Author: admin

The King’s Own Scottish Borderers

May 17, 2017 by 0 Comments

42

The 25th (The King’s Own Borderers) Regiment of Foot
1887 The King’s Own Scottish Borderers

 

Letter Crest

 

  Officers 1855-1881 (Ryan fig.38)

Examples of the above clasp with an apostrophe in “KING’S” also exist.

 

“THE KING’S OWN BORDERERS”

With apostrophe in “KING’S”.

Ryan describes this from notes supplied as being worn by the regiment from 1881 to 1887, before they became the Kings Own Scottish Borderers and adopted a dirk plate.

An extremely rare clasp.
(Ryan fig.190)

 

“THE KINGS OWN BORDERERS”

Without an apostrophe in “KINGS”.

A variation of Ryan 190, differences to the outer ring and also in the size of the Crown and Lion.

 

The above stamping dye also exists with a variation in the layout of the title, I’m not sure if this was prior or post 1881.

Left image is the stamp, mirrored on the right to make it readable.

 

Kings Own Scottish Borderers

Officers Dirk Plate 1887-1901.

 

“THIRD WIGTOWNSHIRE RIFLE VOLUNTEERS”

Third Wigtownshire Rifle Volunteers (Newton Stewart), Galloway Rifle Volunteers.

The South Wales Borderers

May 17, 2017 by 0 Comments

37

The 24th, or 2nd Warwickshire Regiment
1881 The South Wales Borderers

 

Letter Crests for 24th and SWB

 

“2nd WARWICKSHIRE” / “REGIMENT”

2nd Warwickshire Regiment Officers 1855-1881 (Ryan fig.37)
Beware that many fakes exist, some very good with only slight mistakes in the number/letter fonts.

 

“2nd WARWICKSHIRE” / “REGt”

2nd Warwickshire Regiment Other Rank’s pre 1871.
Beware that many fakes exist of this clasp, often of poor casting and completely incorrect wording to the title.

 

“THE SOUTH WALES BORDERERS”

Worn 1881-1901 (Ryan fig.189)

 

“1st BRECKNOCKSHIRE.R.V”

1st Brecknockshire Rifle Volunteers Officers, became 1st Volunteer Battalion the South Wales Borderers in 1885.

 

“SECOND MONMOUTHSHIRE” / “RIFLE VOLUNTEERS”

2nd Monmouthshire Rifle Volunteers Other Ranks, became 3rd Volunteer Battalion South Wales Borderers in 1885.

 

Post 1881
3rd Volunteer Battalion

 

Post 1881
4th Volunteer Battalion

 

The Royal Welsh Fusiliers

May 17, 2017 by 0 Comments

37

The 23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers
1881 The Royal Welsh Fusiliers

Letter Crests with both Welch and Welsh spelling

 

Royal Welch Fusiliers 23rd

Possibly only worn very briefly as its an extremely rare variation, with smaller feathers and much larger Arabic numbers.

Officers 1855-1881 (Ryan fig.35)

 

Royal Welch Fusiliers 23rd

Has larger feathers as per Ryan fig.36, but retains the Arabic number style of Ryan fig.35 but in the smaller style of Ryan fig.36. Again a rare variation and probably only worn briefly.

Variation of Ryan fig.35 and Ryan fig.36

 

Royal Welch Fusiliers 23rd

Officers 1855 ? -1881 (Ryan fig.36)
Variation in size of plumb and style of numbers (Roman).

 

Other Ranks pre 1871 with WELSH spelling

Officers 1881-1901 (Ryan fig.188)

Volunteer Battalion 1881-1901

Volunteer Battalion 1881-1901

 

“DENBIGHSHIRE” / “RIFLE VOLUNTEERS”

1st Denbighshire Rifle Volunteers, later 4th (Denbighshire) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers (June 1884).

