigade under Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonell occupied the walled garden, the buildings, and the western portion of the woods. [2; 88]
Hougoumont was the first place attacked the morning of the Battle of Waterloo. [2; 89] Macdonell had his soldiers posted to fire through windows and over walls on specially fortified banks and parapets. [2; 88] The chateau had some loopholes in the walls already and others were created. [2;88-89] The gates had been blocked up and the flooring removed from above them so as to that the garrison could fire down upon assailants. [2;89] The light company of the Coldstream Guards took part in the repulsion of Jerome's first attacks there. [2; 90]
Not long after the initial attack, Wellington stationed the rest of Byng's brigade in columns of companies well down the slope, not far from the protected way. [2; 90] This enabled him to send four line companies of Coldstreamers to help recapture the orchard after Jerome's next attack sequence. [2; 91] They also assisted in restoring the situation on Hougoumont's eastern flank. [2;91]
At one point a giant of a Frenchman with an axe managed to break into the chateau by the north gate, which was the least-well fortified as it needed to be used to resupply the men within. [2;91] Although some French were able to break in to the courtyard, Macdonell and several other officers and men were able to shut the doors and replace the bar, while others killed or incapacitated every Frenchman who had made it inside. [2;91] Sergeant James Graham, who assisted in closing the doors, later received a small annuity for being, in Wellington's judgment, the bravest man at Waterloo. [2;91]
After this attack, four more companies of Coldstreamers were sent to reinforce Macdonell's garrison and restore the situation to the north and west of the buildings. [2;91] A second French assailing of the gate preceded their arrival, but they were cut off by the reinforcements and killed, wounded, or captured inside. [2;91-92] After another wave of attacks, all companies of Coldstreamers, other than the company with their colors, were stationed in the buildings and walled garden. [2; 92]
The Coldstream Guards were a large part of the Allied success in holding on to the chateau the entire day, despite wave upon wave of attack. [2; 90] While some 10,000 men died in and around the chateau that day, an estimated three-quarters of that number were French losses. [2; 94] Wellington was able to hold Hougoumont with a relative small proportion of men, while occupying a sizable portion of Napoleon's force and limiting the area Napoleon could otherwise attack. [2;94]
The 2nd Battalion, which had fought at Waterloo, went on to form part of the Army of Occupation in Paris, where it remained until 1816. [6]
The Coldstream Guards (officially abbreviated as such in 1855), served primarily at home for the rest of the early 19th century, other than a brief stint garrisoning Canada. [6] This changed with the Crimean War (1854-56), in which the 1st Battalion fought at the battles of Alma (1854), Inkerman (1854) and Sevastopol (1855). [6] The image above shows them exchanging fire with Russian troops at the Battle of Alma. [8] They had a few later postings in Egypt and Sudan in the 1880s. In 1897, the regiment was expanded with the addition of a 3rd battalion. The first two were then sent to fight in South Africa in the Boer War (1899-1902). [6]
The 20th century brought far more extensive combat and travel for the Coldstream Guards. When World War One came, all three battalions served on the Western Front throughout the war. They even added a temporary 4th Pioneer Battalion and 5th Reserve battalion, although the latter never left Britain before it was disbanded. World War Two opened with the 1st and 2nd Battlaions joining the British Expeditionary Force, before they were evacuated from Dunkirk. In 1941, the 1st Battalion coverted to an armoured role and served with the Guards Armoured Division, landing at Normandy with the newly raised, hostilities-only 4th and 5th Battalions. From there they made their way across Europe, ending the war on the Baltic coast. Meanwhile, the 2nd Battalion served in Tunisia and the Italian campaign. The 3rd Battalion was serving in Egypt when the war began and joined the North Africa campaign, but was captured at Tobruk in June 1942. The battalion was reformed later that year, rejoining to desert war, before it deployed to Syria, then Italy. After the war, the regiment served in various combat, peacekeeping and garrisoning roles throughout the globe, including in Germany, Kenya, the Middle East, and Northern Ireland. The 3rd Battalion was disbanded in 1959, while in 1993, the "2nd Battalion was placed in suspended animation." [6]
In the 21st century, the Guards have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. They have also participated in various NATO and UN training exercises in Europe and North America. [6]
The units here are wearing full dress, the most formal attire of soldiers, meant less for a battlefield and more for parade duty. As such, one needs not the practicalities of knapsack or bedroll, and white pantaloons (trousers?) and extra long gaiters with garters is perfectly acceptable. At least, that's what those look like. They have tall bearskin hats with little white plumes, but I find their hair more interesting. Powdered hair stopped being regulation in 1807, but it looks like all three have white hair here, though none look particularly old. I'm also not sure what the circular thing is, which is being carried by the right-most soldier. Their coatees are all cut short in the front and, seemingly, the back, with very little turn back.
Although all three are dressed predominately the same, you do get little variations. For the two soldiers facing front, you can notice their differing belt plates. Not only can you tell they are different shapes, but they carry different insignia. Although this picture is of an 1830s plate for the Coldstream Guards and is rectangular, you can still see the similarity to the oval one worn on the left, with the similar eight-pointed ray star. [9] There are also differences in the spacing of the buttons and lace. For the Coldstream Guard, the buttons are grouped in twos, whereas for the 1st Guards the spacing is uniform. The 1st Guard appears to have a greater white border around the collar as well.
If you'd like to look at the full series of weekly posts exploring Smith's Costumes of the Army of the British Empire, search the tag #CABE Project 2026
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watching youtube in the 18th century: goddddddd could you skip through the 20 minutes of thanks for your ~most gracious patron her grace the duchess of D--shire, a new maecenas & the loveliest of ladies~ and get to your handel tier listing
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