coatee
Report a Mistake- Object Number 20080110-001
- Event War of 1812
- Affiliation --
- Artist / Maker / Manufacturer --
- Date Made 1805-1812
- Place of Use Continent - North America, Country - Canada
- Category Personal artifacts
- Sub-category Clothing, outerwear
- Department Dress and Insignia
- Museum CWM
- Earliest 1805/01/01
- Latest 1812/12/31
- Inscription (buttons/boutons) QUEBEC MILITIA 1775
- Materials Mammal wool, Metal
- Service Component Quebec Militia
- Unit 3rd Battalion Lower Canada Select Embodied Militia
- Measurements Length 99.7 cm, Width 42.5 cm
- Caption Officer's Coatee, City of Quebec
- Additional Information When the acclaimed Shakespearean actor William Ian DeWitt Hutt died in 2007, he bequeathed to the Stratford Festival Archives one of his costumes: a type of military jacket called a coatee. At the time, the archivist wondered if it was in fact a genuine coatee and decided to check with the Canadian War Museum. The coatee was indeed authentic, having been made for an officer of the 3rd Battalion of the Quebec militia, between 1805 and 1812. How could the Museum be sure? First, the coatee's original gold buttons were imprinted with the monogram of King George III and the title “Quebec Militia 1775,” which referred to the militia's successful defence against an American attack on December 1775. Second, the black velvet lapels and cuffs were adopted by the 3rd Battalion in 1803. Finally, the two hand-sewn grommets on the right shoulder revealed the owner as a battalion officer.