 

The Cheshire Regiment

May 17, 2017 by 1 Comment

29

The 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment
1881 The Cheshire Regiment

 

Letter Crests

 

“CHESHIRE” / “REGIMENT”

22nd Cheshire Regiment Officers 1855-1881 (Ryan fig.34)

 

“CHESHIRE” / “REGIMENT”

22nd Cheshire Regiment Officers

A variation in the font and size of the lettering and the style of the “2” has been noted.

Photo Needed.

 

 

“THE CHESHIRE” / “REGIMENT”

22nd Cheshire Regiment Ranks Pre 1871

 

 

“CHESHIRE” / “REGIMENT”

Cheshire Regiment Officers 1881 – 1901 (Ryan fig.187)

 

“CHESHIRE REGIMENT”

Dress regulations 1900 suggests an example exists with a gilt coronet, confirmed by the above example.

(photo courtesy of a private collection)

 

“CHESHIRE REGIMENT” Volunteer Bn 1881-1908 Officers.

 

“CHESHIRE REGIMENT” / “4th VOL BATTn” 1881-1908 Officers.

 

“4th VOLr BATTN CHESHIRE REGIMENT” Brass Other Ranks. 1880-1908.

(photo courtesy of a private collection)

 

 

“CHESTER VOLUNTEER RIFLES” Officers.

 

“CHESTER VOLUNTEER RIFLES” Other Ranks. White Metal.

 6th (Chester Rifles) Corps 1859-80.

 

“CHESTER VOLUNTEER RIFLES” Other Ranks. Brass.

 6th (Chester Rifles) Corps 1859-80.

(photo courtesy of a private collection)

 

“3rd BATTALn CHESHIRE” / “RIFLE VOLUNTEERS” Officers.

“3rd BATTALn CHESHIRE” / “RIFLE VOLUNTEERS” Officers. Variation.

 

“3rd BATTALn CHESHIRE” / “RIFLE VOLUNTEERS” Other Ranks 1887-1890.

(photo courtesy of a private collection)

13th (Astley Rifles) (Dukinfield) Corps Officers Brass 1860-1880

(photo courtesy of a private collection)

 

“VOLUNTEER RIFLES” / “STOCKPORT”

17th (Stockport) Corps 1860-1880

(photo courtesy of a private collection)

 

24th (Frodham) Corps Officers 1877-1880

(photo courtesy of a private collection)

 

“CHESHIRE VOLUNTEER RIFLES” Other Ranks

35th XXXV (Bromborough) Corps 1863-80.

(photo courtesy of a private collection)

“CHESHIRE VOLUNTEER RIFLES” Other Ranks

36th (Crewe) Corps 1865-80.

(photo courtesy of a private collection)

 

“CHESHIRE VOLUNTEER RIFLES” Other Ranks / “CHESHIRE RIFLE VOLUNTEERS” Other Ranks.

 

 

 

 “CHESHIRE RIFLE VOLUNTEERS” 5 BATTn Other Ranks. 1878-1908.

(photo courtesy of a private collection)

 

“FIRST ROYAL CHESHIRE” / “MILITIA” Officers.

 

“1st ROYAL CHESHIRE” / “MILITIA”

1st Royal Cheshire Regiment Militia Officers

(photo courtesy of a private collection)

 

“SECOND ROYAL” / “CHESHIRE”

Second Royal Cheshire Officers.

(photo courtesy of a private collection)

“SECOND ROYAL” / “CHESHIRE”

Second Royal Cheshire Officers. Variation larger plumb and coronet

(photo courtesy of a private collection)

 

 “2nd ROYAL CHESHIRE” / “REGIMENT”

2nd Royal Cheshire Regiment Other Ranks

(photo courtesy of a private collection)

 

“CHESHIRE” / “REGIMENT” Royal Cheshire Militia 3rd and 4th Battalion 1881-1902.

