Early Victorian & Previous
Prince Albert's Own Leicestershire Regiment
LYC Officer

Above and below is a representation of an LYC Officers undress uniform c1848. The Stable Jacket is blue with scarlet collar and cuffs and the reverse of full dress. The lace and shoulder chords are silver as are the buttons and seed studs. The waistcoat is scarlet with silver lace and braid.


Drawings by Reynolds of the LYC uniform.


A tailors drawing of the LYC waistcoat c1848. Note the zigzag pattern of the silver lace that edges the waistcoat, very similar to the Bucks Hussars.


Representation of Undress Uniform c1861 based on the picture below, The jacket pictured above right is a stable jacket of the Fife and Forfar Imperial Yeomanry, this represents the same style of jacket.


 Leicestershire Yeomanry Officers (undress uniform) in 1861, Col. Legh-Keck's portrait can be seen in the background. The Gentleman seated on the far right appears to be holding the 1860 pattern leather helmet. The Officers wear a  stable jacket that is Royal blue with scarlet collar and cuff edged in silver lace. The cross belts appear to be black leather, the caps silver and blue with a black brim and silver edge. The Sabretache gives the appearance of a boundary of broad silver lace with the Royal crown above "LYC" in silver cord.
** This picture now hangs in one of the rooms of the Leicester City Council Offices.


Lt. Col Legh-Keck, Commandant of Prince Albert's Own Yeomanry Cavalry 1796-1860, here seen in a portrait 1856. His uniform is the same colour as in the picture below (QM. J Kirk) with the exception of the later Shako Helmet. The Silver lace stripes on his overalls is formal Officers dress according to the dress regulations set by the Colonel (below).
** The portrait hangs in the City Rooms, Hotel Street, Leicester (which until about 1984 was the County Rooms, until ownership transferred to the City Council.) The City Council did operate the City Rooms but now it is leased out and operates under the same name as restaurant & conference facilities.

Dress Regulations
(by Lieut. Colonel Comdt. G A L Keck)
c1844
Regimental Appointments
Light Dragoons
 

LYC Officer in review order c1857

Jacket: Scarlet, double-breasted; Collar, Cuffs and turn-backs the colour of regimental facings (Royal Blue), Silver bullion back-pieces.

Leicestershire Yeomanry Cavalry Officer's short tail Coatee. A rare example of scarlet cloth with dark blue facings to the collar and cuffs. Each is decorated with silver lace, to the crown of the tail is a silver bullion twist cord waterfall ornament, To the front is a double row of eight buttons . Regimental buttons can be found to the tails and a pair are mounted to each cuff. The interior with white silk lining. Fitted with a single 1830 pattern shoulder scale mounted with a Regimental button.


Above is a representation of full dress c 1848 and the plain single-breasted dark-blue frock coat. The frock-coat has a Prussian collar, a single row of silver buttons at the front and three silver buttons on each cuff. The shoulder chords are a single twist on the frock coat with an interchangeable shoulder scales as required (see below).


 A Tailors drawing c1848


White metal buttons can be seen on Col Keck's tunic .

Epaulettes: Skirts, plain lace straps, silver double bullion crescent.

 

Trousers: Royal Blue, with two stripes of silver lace an inch wide.
Waist Belt: Silver lace 1 inch wide, morocco lining and edging, with plated lions heads ornaments, fastenings in front with a snake.




Sabretache: leather, pocket edged round with silver lace, embroidered with "Prince Albert's Own" and "LYC" in centre, and crown above, three rings at the top for slings of belts in red morocco case.

Click on image for more detail......
Post 1844 Dress Sabretache

Pouch belt: Sliver lace lining to correspond with waist belt; Pouch box, red leather, red cloth face, silver lace edging round, embroidered with "Prince Albert's Own" and "LYC" and a crown in centre.


Pouch belt lace pattern (and buttons) can be seen clearly.

Officer's cross belt pouch (Pre 1844).
Originally in the collection of the late Lord Hazlerigg (LY), Lowesby Hall, Leicestershire.

Headdress
Chaco (Shako): Black "Beaver" (Top Hat type) with silver lace band, regimental ornaments in front, "Prince Albert's Own" and "L.Y.C"; Plated chains with Lions Head, and good cord lines with acorns. (*** "Beaver" is the same material used in Top hats of the time. This would only refer to the Officers Shako's the ranks and file would have japanned leather Shako's)

Plume: White drooping feathers, gilt socket. (OR white drooping horsehair)



Dress Regulations
Field Dress


Quartermaster J. Kirk of the Leicester Yeomanry Cavalry, 1841.
The painting may be viewed at Leicester Museums & Galleries collections,

New Walk Museum, 53 New Walk

Leicester

 In this painting the detail of the light dragoon uniform is plain to see, the red tunic, blue collar and cuff edged  with sliver lace with (what appears to be) a blue and red/blue striped stable belt and silver buttons; also  silver shoulder scales of the period. Double red stripe on the Royal blue overalls; You may also note that the regiment can be seen in the background in exactly the same uniform. Note also that the Fur (Tarleton type) helmet has silver fixings. His horse furniture includes a black lambskin and bridal chain. The sword appears to be an 1822 pattern.

Jacket: Shoulder-Scales, German silver, lined with Royal blue cloth.


 An original example shown here above does not have shoulder scales attached.

Trousers: Regimental pattern with two stripes of scarlet cloth.
Frock Coat: Blue single breasted with one row of uniform buttons, and "Prussian Blue" collar with silver shoulder-scales.


In this portrait (1843) of Prince Albert, the Prince Consort, you can see the Prussian Blue collar (as seen on 1st Queens Dragoon Guards hat band on their service caps today). It is a velvet type material.

