The Early Colours of the
Regiment of Foot
Numbered the 4th

Clothing Regulations and
Royal Warrants 1747-1799

by Stephen Ede-Barrett


The 1747 Clothing Regulations, and the 1751 and 1768 Royal Warrants are too well known to be covered in depth here. Briefly however, these regulations laid down, for the first time, what the Army's colours should look like.

Amongst the papers in the Royal Library at Windsor is a manuscript book known as -The Colours of the British Marching Regiments". Drawn under the supervision, or even by, Adjutant General Napier, this book gives the "regulation" design for each regiment's colours. [12]

    a. King's Colour. Union with blue garter enclosing gold cypher on a red field. Gold crown and "IV" (the rank of the regiment), red lining to crown.

    b- Regimental Colour. Blue field with garter, cypher, crown etc. as for King's Colour. White scroll (blank). Union in canton with gold "IV". Gold lions crowned gold on green mounts.

The 1747 Regulations give the following for the King's Own Royal Regiment:

"In the Center of their Colours the King's Cypher on a red Ground within the garter, and the Crown over it. In the three Corners of their Second Colour the Lyon of England being their ancient badgc"

Other details arc given in general for all regiments viz:

"The King's... of every Regiment is to be the GREAT UNION. "The SECOND COLOUR to be the colour of the Faceing of the Regiment with the Union in the upper canton... "In the center of each Colour is to be in gold Roman characters the number of the Rank of the Regiment within a Wreath of Roses and Thistles on the same stalk, except the Regiments which have Royal Badges allowed them; in these the number.. is to be towards the upper corner."

The King's Own Royal Regiment was a regiment with a Royal Badge.

Cords and tassels were also dictated for the time as gold and crimson mixed. Regulations, however are open to interpretation:

SOURCE
Colours of the British Marching Regiments, R. Napier, Ms Royal Library, Windsor.

More Early Colours of the Regiment of Foot Numbered the 4th

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