1882 Black Watch Piper Uniform Help Please

[Barry S]

Hello,

I apologise if this question has been answered previously, but I searched through the forum without much success, however I may well have had what my wife and no doubt many other wives calls a man-look...

I was wondering if some one could please confirm the colour of the doublets (jackets?) and tartan worm by bagpipers of the Black Watch during the Anglo-Egyptian War of 1882?

I have seen illustrations of piper wearing red doublets/government tartan, red doublets/Royal Stewart and green doublets/Royal Stewart.

Thank you for any assistance you can give.

Barry

[Ranthony]

Hi Barry,

This one had me stuck too.

I'll post a contemporary artwork below as it shows green?

I too have seen red but that was a dramatisation by an American artist the following year.

I've emailed the Black watch museum, hopefully they'll be able to respond, present circumstances allowing.

[Plynkes]

Nice one, Ranthony. Let's hope they get back to you.


I wasn't ignoring the thread, the reason I didn't respond was that I haven't got a bloody clue! None of my reference books go into this kind of detail. 

[Ranthony]

I was expecting something in one of my blandford books Plynkes.
He's very thorough on highland uniforms but this one is proving elusive.

Had a reply from the museum Barry, looks like a waiting game in you're after a concrete answer.

*** Thank you for your enquiry. As Scotland is in full lockdown The Black Watch Castle and Museum is closed. Therefore, we are unable to process any research enquiries. You may therefore wish to re-submit your request again in a few months’ time when we very much hope to be re-opened.

 

Kind Regards

Leanor Blackhall

Marketing and Commercial Executive

[Plynkes]

I can't believe the Marketing and Commercial Executive didn't know the answer off the top of her head!

Pff! What kind of people are the Black Watch hiring these days?

[Ranthony]

I'll wager she was sat there typing away, dressed to the nines in an antique 1882 Black watch pipers tunic, laughing through the cigar smoke at the power she wields.

Keep the plebs guessing.

[Barry S]

Thank you Gentlemen!

Thanks Ranthony. I genuinely appreciate you sending the email.

The illustration you shared and the other one you mentioned are a couple of the reasons I thought I'd ask the question. I've also seen some painted miniatures wearing red doublets and began wondering if there had indeed been a change and that maybe the green doublet was just painted that colour by default.

I have Michael Barthorp's British Infantry Uniforms Since 1660 and it states that Pipers wore a green doublet in the 1855 - 1880 section which is the reference I used on my previous piper. I wouldn't have thought it would have changed to red as the colour is green in other examples I found painted at a later date, but perhaps I missed something in the later information regarding the uniform changes in 1881.

I had the the same question regarding the wearing of the Royal Stewart tartan.

I don't generally consider myself a button or rivet counter, I do like to use historical references where possible, but now I am
just curious to know.   

I'll wager she was sat there typing away, dressed to the nines in an antique 1882 Black watch pipers tunic, laughing through the cigar smoke at the power she wields.

Keep the plebs guessing.

Thanks once again.

[Ranthony]

Happy to join the quest Barry.
That's the book I was looking at, it's been sat on my shelf for a good while and is getting a thorough read again, thanks for that .

Just to throw a spanner in the works, here's a picture I found online today, entitled black watch at the sphinx after the battle of tel el kebir 1882.

If you look on the left, there appears to be a piper with his kilt over-shoulder in the beige/grey? that all others wear.

I've noticed there is also a Black watch association with a forum online, veterans for the most part it seems.
I'll drop them a line tomorrow and post up if it yields fruit.

All the best

[dadlamassu]

It might be worth trying the Scottish Military Research Group
http://www.scottishmilitaryresearch.co.uk/