Gilt centre. (photo courtesy of a private collection)

 

 

 

 

The Royal Scots Fusiliers

May 17, 2017 by 0 Comments
Read More

32

The 21st, Royal North British Fusiliers
1877 The 21st Foot, Royal Scots Fusiliers
1881 The Royal Scots Fusiliers

Letter Crest

“ROYAL NORTH BRITISH” / “FUSILIERS”

Officers 1855-1877
(Ryan fig.32)

 

“ROYAL NORTH BRITISH” / “FUSILIERS”

Slight manufacturing variation. Officers 1855-1877
(Ryan fig.32)

 

“ROYAL NORTH BRITISH” / “FUSILIERS” Pre.1871. Centre would be the numerals “21”.

 

“ROYAL SCOTS” / “FUSILIERS”

Officers 1877-1881
(Ryan fig.33)

 

Possible Royal Scots Fusiliers Officer Dirk belt buckle ????.

 

“AYRSHIRE RIFLE VOLUNTEERS”

Ayrshire Rifle Volunteers. Centre is a Victorian crown.

In 1887 became 1st Volunteer Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers.

 

“ROYAL SCOTS FUSILIERS”

Royal Scots Fusiliers 1881-1890 Dirk plate.

 

The Lancashire Fusiliers

May 17, 2017 by 0 Comments

26

The 20th, East Devon Regiment of Foot
1881 The Lancashire Fusiliers

 

Letter Crests

“EAST DEVONSHIRE” / “REGIMENT”

20th East Devonshire Regiment Officers 1855-1881
(Ryan fig.31)

 

“THE LANCASHIRE FUSILIERS”

The Lancashire Fusiliers Officers 1881-1901
(Ryan fig.186)

 

“THE LANCASHIRE” / “FUSILIERS”

The Lancashire Fusiliers Officers 1881-1901
Variation in the title, “THE LANCASHIRE” over “FUSILIERS”

 

“THE LANCASHIRE” / “FUSILIERS”

The Lancashire Fusiliers Volunteer Battalion 1881-1901

 

7th Lancashire Militia

Officers  silver 1859 hallmarked.

7th Lancashire Militia raised at Bury 1855.

Became 7th Royal Lancashire Militia in 1864.

Became 3rd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers 1881.

Re-designated  5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers in 1898.

Ex. Hugh King collection and described as 24th (Rochdale) Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corp, however I have seen photographic evidence that members of the 7th Lancashire Militia actually wore this clasp.

(24th Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps,  formed at Rochdale 24th February 1860, re-designated 12th in 1880 and became 2nd VB Lancashire Fusiliers in 1883.)

7th Lancashire Militia

Other Ranks, white metal.

 

The Princess of Wales’s Own (Yorkshire Regiment)

May 17, 2017 by 0 Comments

26

The 19th, or 1st York North Riding Regiment
1875 The 19th (1st York North Riding, Princess of Wales’s Own Regiment)
1882 The Princess of Wales’s Own (Yorkshire Regiment)

 

Letter Crests

“REGIMENT”

19th Regiment, Officers pre 1881
Sold as Indian, but the centre is identical to the standard 19th wbc.
The outer ring title is a variation on the normal outer ring used by other line regiments and does not conform to Indian use.

 

“1st YORK NORTH RIDING” / “REGIMENT”

19th Regiment, 1st York North Riding Regiment Officers pre 1881
One dot below ST of 1st.
(Ryan fig.30)

 

“1st YORK NORTH RIDING” / “REGIMENT”

19th Regiment, 1st York North Riding Regiment Officers pre 1881
One short line below ST of 1st.


Another slight variation exists with 2 dots below the ST of 1st, and a different style 1 in the centre.
(Ryan fig.31) PHOTO NEEDED

 

“1st YORK NORTH RIDING” / “REGIMENT”

19th Regiment, 1st York North Riding Regiment Officers

Worn briefly between 1875-1881.

Interesting later variation with a Dannebrog cross dated 1875, which was then adopted in the 1881 design. Not merely an altered clasp from an earlier design as it lacks a dot below the st of “1st”

 

“1st York North RIDING” / “REGIMENT”

19th Regiment, 1st York North Riding Regiment Other Ranks (pre 1871)

 

 

“THE YORKSHIRE” / “REGIMENT”

The Yorkshire Regiment Officers, worn 1881-1901
(Ryan fig.184)

 

“THE YORKSHIRE” / “REGIMENT”

The Yorkshire Regiment Officers, worn 1881-1901
Variation of above with a larger central cypher.
(Ryan fig.184 variation)

Ryan fig.185 shows another example worn briefly in 1902, the A is no longer flattened below the crown. Photo Needed.

