Nelson & His World

An interesting snip about a Trafalgar survivor's uniform:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ds-newsxml

The story also appeared in The Times which has a paywall so I can't include the link. The Times piece noted that the uniform had one epaulette, confirming that this was the pattern for junior officers.

The curator at the NMM said that epaulettes were allowed after complaints by Royal Navy officers to the Admiralty: 'No one will respect us without epaulettes.' Apparently, they were also envious of Army offcers who were allowed to wear them, and were consequently more dashing at dances.'

Epaulettes became part of official uniform in 1812, although, members will recall, some officers like Sir Alexander Ball wore them long before that, and incurred Nelson's disdain. 'A great coxcomb,' he called the man who was to become a dear friend.

A poem commemorating the introduction of epaulettes appeared in the Naval Chronicle:

No longer at the splendid ball
Or party, or assembly, shall
The haughty fair one scorn you;
For now, as well as soldier fine
Or of militia or the line,
Shall golden 'squab' adorn you...'

Anna,

The story of Lieutenant Hick's unifom has also appeared in the 1805 club's 'Kedge anchor' and the Nelson Society's 'Nelson Dispatch'. Small parties have been to see it being conserved at the NMM, where it is apparently to go on display alongside Nelson's uniform.

The 'members' of the 1805 club mentioned in the newsaper article, were actually the Chairman Peter Warwick, and Vice Chairman, Bill White, who understandably were amazed when they first saw it!

I believe epaulettes were actually introduced in 1795, although for ranks above lieutenant. They were extended to lieutenants 'by popular request' (according to Brian Lavery's 'Nelson's Navy'), one being worn on the right shoulder. He also gives the date as 1813, but I have seen it as 1812 elsewhere.