By Stuart Peachey and Alan Turton
Booklet published by Stuart Press in 1995, 56 pages. A5 size booklet (N7522)
From the introduction: This book sets out to study the types and nature of the clothing worn by English and Welsh common soldiers of the period 1639-1646 serving in the British Isles. This involves primarily the two Bishop's Wars in 1639 and 1640, the troops suppressing the Irish revolt from 1641 onwards and most importantly the First English Civil War from 1642 to 1646. The book deals with the rank and file, which included soldiers up to the rank of corporal, plus the sergeants and drummers. In at least some cases men of these ranks were issued with clothing by the army [OR] while the higher officers generally wore their own clothing and were often from a different socio-economic status. This was not universal as many officers particularly junior ones were illiterate to the extent that they could not sign their own names. Many sergeants by contrast were literate. Although the intention is to inform those wishing to portray soldiers much of the clothing they wore was of individual civilian origin and the book also covers the civilian clothing of the lower orders. Sections include:
What was Worn
Uniformity?
The Armies
The Garments...
Military Issue
Coats, Breeches, Doublets
and Waistcoats
Coat Pattern
Shirts
Shirt Pattern
Drawers
Stockings
Footwear
Headwear
Snapsacks
Civilian Clothing...
Breeches Pattern
Doublet Pattern
Civilian Coat Pattern
Materials...
Fabrics and Shades
Cloth Colours
Cloth Types
Buttons, Ribbons and Thread
The condition of the booklet is generally very good. The cover has one or two very minor scuffs, but the staple spine is intact, and all pages are intact, unblemished and tightly bound. There is a small price sticker on the rear side cover.