 

“NORTH YORK” / “VOLUNTEERS”

North York Volunteers became 1st Volunteer Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment in 1883.

 

“THE YORKSHIRE” / “REGIMENT”

The Yorkshire Regiment 1st Volunteer Battalion

 

“SCARBOROUGH VOLUNTEER RIFLES”

Formed 1860 as 6th Corps, became “D” and “E” companies of 2nd Corps in 1880. Became 2nd Volunteer Battalion Yorkshire Regiment in 1883.

 

“5th West York” / “MILITIA”

 

 

The Royal Irish Regiment

May 17, 2017 by 0 Comments

36

The 18th, Royal Irish Regiment
1881 The Royal Irish Regiment

Letter Crest

“VIRTUTIS NAMURCENSIS PRAEMIUM”

Royal Irish Regiment Officers, 1855-1881

“Virtutis Namurcensis Praemium” – Reward for Valour at Namur
(Ryan fig.28)

Other Rank’s Pre.1871

“THE ROYAL IRISH REGIMENT”

The Royal Irish Regiment Officers, 1881-1901
smaller wreath
(Ryan fig.182)

“THE ROYAL IRISH REGIMENT”

The Royal Irish Regiment Officers, larger wreath touching the crown.
(Ryan fig.183)

 

“ROYAL IRISH”

“ARMAGH” / “LIGHT INFANTRY”

Armagh Light Infantry Militia became 3rd Battalion Royal Irish Regiment in 1881.

 

“KILKENNY” / “MILITIA”

Kilkenny Fusiliers Militia, became 4th Battalion the Royal Irish Regiment in 1881.

The Leicestershire Regiment

May 17, 2017 by 0 Comments

36

This page in memory of the late Philip Dunkley, a true gent and Leicestershire collector.

 

The 17th, or Leicestershire Regiment
1881 The Leicestershire Regiment

 

Letter Crests

An early officers wbc exists with the title “LEICESTERSHIRE REGt” with just a very large tiger above a large 17, with no crown as a centre, (Ryan fig.25).
PHOTO NEEDED

Officers 1855-1881 with smaller Tiger and “17”.
(Ryan fig.26)

Officers 1855-1881 with larger Tiger and “17”.
(Variation Ryan fig.26)

Officers 1855-1881

(Ryan fig.27 but with smaller Tiger)

 

Comparing the two Tigers, the head is turned more, the front legs are changed, the grass is shorter, the tail goes over the back leg rather than between the back legs. The 17 is larger. The base of the crown is straightened.

 

Possibly 3rd Leicestershire (Militia) Battalion (formerly the Leicestershire Militia).

Unusual clasp, not simply a regular 17th silvered.

 

Other Rank’s Pre 1871 “Leicestershire Regiment”

Other Ran’s Pre 1871 “The Leicestershire Regiment”, centre would be the same as the previous example “17”, but outer ring has “THE” in the title.

Post 1881 Officers (Ryan fig.181)

 

Post 1881 Officers (Ryan fig.181)

Variation with smaller/thinner tiger and larger harp.

 

Post 1881 Officers, (similar to Ryan fig.181 except for differences noted below)

 

Three versions of the post 1881 Officers waist belt clasp have been noted, Outer ring title is unchanged.

On the first it has a larger Hindoostan title and harp with 6 strings engraved on a solid metal so there are no air gaps between the strings.

On the second it has the larger Hindoostan title, but the tiger is reduced in size and slimmed to allow for a larger harp. The harp has 6 strings with air gaps between the strings. The top of the harp is also not attached to the land under the tiger.

On the third it has a smaller Hindoostan title and 10 strings to the Harp and a larger tiger.

