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Spangles & Coiled Wire Waistcoat
1775-85

The embellishment on this waistcoat spirals of gold coloured wire strung with silk thread, minute spangles, the brocade woven with silver gilt strips is very accomplished.   The whole waistcoat has a lovely light golden colour and must have sparked by candlelight. To me this is an understated English look. This would have been worn by the son John Anthony.

Provenance:  This waistcoat came from the family of Thomas Crewe Dodd Esq (1754-1827) of Edge Hall, Malpas, Cheshire. Thomas commenced his military career in the 16th (Queen’s) Light Dragoons as Cornet in August 1775 when he was 21.  He went to America with his regiment in August 1776, under Lieutenant George John Burgoyne. Promoted to Lieutenant in 21st regiment of (Light) Dragoons, he was gazetted captain into the 23rd regiment on 28 September 1781, the regiment returning to England in 1778 .  He was gazetted captain in 23rd regiment of (Light) Dragoons in 1781. His regiment were the first to land in India in 1782 and on 27 July 1785  Dodd  was promoted to major. He eventually  resigned from the Army to return to his Cheshire estates. He took part in the formation of the Cheshire Provincial Cavalry  in 1798 and was commanding officer of the Western Cheshire Yeomanry raised in 1803. He married Anne, daughter of Ralf Sneyd of Keele, Staffs on 20 September 1786 when he was 32.  They had five daughters and two boys. It is the boys who interest us because some of the waistcoats and breeches bought would have been worn by them. Thomas (1794 – 1810) who died unmarried  age 16 and John Anthony (1821-1798) who died in India aged 23.

 

Cataloguing

The silk brocade with very fine horizontal stripes woven with silver gilt strips flanked with decorative minute yellow silk design, interspersed with horizontal silk, the waistcoat narrow borders with zig zag silver gilt coils threaded with silk and caught with minute spangles, between rows of overlapping spangles, the shaped pockets similarly adorned both on and below,  the round neck with thirteen buttons covered with same brocade and embellished with flowers made up of overlapping spangles and coiled wire, the buttonholes worked in silk and outlined with silver wrapped silk couching, the back of twill weave ivory silk, the lower of same brocade, lined with similar ivory silk  the the facings and skirt section, the back in cotton.

Nape to hem 26 in; 66 cm

Underarm 36 in; 1 m

Condition

Front right hand side as you look at the waistcoat below the pocket. There is a small 1 cm dia light yellowish mark and another just on the lower trim of the pocket to the left. The left hand side has similar sized small marks, but slightly darker, near the lower edge  2 cm dia and one smaller. The lining has all over pale orange spotting  to the cotton.