Please identify uniform - early 1800s

[km1971]

Hi Karen

Here is a coatee button to the 50th Foot. Maybe you could send it to your uncle and ask him to compare it to the originals. The top emblem may be slightly different, but it should have a prominent "50" on it.




Ken

[ShaunJ]

On Google Books there's a Royal Military Chronicle from May 1811 which has this entry:

"8th royal veteran battalion, serjeant-major William Gibbs, from the 50th foot, to be ensign, vice M'Farlane, promoted"

[karenb]

Thanks for the tip km1971 and thank you Shaun for the excerpt from the book. 

William must have done something right as he didn't buy the commision and was a 16 year old runaway when he joined the military as a drummer boy many years earlier.

He seems to have been based in Ireland for quite some time before going to Canada as 8 of 9 children (b. between 1804 and 1823) were born in Belfast & Cork with 1 born in Gibraltar and 1 dying in Lisbon - according to the family bible.

[ShaunJ]

There's also this in the Gazette 21 December 1819 p 2312:

"8th Royal Veteran Battalion

Ensign William Gibbs, from the late 7th Royal Veteran Battalion, to be Ensign. Dated 1 November 1819."

[km1971]

Hi Karen

There was no such thing as "drummer boy". They were two different ranks. A Boy was under 17/18 (depending on the period), and earned 8d a day compared to 1s 1d a day for a Private. A Drummer earned 1d a pay more than a Private. He may have been a Boy who was learning to be a Drummer, but I think he would only have received his 8d a day.

Just thought: that Shaun's post probably proves that the coatee is RVB, as he was not an officer in the 50th.

Ken

[karenb]

Thanks Ken and everyone else.

Of course the drummer boy is a family story and may be a tall tale.  I contacted my uncle and he tells me the uniform was missing most of the buttons when he had it cleaned and restored and these, unfortunately, aren't the original buttons.  He thinks he has the few remaining "original" buttons somewhere but it's another question if he can find them .

In the meantime I will search for some pics of the RV uniforms for a comparison.

Karen

[magibbs]

Hi Karen,

You and I are both direct descendants of Ens. Wm. Gibbs, and we worked together many years ago, possibly before my father, Frederick William Gibbs, died in 2005. I know you worked hard on both the Cowan and Gibbs families.

Minutes ago here on Roots Web, I found a photo of the man himself (I think), and another of the red uniform, but I can't retrieve it now. Please contact me as I would love a photo of both. We have the sword and boot hooks, together with the family Bible, and I am also happy to share photos.

I look forward to haring from you,
Ann Gibbs