This is a new addition to our Well-Dressed Men album, which until now featured caricatures and paintings of what our favorite Royal Navy officers and sailors wore during the Napoleonic Wars. Thanks to the excellent resources at the National Maritime Museum, the album now includes photographs of original garments from the period. Many of these uniforms belonged to famous heroes of the day.
Royal Marine's Dress Coat, Pattern 1782
This Royal Marines dress coat of a Major General Arthur Tooker Collins (1718-93), is constructed of red wool with cuffs and lapels faced with blue.
Royal Marine's Dress Coat, Pattern 1782
Royal Marine's Dress Coat, Pattern 1782
Royal Marine's Dress Coat, Pattern 1782
Flag Officer's Full Dress Coat, Pattern 1795-1812
This uniform, which belonged to Admiral Sir William Cornwallis (1744-1819), illustrates the principal changes to uniform regulations for the year 1795. These include the change in colour of the lapels and cuffs from white to blue and the inclusion of epaulettes.
Flag Officer's Full Dress Coat, Pattern 1795-1812
Flag Officer's Full Dress Coat, Pattern 1795-1812
Flag Officer's Full Dress Coat, Pattern 1795-1812
Epaulettes were a military fashion that came from France, and although they were not mentioned in uniform regulations until 1795, some officers wore them anyway.
Captain's Full Dress Coat, Pattern 1795-1812
This full dress coat for a captain over three years seniority once belonged to Alexander Hood.
Captain's Full Dress Coat, Pattern 1795-1812
Captain's Full Dress Coat, Pattern 1795-1812
Flag Officer's Waistcoat, Pattern 1795
On this white wool waistcoat of the 1795 pattern, the rank and status of the wearer is indicated by the pattern of the button. It is interesting to note that the waistcoat retains the three-point pocket flap, which would have been considered old fashioned in 1795.
Flag Officer's Waistcoat, Pattern 1795
Boat Cloak, Green Wool, c. 1805
Rare surviving example of outdoor protective clothing from the era. Made of a hard wearing, coarse weave green wool and lined with a similar brown wool, it gathers into a stand or fall collar and fastens with a small Royal Naval button at the neck. Said to have belonged to Captain Thomas Masterman Hardy.
Boat Cloak, Green Wool, c. 1805
Boat Cloak, Green Wool, c. 1805
Surgeon's Full Dress Coat, Pattern 1805
Full dress coat of naval surgeon Joshua Horwood, who served as surgeon's mate in HMS Prince at Trafalgar, and was promoted to surgeon in 1807. The coat features a stand-up collar, and rank is indicated by the embroidered twist motifs in metal thread on both sides of the collar, and by the buttons which are those of a warrant officer.
Surgeon's Full Dress Coat, Pattern 1805
Surgeon's Full Dress Coat, Pattern 1805
Surgeon's Waistcoat, Pattern 1805
Surgeon's Waistcoat, Pattern 1805
Lieutenant's Uniform, Pattern 1812-25
This uniform belonging to Lieutenant William Hicks is the only known surviving example of a Royal Navy lieutenant’s uniform from the Napoleonic Era (1812-25 regulation pattern).
Lieutenant's Uniform, Pattern 1812-25
Lieutenant's Uniform, Pattern 1812-25
Lieutenant's Uniform, Pattern 1812-25
Lieutenant's Breeches, Pattern 1812-25
Lieutenant's Waistcoat, Pattern 1812-25
Rear Admiral's Full Dress Coat, Pattern 1812-25
Rear Admiral's Full Dress Coat, Pattern 1812-25
Rear Admiral's Full Dress Coat, Pattern 1812-25
The crown over the anchor on the buttons was introduced in the regulations for 1812.
Captain's Dress Coat, Pattern 1812-25
This dress coat of a captain or commander clearly shows the impact of contemporary fashions on naval uniform.
Captain's Dress Coat, Pattern 1812-25
American Sailor's Sea Bag
An early example of a sea bag possibly dating as far back as 1795. It is embroidered in gold, navy and beige thread with traditional symbols of the period. Courtesy of Land and Sea Collection
American Sailor's Sea Bag, c. 1795
Courtesy of Land and Sea Collection
American Sailor's Sea Bag, c. 1795
The nineteen star, fifteen stripe flag dates from 1795 when the number of stars and stripes were increased to reflect the entry of Kentucky and Vermont into the Union. This arrangement was not changed until April 1818. Courtesy of Land and Sea Collection
American Sailor's Sea Bag, c. 1795
This handwritten name is difficult to read, possibly S.B. Haywood or R.B. Raymond. Courtesy of Land and Sea Collection
American Sailor's Sea Bag, c. 1795
Courtesy of Land and Sea Collection
American Sailor's Sea Bag, c. 1795
Courtesy of Land and Sea Collection
Sailor's Trousers
Sailor's Trousers
Sailor's Hat and Vest, Possible "Shore Going Rig"
Sailor's Hat and Vest, Possible "Shore Going Rig"
Sailor's Vest, Possible "Shore Going Rig"
Sailor's Vest, Possible "Shore Going Rig"
Sailor's Hat, Possible "Shore Going Rig"
Sailor's Hat, Possible "Shore Going Rig"
Rear Admiral's Undress Coat, Pattern 1795-1812
This coat was worn by Lord Nelson at the Battle of the Nile in 1798. The cuff of the right sleeve features a small black silk loop which was used to secure it to the front buttons of the lapels.
