Place

Canada

Date

Circa 1812

DIMENSIONS in centimetres

79 x 40

Materials & techniques

Wool, brass; Lace

Credit

Unknown

ID

Niagara Historical Society and Museum 972.912

This battalion officer’s coat is believed to have been worn by Captain John McMicking of the Lincoln Militia. It is a double-breasted coat made with red brushed-wool broadcloth with black lace on dark-blue wool lapels, collar, and cuffs. The coat also features a stand-up collar, a skirt at the back, and a single epaulet on the right shoulder. Four pairs of buttons adorn the front of the lapels, which read “British Militia” and exhibit the Royal Cipher of King George III.
 
McMicking resided in Stamford (now part of Niagara Falls) and fought at the Battle of Queenston Heights during the War of 1812. Some of the uniform features appear to be later than 1812, including the shield-shaped lapels, the domed buttons, and the gold lace on the edge of the cuffs, which could mean that McMicking’s uniform was modified after the war. This artifact has been in the care of the Niagara Historical Museum for over a century, revealing the extent to which participation in the War of 1812 has been valued and recognized in the region.