Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. George Vaughan Hart, son of Edward Hart of Lynsford, Donegal, Ireland, born in 1752, joined the 46th Regiment of Foot as an Ensign on August 23rd, 1775 and immediately went to North America and was present at the British attack on Sullivan's Island outside Charleston South Carolina. As the A.D.C. to Major General John Vaughan he took part in the Battles of Flatbush, Brooklyn, and Fort Washington. He achieved his Lieutenancy on June 7th 1777 and then took part in the Battles of Brandywine, Germantown and Monmouth under General William Howe. He then transferred to the West Indies as A.D.C. to General James Grant, C-in-C the West Indies Station. He was appointed Captain on March 31st, 1779 left for the Cape of Good Hope in 1781 and went onto India in 1782 where he joined the expedition against Hyder Ali, Sultan of Mysore. He later became the Deputy Pay Master General in 1790.

He took part in the Battle of Mullavelly as Colonel of the 75th Regiment of Foot took part in the Battle of Seringpatam, the ultimate defeat of Tippoo Sultan. In 1801 he retired from Military Service in India and was promoted Brigadier General in 1805, then Lieutenant General in 1811. Being of Irish Nobility he returned to the emerald isle and represented his district in parliament for many years, 1812-1831, was appointed Governor Londonderry in 1820 and died in 1832 in Kilderry, Ireland, aged 80 years.

This is an outstanding & well-preserved example of a British Garrison Staff Officer’s coatee attributed to George Vaughn Hart. The coatee bears silver-plated “coin” buttons, intricate hand-stitching, and gorgeous Garrison Staff bullion epaulettes attached to the shoulders.

The coatee has a split tail which has hook & loops stitched to each corner, for adjustment of how the coatee was worn. Every seam and every stitch appears hand-done, with some scattered mothing in spots across the uniform. There is some heavy staining on the right sleeve and cuff. Each cuff retains the four buttons with a stitched line vertically below them. The buttonholes are hand-whipped and the edges of the fabric appear a bit raw, correct for this period.

The strip holding the left epaulette in place is tearing, and as a result the epaulette is rather loose now. This strap should be repaired if you plan to display the coatee with the epaulettes attached. The rear of the coatee retains the correct button placements and flaps around them. The coatee has no lining in the torso, with the seam very visible and very fragile. 

The Coatee is accompanied by his period military bicorn hat bearing gilt officer's brocade and embroidered cockade ribbon of the era. The Bicorne or “Fore-and-Aft” hat is similar in construction to the coatee with hand-stitching and lovely bullion work. There is a very faint maker’s mark on the interior crown, too faint to transcribe. It is just as fragile as the coatee and should be handled with intense care.

An original George III Officer's frock coat and bicorn hat from a known senior officer who saw serious service in the American War for Independence for four years and then throughout the Empire.