| The photographs displaying Yeomanry
Cavalrymen are usually pretty straightforward to identify, being
taken by studios in the city were the troops are located.
It's not the case however with this one ;
Leamington is a small place of Warwickshire, better known as
Leamington Spa and for the "Royal Pump Room and Bath"
opened there in 1814, and extensively refurbished in 1862.
Nettervill Briggs plied his trade there between 1864 and 1877. The
backplate for this photo states he was awarded "seven medals
for Artistic Portraiture", which by the way I thoroughly
believe -and approve- on the basis of that most splendid specimen.
This uniform is certainly not one of the Warwickshire
Yeomnary.
It displays many specificities : a chest
braiding quite similar to the Royal Horse Artillery, though it
differs in the colour of the braiding (here white or silver) and
the five rows of buttons it sports. The busby does not have a
boss, and the busby bag has no braid or button. The booted
overalls are adorned with some dark stripes, contrasting with the
white/silver ones that would typically go with white/silver chest
braiding.
These lead us to attribute the uniform to
the Leicestershire Yeomanry (incidentally a county neighbouring
Warwickshire) ; the busby bag is thus scarlet, and the pume white
over a scarlet base. The overalls are dark blue with two scarlet
stripes.
The Leicestershire Yeomanry was raised at
a meeting at the Three Crowns Inn, Leicester, on 10th April 1794.
They will be awarded the title "Prince Albert's Own" in
1844, following escort duty for the Royal Couple on their way to
Belvoir Castle.
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