My British Headdress Collection **RECOMMENDED**

[Stuart Bates]

Thanks Jim, your comments are greatly appreciated.

I went into a hiatus of collecting for several years, many reasons, but I'm back now and the feedback from the forum has just reinforced my determination to add to my collection. In fact I just ordered another helmet yesterday, the 4th this year. Actually, my friend Peter S was most instrumental in rekindling my interest.

Here is another of my favourites,

London Volunteers Tarleton Helmet circa 1810

Stuart

Edited December 16, 2010 by Stuart Bates

[JimZ]

Well I've seen the odd bit of British Headgear amongst some collectors back home. But by and large, I clicked on this thread with the very mistaken expectation of tommy helmets and caps with perhaps the odd 1 or 2 'pieces de resistance'!

What I did see here was pure quality that supercedes by far any private collection that I have personally come across in the last 17 years!! Each piece is a 'piece de resistance' in itself. I just cannot express enough admiration at the quality of your collection!!

My very best regards and congratulations!

Jim

[Stuart Bates]

Dear Jim,

I know a lot of collectors are very secretive about their collections but obviously I'm not. What I have is not solely for my private pleasure, although I derive a great deal of that, but these treasures are to be shared. Once again, thanks for your kind comments.

Stuart

Forage Cap circa 1840

Edited November 30, 2006 by Stuart Bates

[ksg]

Absolutely fantastic, both the items and the display!!!!

Thanks for posting!!

Kjell

[peter monahan]

Jim is right. This lot makes most museum collection's look sick in comparison! BTW, Australia IS on my list of "Places where the natives are (usually) friendly and they have beer" so, who knows, I may wash up on your doorstep some cold summer night.

Peter

[Stuart Bates]

Hello Peter,

I'm blushing from all of this positive feedback and yes Aussies are a friendly lot, even to Poms when they are winning at cricket, and are always ready for a beer or two.

Stuart

Staffordshire Yeomanry pre 1871

[Stuart Bates]

My latest acquisitions -

Lanarkshire Engineer Volunteers

Aryshire & Galloway Artillery Volunteers

Edited January 9, 2007 by Stuart Bates

[servicepub]

Not quite to the same calibre but here are a couple of Canadian helmets that I own. The first is a 1950s era helmet to the Royal Canadian Dragoons and a 1903-dated example to the Governor General's Body Guard.

[Stuart Bates]

Hi Servicepub,

these are a couple of nice helmets and in very good condition. I have seen a few Canadian helmets through the years and was once tempted by a GG's Body Guard but stuck to British. These helmets are based on the 1871 pattern of Heavy Cavalry but you probably already know that.

BTW: what material are the heads you use for mounting the helmets made of?

Cheers,

Stuart

Edited January 9, 2007 by Stuart Bates

[servicepub]

The heads are full-size and are of ceramic. They are the best that I have ever found for display. A friend of mine found them in Kingston, Ontario so I cannot quote a price or current availability. If you are interested I can try to track the gent down but shipping to Oz may prove to be prohibitive.

[Laurence Strong]

Hello Stuart

Amazing head wear Thanks for sharing

[Stuart Bates]

servicepub,

I started out by using glass heads but quickly found that the majority of headdress was far too small. I now use perspex tubes with generous fabric padding to the top and this seems to work well. I toyed with the idea of lining the tubes with black paper but never progressed that idea - might take it up again. And yes the ceramic heads would be too expensive now and may suffer the same problem as the glass ones, not to mention the shipping costs.

Laurence,

no problems. Sharing is what the forum is all about. I am expecting a Royal Artillery blue cloth any day now as I have had my interest in these helmets rekindled and only had 1 ball top - now 2, soon to go to 3.

Stuart

Edited January 9, 2007 by Stuart Bates

[Stuart Bates]

I finally had my collection professionally photographed so here it is.

[Stuart Bates]

Here comes the cavalry.

[Mervyn Mitton]

Stuart - I have said it before - I think this is one of the finer collections and all in such wonderful condition. My favourite has to be the bell Top Shako, but, closely followed by the Gentleman at Arms.

Peter is hoping to become a museum curator - doesn't bode well for the museum when you can't spot a billiard table !!! (Sorry , Peter !)

[nesredep]

Hello!

Stunning COLLECTION,nice display.