Rear Admiral's Undress Coat, Pattern 1795-1812
Rear Admiral's Undress Coat, Pattern 1795-1812
The back of the collar and shoulders are stained with pomatum or pig-tail grease.
Rear Admiral's Undress Coat, Pattern 1795-1812
Bicorne Hat
Worn by Lord Nelson at the Battle of Copenhagen. This hat, given by Nelson to his sword cutler, Mr Salter of 73 The Strand, was displayed in the shop window with a black card cut out, which indicated where the chelengk, a gift from the Ottoman sultan, was worn.
Bicorne Hat
Vice-Admiral's Full Dress Coat, Pattern 1795-1812
Vice-Admiral's full dress coat belonging to Lord Nelson. The coat is of blue wool cloth with blue stand-up collar, lapels and cuffs.
Vice-Admiral's Full Dress Coat, Pattern 1795-1812
Vice-Admiral's Full Dress Coat, Pattern 1795-1812
Vice-Admiral's Full Dress Coat, Pattern 1795-1812
Breeches, Pattern 1795-1812
These breeches were worn by Lord Nelson when he was mortally wounded at the Battle of Trafalgar. They were cut by surgeons scissors to be removed for treatment.
Vice-Admiral's Undress Coat, Pattern 1795-1812
Vice-admiral's undress coat worn by Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar. There is a bullet hole on the left shoulder, close to the epaulette. The damage to the epaulette itself is also apparent. There are blood stains on tails and left sleeve, which is probably that of Nelson's secretary, John Scott, killed earlier in the action.
Vice-Admiral's Undress Coat, Pattern 1795-1812
Vice-Admiral's Undress Coat, Pattern 1795-1812
Site of the fatal bullet's entry.
Vice-Admiral's Undress Coat, Pattern 1795-1812
Nelson's four orders of chivalry - Knight of the Bath, Order of the Crescent, Order of Ferdinand & Merit and Order of St Joachim - are sewn to the front of the coat and over the edge of the lapel so that it could not be unbuttoned.
Vice-Admiral's Undress Coat, Pattern 1795-1812
Vice-Admiral's Undress Coat, Pattern 1795-1812
Non-Regulation Stockings
Stockings worn by Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar.
Nelson's laundry mark, the numeral 'II' below an 'N', underneath a coronet.
Non-Regulation Wasitcoat
Waistcoat worn by Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar. The waistcoat is a non-regulation garment of white cotton marcella, woven in a diaper pattern, heavily blood stained at the left shoulder where he was mortally wounded.
Non-Regulation Wasitcoat
Non-Regulation Wasitcoat
Non-Regulation Wasitcoat
Non-Regulation Wasitcoat
Lord Nelson's Wool Flannel Undershirt
This undershirt was part of the effects returned to Lord Nelson's family after his death at Trafalgar. Though it was amongst his belongings at the time, it was not worn during the battle.
Lord Nelson's Wool Flannel Undershirt
Lord Nelson's Wool Flannel Undershirt
Right sleeve cut short and finished with a blanket stitch.
Lord Nelson's Wool Flannel Undershirt
Lord Nelson's Wool Flannel Undershirt
Lord Nelson's laundry mark, the letter N under a coronet, cross stitched at the back of the neck.
Lord Nelson's Wool Flannel Undershirt
Lord Nelson's laundry mark, the letter N under a coronet, cross stitched at the back of the neck.
Lieutenant's Uniform Coat, Pattern 1812-25 (pre conservation)
Courtesy of the 1805 Club.
Lieutenant's Epaulette, Pattern 1812-25 (pre conservation)
Courtesy of the 1805 Club.
Lieutenant's Uniform, Pattern 1812-25
This uniform belonging to Lieutenant William Hicks is the only known surviving example of a Royal Navy lieutenant’s uniform from the Napoleonic Era (1812-25 regulation pattern).
Lieutenant's Uniform, Pattern 1812-25
Lieutenant's Uniform, Pattern 1812-25
Lieutenant's Uniform, Pattern 1812-25
Lieutenant's Uniform, Pattern 1812-25
Lieutenant's Uniform, Pattern 1812-25
Lieutenant's Uniform, Pattern 1812-25
Lieutenant's Uniform, Pattern 1812-25
Lieutenant's Uniform, Pattern 1812-25
Lieutenant's Uniform, Pattern 1812-25
Lieutenant's Uniform, Pattern 1812-25
Lieutenant's Uniform, Pattern 1812-25
Lieutenant's Uniform, Pattern 1812-25
Lieutenant's Uniform, Pattern 1812-25
Lieutenant's Uniform, Pattern 1812-25
Lieutenant's Uniform, Pattern 1812-25
Lieutenant's Uniform, Pattern 1812-25
Lieutenant's Uniform, Pattern 1812-25
Lieutenant's Uniform, Pattern 1812-25
Lieutenant's Uniform, Pattern 1812-25
Lieutenant's Breeches, Pattern 1812-25
Lieutenant's Waistcoat, Pattern 1812-25
Lieutenant's Epaulette, Pattern 1812-25
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