Single breasted frock coat, the shoulder scales slide onto shoulder strap and lock in place via a sewn in "turn" lock fixing. An original pair of LYC shoulder scales can be seen below.

The reverse side has been soldered, this is a common modern modification for display purposes.
Shoulder Scales Button (early),
examples in Griff M-J's Collection. 		Shoulder Scales Button (later),
examples in the Officer's Mess B (LDYPAO) Squadron, RY.



19th century Leicestershire Yeomanry Cavalry shoulder scale. A scarce single mid 19th Century nickel shoulder scale bearing silvered regimental button. The strap part of the scale is engraved to appear as separate scales but is all one piece. Scale retains three of four original fixing loops to reverse as well as dark blue cloth backing. These shoulder scales feature in J.R.GAUNT & SON PATTERN BOOK c1904-10, on page 73 Fig B 830 under the title "Old and curious badges".
  

Cloak: Blue, lined with scarlet and scarlet collar.

Forage cap: Blue cloth, silver lace, black patent leather peak, embroidered.
Horse furniture: Hussar Saddle and bridle and sealskin (shabraque).

Light Dragoon


LYC Tarleton helmet c1820

LYC Officers full dress jacket c1820.

Officer's Jacket, Leicestershire yeomanry, Circa 1808
By the Rev. Percy Sumner, F.S.A., F.R.Hist.S.
(Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research, Volume twenty-Five - 1947, Page 128)

To the kind offices of Mr. H J T Aldridge, of 6 Queens Parade, Bath, the present owner, we owe the photographs of the Officer's jacket. Before the jacket came into his possession it belonged to Mr Norman Bragge, of Rye, Sussex, and Mr. Percy White of Folkstone, who had it in his keeping for a time, kindly lent it to me, with Mr. Bragge's permission, along with certain other items of uniform connected with it, from which I was able to make careful notes and measurements. The jacket was in use in 1808, or even earlier.

This jacket is of scarlet cloth , with three rows of silver buttons on the breast arranged 17 in each row in "page boy" fashion, The collar, cuffs and turn backs are sky blue, laced with silver. The buttons are balls , 1/2 inch in diameter, bearing the device of a crown over the letterts "L.Y." Collar 3 1/2 inches high, open in front and secured by two hooks and eyes, has two twist holes with buttons on each side, and a border of 1 inch lace. the cuffs are pointed and have one button and hole above the lace, and another button without hole lower down. The shoulder scales have 14 circular silver plates overlapping in the strap, and 10 similar plates each side on the wing parts. The straps and wings are edged with a narrow silver fringe all around except the bottom of the wings, with has 36 bullions with fringe in between them.

The silver lace throughout is of a special pattern, called "Denmark" in Bulmore & Patrick's pattern book, under date December 1827. This had been worn from about 1803and was retained in Levee dress up to 1939. Short skirts measuring 8 inches to the extremity of the centre lace, and 8 inches across the bottom.


Officer's Jacket, Leicestershire Yeomanry, c1808

Mr Aldridge has also another jacket exactly similar, except that it has the later closed collar, slightly larger shoulder scales, and there is a piece of bullion fringe, about 3 inches long, between the two waist buttons at the back. This jacket was introduced in about 1820 (Pictured, in colour, above). The other items which were lent were as follows :- Two pairs of overalls, both of sky blue cloth, with fall down fronts and no straps at the foot. One pair has a double row of 1 inch silver lace, with scarlet piping in between, 2/5 of an inch wide. The other pair has a double scarlet cloth stripe. The blue of the overalls is somewhat darker than that of the facings of the jacket, mentioned above. A valise of the same shade of blue cloth as the overalls, the circular ends of which, and also the openings, are piped with red. there is no lettering on the ends. Crimson sash to fasten round the waist like a belt, pleated in seven folds and made of watered silk 3 1/2 inches wide, the fringe of a stringy appearance, 8 inches long. Sword belt white leather, with gilt circular lion's-head bosses, and slings for sabretache.

A light Dragoons helmet was also included, about which Mr. Aldridge remarks :- "Practically every vestige of fur has disappeared from the crest, leaving only the skin; apart from this the helmet is almost the most perfect specimen, as to completeness and condition, of a Light Dragoon helmet I have ever seen, the red and white plume and the thin pink silk turban being beautifully clean and fresh; and I speak from the experience of having had ten various helmets of this pattern in my possession at one time or another." This helmet was worn later than 1815, as it has chin scales introduced for helmets of this type, which continued to be worn by the Yeomanry regiments long after they had been discarded by the regular cavalry. A similar helmet, complete with the fur crest hackle and plume, was presented to the Leicester Museum in 1935 by Mr and Mrs Arthur Bates (see colour photo above).

The Leicestershire Yeomanry provide the only known instance of the use of a jacket combining the tails worn by the Heavy Cavalry at the beginning of the 19C with the three rows of buttons on the front worn by the majority of the Yeomanry Regiments.

 

His Grace the Duke of Rutland, as Colonel of the Leicestershire Provisional Cavalry (1797-1800).

Field Officer
Leicester Yeomanry Cavalry c1794


Notes by Harry Payne that came with the sketch: Picture of an Officer - 1794? No. 2128 Watercolour very faded uncertain if lace & buttons are gold or silver

(Above) A sketch by the artist Harry Payne, taken at a Military Exhibition in Chelsea, London,  in 1890.



What is believed to be the first uniform in 1794 for the Loyal Leicestershire Volunteer Cavalry. Colonel Skeffington is pictured in this uniform. Below is the uniform of an Officer of the 15th Light Dragoons of around 1768.