Coat, doggett coat

Red wool watermen’s single breasted and skirted jacket; centre front opening to waist with metal buttons and button holes. The buttons are embossed with an image of an anchor and leaves. The curved standing collar is made of black wool at the front and red at the back; edged in gold ‘bias and stand’ army lace, as too are the black wool epaulettes and black wool cuffs. On top of the cuffs a black and gold lace placket runs a short way up the forearm in way of a fake opening, with 5 embossed buttons sewn on top. The skirted waistline is trimmed with two rows of the same gold army lace.

The left arm has four black cotton tape loops arrange at the edges of a square shape, for attaching a large metal badge (A25176). The back seams of the arms, back shoulder seam and back side seams are piped in black wool. The interior front of the jacket body is quilted in grey machine stitching. Cartridge pleated skirt.

The red wool watermen’s uniform jacket is specifically named a Doggett coat after Thomas Doggett who commissioned the coats, and accompanying silver badge, to be awarded as a prize trophy to the winner of a rowing race. 6 watermen apprentices would compete in a rowing completion along the river Thames. The race dates back to 1715 and is still raced today.