This illustration, probably by Richard Simkin, was reproduced in Volume 2 of Loraine Petre’s History of the Norfolk Regiment. The reproduction is poor as this is taken from the online version published by archive.org.
The drummer is similar to the one portrayed in the 1806 painting. But the drum-major shows the uniform that differed in so many respects from the drummers and the rest of the regiment. His bicorn hat is well decorated with silver lace and feathers, and his coat, although buttoned down the front, has red lapels and silver lace. He is armed with a sword slung from a shoulder belt, and he has a drum-major’s sash on his left shoulder bearing ornamental drumsticks. Around his waist is a sergeant’s sash that has a central yellow stripe. His mace is topped with a silver ornament of regimental pattern and has silver cords crossing all the way down to two silver tassels.
Simkin has based these figures on a well-known print published in 1815, of a drum-major and Pioneer of a Regiment of the Line. This is shown below for comparison. The artist, Charles Hamilton Smith does not identify the regiment but the figures belong to a regiment that had green facings. Simkin has simply exchanged yellow for green in his illustration. The boys behind them are a drummer and fifer of the grenadier company. The drummer-boy has his drum carriage slung over his right shoulder whereas Simkin has hung it around the drummer’s neck.
The regiment had a band, mentioned in an inspection report of 1773, although there is no information on the instruments or the number of musicians. Another inspection, by Lt-General Garth in 1798, at Yarmouth has more information; ‘two sergeants and nine privates clothed as musicians.’ Apparently a very strong band for the time. The colonel would have had to pay for these men, their uniforms and instruments as they were not on the official establishment. Although the drum-major was in charge of the drummers and fifers he would also have been involved in the drilling of the band musicians and led the corps of drums and band combined, for parades and marching before an audience.
