The officer is not named but the portrait is signed and dated by the artist Thomas Guest 1798. He wears a red coat with yellow collar and lapels edged with white. The single epaulette on the right shoulder is plain silver without a badge so this is an officer serving in a battalion company. The distinctive crescent-shaped belt plate has a number 10 within a ring and the buttons also have 10 in the centre.
The cocked hat is black, worn fore-and-aft, as seen in a pair of silhouette miniatures of the same period. The loop of silver lace and button are worn on the right side, a gold tassel is on the front corner and presumably on the back. The plume is white over red.
The portrait was reproduced in the Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research vol LI no.206 (Summer 1973). The article was written by Major A M Annand who quotes from the collection of notes and illustrations belonging to D Hastings Irwin. Four items of dress of officers of the 10th are written out:
A rough sketch of a coat worn from 1805 to 1812 shows the coat buttoned up to the throat, the buttons in pairs and one on the collar. The front of the coat is edged with white. The belt plate is the crescent.
The second item is a sketch from a tailor’s book dated c1800 with a description, ‘Scarlet coat, turned white Rattinet except back stump, yellow cloth lappels, cuffs and stand-up collar. Lappels to button over, or back, with hooks and eyes all down.’ The buttons are evenly spaced.
The next item is a sketch of a coat made for the Colonel, Hon. Henry Edward Fox (Colonel 1795 - 1810). The description says, “Scarlet jacket turned up with white, yellow lappels, cuffs and collar. 10 holes in lappel and one hole each end of collar and small buttons. Four small buttons to cuff. Four to straight flap. To hook back. White skirts; hooks and eyes; edged white all round, except bottom of collar; buttons at bottom of pleat, holes all regular 30/12 buttons; lappels 4” to 6.25”, bottom 2.25”.
The last drawing is of a belt-plate which is the crescent, but this time the whole design is placed on a rectangular plate. Annand says ‘This was doubtless in use at a date later than that shown in this portrait.’
