the making of his Majesty's finest
Apr 16, 2023 16:36:08 GMT -7
brokennock, paranger, and 1 more like this
Post by spence on Apr 16, 2023 16:36:08 GMT -7
A small peek into the life of an 18th-century British soldier....the first regulation hairdo.
From a British soldier's journal: The United Service Magazine, Vol. 1829, Issue 1, Memoirs of the Extraordinary Military Career of John Shipp, late a Lieutenant of his Majesty’s 87th Reg.
**********************
Proper Hair
I went into town to purchase a few requisites, such as a powder-bag, puff, soap, candles, grease, etc.; and, having procured what
I stood in need of, I returned to my barrack, where I underwent
the operation of having my hair tied for the first time, to the no
small amusement of all the boys assembled. A large piece of
candle-grease was applied, first, to the sides of my head, then to
the hind long hair; after this, the same kind of operation was
performed with nasty stinking soap -- sometimes the man who
was dressing me applied his knuckles, instead of the soap, to the
delight of the surrounding boys, who were bursting their sides
with laughter, to see the tears roll down my cheeks. When this
operation was over, I had to go through one of a more serious
nature. A large pad, a bag filled with sand, was poked into the
back of my head, round which the hair was gathered tight, and
the whole tied round with a leather thong. When I was dressed
for parade, I could scarcely get my eyelids to perform their office;
the skin of my eyes and face was drawn so tight by the plug that
was stuck in the back of my head, that I could not possibly shut
my eyes; add to this, an enormous high stock was poked under
my chin; so that, altogether, I felt as stiff as if I had swallowed a
ramrod, or a sergeant's halberd. Shortly after I was thus equipped,
dinner was served; but my poor jaws refused to act on the
offensive, and when I made an attempt to eat, my pad behind
went up and down like a sledgehammer.
JOHN SHIPP 1780
**********************
You ever have regulation hair like that, Gus?
Spence
From a British soldier's journal: The United Service Magazine, Vol. 1829, Issue 1, Memoirs of the Extraordinary Military Career of John Shipp, late a Lieutenant of his Majesty’s 87th Reg.
**********************
Proper Hair
I went into town to purchase a few requisites, such as a powder-bag, puff, soap, candles, grease, etc.; and, having procured what
I stood in need of, I returned to my barrack, where I underwent
the operation of having my hair tied for the first time, to the no
small amusement of all the boys assembled. A large piece of
candle-grease was applied, first, to the sides of my head, then to
the hind long hair; after this, the same kind of operation was
performed with nasty stinking soap -- sometimes the man who
was dressing me applied his knuckles, instead of the soap, to the
delight of the surrounding boys, who were bursting their sides
with laughter, to see the tears roll down my cheeks. When this
operation was over, I had to go through one of a more serious
nature. A large pad, a bag filled with sand, was poked into the
back of my head, round which the hair was gathered tight, and
the whole tied round with a leather thong. When I was dressed
for parade, I could scarcely get my eyelids to perform their office;
the skin of my eyes and face was drawn so tight by the plug that
was stuck in the back of my head, that I could not possibly shut
my eyes; add to this, an enormous high stock was poked under
my chin; so that, altogether, I felt as stiff as if I had swallowed a
ramrod, or a sergeant's halberd. Shortly after I was thus equipped,
dinner was served; but my poor jaws refused to act on the
offensive, and when I made an attempt to eat, my pad behind
went up and down like a sledgehammer.
JOHN SHIPP 1780
**********************
You ever have regulation hair like that, Gus?
Spence
