HARD & TIGHT... (My poem about the plait ('queue') worn by 18th century British soldiers...)

 Hard & Tight…

The recruit was shaved,

Bar one patch behind his head

Twelve months before.

Sat for the creation

Of his first, hard, tight queue

By a repulsive Sergeant

With conspiratorial vigour raised anew.

The hair was yanked

Back so tightly behind greased head,

Brought tears to bear, 

Soaped by stinking knuckles,

Set over a pad filled with sand. A plait,

Tied by demonic Sergeant

With leather thong tied tight and squat…

Pete Ray…

Orphan John Shipp entered the ‘Boy Regiment’ in the late 18^th century and later wrote about having his first plait, or queue formed by a vile Sergeant, to the amusement of others. (His image is shown above...)

With the stock (high collar) too, recruits could barely move their heads and the queue was so tightly hauled into position that it was often impossible to control tears from the eyes, or actually close the eyes, although possibly that was quite useful if on guard duty… 

Rats and mice would clamber about in the greased, powdery hair and the queue could be measured by a gauge, resulting in redressing it, or even a flogging for the errant soldier.

One regiment was known as the ‘Hard and Tights’ and although the practice was officially abolished in 1804, it continued for another ten years…