All the best

Nesredep

[FrontlineAntiques]

More -

1901-1911 West Riding Of Yorkshire Yeomanry

<img src="http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k186/stuart_bates/EastRidingYorkshireYeomanry1910.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />

Northumberland Fusiliers Volunteers

<img src="http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k186/stuart_bates/NorthumberlandFusiliers1stVolunteer.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />

1899-1902 4th (Lancaster) regiment

<img src="http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k186/stuart_bates/4thLancs.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />

Stuart

Hi Stuart

Just admiring the collection

Do you have an East Riding Yeo helmet? Did the East and West R Yeo use the same helmet plate/badege?

Dan

[Stuart Bates]

Dan,

the helmet that I described as the West Riding is actually the East Riding of Yorkshire.

As far as I can tell the West Riding had -

The Yorkshire Hussars

The Yorkshire Dragoons

The 2nd West Yorkshire Yeomanry

These all seem to have used the white rose in their helmet plates whereas the East Riding had a fox in full flight.

Stuart

[leigh kitchen]

Looking at these helmets is getting me more interested in "collecting" a few. They're beautiful but out of my league. The last time I showed an interest in "quality" (& very expensive) headgear was a couple of years ago when an 18th century British mitre & a Waterloo shako cropped up on ebay, but I held back as it was ebay & I could'nt examine the items. Years before that it was a Hanoverian pikelhaube at auction, an 1847 pattern or whatever the exact date is, identifable by damage as coming from a well known American collection - but when I got my hands on that I lost all interest as it was a mess, probably the only orignal component being the much damaged & badly repaired shell of the thing.

A nice old Northumberland Fusiliers fur cap would suit me nicely at the moment.

Did the Yorkshire Hussars ever wear helmets?

Here's a photo of a Yorkshire Hussar in busby, 1921 I think this is dated.

Mike Chappell illustration of Yorkshire Hussars & East Riding Yeaomanry, 1914.

There is an illustration of the East Riding Yeo's tschapska & helmet plate in one of his books, I have'nt located it yet.

Edited October 25, 2009 by leigh kitchen

[Stuart Bates]

Hi Leigh,

the Yorkshire Hussars originally wore the Light Dragoon helmet i.e. the Tarleton, but changed to a shako in 1817. According to Carman the Busby was adopted in 1856 and was worn from then on.

The Yorkshire Dragoons adopted a white metal helmet, of the 1871 pattern, in 1876 and it is interesting that it had the acanthus leaf plume holder, associated with the 1847 pattern helmet. The fluted plume holder came later.

The 2nd West Yorkshire Yeomanry adopted the 1847 pattern helmet just before the Crimean War - I don't have a specific date.

Carman's book on Yeomanry headdress has a photo of an East Riding tschapska that has a quite different plate to mine but then describes the lance plate that mine has.

There is a lovely illustration of an officer of the East Riding Yeomanry in a book by R.G. Harris 50 Years of Yeomanry Uniforms.

It also appears that the lance cap was worn only by officers and only from 1906-

I have had a couple of big wins on eBay but also a couple of duds - one so bad that I sent it back. These days I have dealers (whom I trust) offer me stuff which often comes from their private collections. Never cheap but always of good quality.

I know that you, and Graham, are keen on the Northumberland Fusiliers. If I see anything will let you know.

Stuart

Edited October 25, 2009 by Stuart Bates

[FrontlineAntiques]

Dan,

the helmet that I described as the West Riding is actually the East Riding of Yorkshire.

As far as I can tell the West Riding had -

The Yorkshire Hussars

The Yorkshire Dragoons

The 2nd West Yorkshire Yeomanry

These all seem to have used the white rose in their helmet plates whereas the East Riding had a fox in full flight.

Stuart

Hi Stuart

The E R Yeo is a favourite of mine as i hail from Bridlington, and i have been collecting examples of their livery for some time now.

Your Tarleton (?) is an amzing piece, but i fear it is also a little out of my league at the present time!

Once i get time i will post some shots of my small collection

Dan

[Stuart Bates]

Hi Dan,

my Tarleton is to the City of London Volunteers and is one of my favourite styles.

I have seen a couple on Blunderbuss but very, very expensive.

Stuart

[Stuart Bates]

I love Blue Cloths and this one to the Army Service Corps with its enamelled badge is among my favourites

[Stuart Bates]

I tend now to go for Corps rather than regular line regiments so here is my Army Ordnance Department BC

Edited February 19, 2010 by Stuart Bates

[Stuart Bates]

As many of you will know I have been on a sun-helmet rampage so here is my latest Wolseley to the Duke of Wellington's Regiment -

Edited July 12, 2010 by Stuart Bates