 

“THE LEICESTERSHIRE REGt” / “1st VOLr BATTn”

The Leicestershire Regiment 1st Volunteer Battalion Officers.

 

“THE LEICESTERSHIRE REGt” / “1st VOLr BATTn”

The Leicestershire Regiment 1st Volunteer Battalion Other Ranks.

The Bedfordshire Regiment

May 17, 2017 by 0 Comments

35

The 16th, Bedfordshire Regiment
1881 The Bedfordshire Regiment

 

 

Letter Crests

“BEDFORDSHIRE” / “REGIMENT”

Bedfordshire Regiment Officers 1855-1881
(Ryan fig.24)

 

“BEDFORDSHIRE” / “REGIMENT”

Bedfordshire Regiment Officers 1855-1881

Variation with smaller Crown and numbers, and lettering around the outer ring.
(Ryan fig.24)

 

“BEDFORDSHIRE” / “REGIMENT”

Bedfordshire Regiment Officers 1855-1881

Variation with smaller Crown and numbers, and lettering around the outer ring, and different separation “*” between “BEDFORDSHIRE” and “REGIMENT”.

 

16th Bedfordshire Regiment Other Ranks 1855-1871.

 

Hertfordshire Rifle Volunteers 1878-1881

 

Officer 1881-1900
(Ryan fig,180)

Lacks enamel to the rear of the stag.

 

 

“BEDFORDSHIRE” / “REGIMENT”

Bedfordshire Regiment Officer 1900-1901
(Ryan fig,180)

1900 Dress regulations call for the blue enamel background to the stag.

 

 

“BEDFORDSHIRE” / “REGIMENT”

Bedfordshire Regiment Officers waist belt clasp.

1st Volunteer Battalion, no enamel behind stag

“HERTFORDSHIRE” / “RIFLE VOLUNTEERS”

Officers 1st Hertfordshire Rifle Volunteers waist belt clasp.

Became 2nd (Hertfordshire) Volunteer Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment.

 

“BEDFORDSHIRE” / “REGIMENT”

Bedfordshire Regiment Officers waist belt clasp.

Volunteer Battalion, blued enameled background to the stag,  possibly only worn very briefly 1901-1902?

 

“BEDFORDSHIRE REGIMENT” / “3rd VOLr BATTn”

3rd Volunteer Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment Officers waist belt clasp.

 

“BEDFORDSHIRE” / “LIGHT INFANTRY”

Bedfordshire Light Infantry Militia

Became 3rd Battalion (Militia) Bedfordshire Regiment in 1881

“HARTFORD” / “MILITIA”

Officers Silvered Ends/Circle, Gilt Centre.

Hertfordshire Militia

Became 4th Battalion (Militia) Bedfordshire Regiment in 1881

 

Another version of the above exists in with Gilt Ends.

 

“HARTS REGt” / “MILITIA” Other Ranks

Hertfordshire Militia

Became 4th Battalion (Militia) Bedfordshire Regiment in 1881

 

1st Hertfordshire Rifle Volunteer Corps: redesignated 1st (Hertfordshire) Volunteer Battalion in 1887

2nd Hertfordshire Rifle Volunteer Corps: redesignated 2nd (Hertfordshire) Volunteer Battalion in 1887

 

“BEDFORDSHIRE” / “RIFLES”

Bedforshire Rifles, became 3rd Volunteer Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment in 1887

 

 

“HUNTINGDON RIFLE VOLUNTEERS”

The first volunteer unit in Huntingdonshire was raised in Huntingdon in 1860 as the 1st Huntingdonshire Rifle Volunteer Corps. By June 1880, it had been reduced to J Company, 1st Cambridgeshire Rifle Volunteer Corps at St. Neots. J Company was disbanded in 1889.

On 4 December 1900, the 4th Volunteer Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment was raised with headquarters at Huntingdon and eight companies at Huntingdon, St. Ives, Fletton, and St. Neots. In April 1901, it was redesignated as the 4th (Huntingdonshire) Volunteer Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment.[1]