Help request - identify British army regiment from uniform/badge (approx 1855)

[jamesjeans]

Hi,

I have recently discovered a photo of an ancestor wearing a British army uniform. It appears similar to that warn by officers in the Crimean War. 

The Shako badge is not very clear but the shape and design are clear enough to see it's a star with no wreath and what I think is a VR (Victoria Royal?) in the center.

I feel like this should be identifiable by process of elimination at least. However, a week of looking through google images and I have not found a match.

More clues:

Name - James Joseph Child

DOB - 1841 in Shaftesbury, Dorset

He lived in Gillingham, Dorset in 1851 but by 1861 was in Shoreditch, London working as a cabinet maker (also his father's trade).

He may have had family connections in Middlesex at this time.

Some matching uniforms, though not the badges:

 

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/3341...HvsJqTKej91lHF

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/4709...et4tux%2FbCGCs

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/8166...ZneiWk%2F4VvXW 

 

Any help much appreciated!

Thanks

 

[peter monahan]

James

Welcome to the GMIC.  I see that you seem to have some luck with a clue on another forum, but I hope that someone in this very knowledgeable group can provide further information or search clues.

Peter

[jamesjeans]

Thanks Peter, yes, well spotted! I wondered if anyone would find my other posts. 

Hopefully someone will recognise the unifom/badge combination. No suggestion made so far has quite fitted.

Though there was a "Captain James Childs" in a Middlesex Rifles regiment in 1859 this seems later than I would expect and also the badge doesn't seem to match.

 

Links to the same post on other forums in case the replies are of help:

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=505639#post505639

https://historum.com/threads/help-request-identify-british-army-regiment-from-uniform-badge-approx-1855.183353/

[jamesjeans]

Because the badge is tricky to read I have made a mock-up of the features based on various similar badges. Does this help?

[Brian Wolfe]

No sure if this is of any help but I remembered such a "hat" in one of the Men-At-Arms books, "The British Army of the Crimea" published by Hippocrene.

It looks like the ball in your photo is white which would make him a grenadier.

Regards

Brian

 

[Brian Wolfe]

Funny,as I am sort of a "sword guy" and I just realised that the sword is the Pattern 1845 Infantry Officer's sword. The hilt is actually the 1822 as if you look at it closely you can see that the side that would be against the uniform in wear folds up to prevent wear. This was changed in 1854. This is not as important in dating the photo as officers often carried a sword with the older hilt. What I can say for certain is that the sword would have to date no earlier than 1845 when the fullered blade was mandated. This Pattern sword was in use from 1822 (in this case 1845) up to 1895 when the pattern changed drastically. 

Regards

Brian

 

 

[Pdr123]

Try 4th middlesex militia. https://www.themilitarycampaign.co.uk/product/4th-royal-south-middlesex-militia-shako-plate/

 

unfortunately I do not seem to be able to post images

 

Edited April 12, 2020 by Pdr123
cant seem to upload images

[peter monahan]

Pdr - sent you a PM.