YORK VOLUNTEERS, An officer’s gilt button, 1790s, with provenance

The domed button has the title YORK VOLUNTEERS beneath a Georgian crown, the reverse has two holes and a central shank. These domed buttons are 20mm diameter.

This example was worn by Hewley John Baines (1762-1830) of Bell Hall, Naburn, York, whose hallmarked silver gilt gorget and gilt brass shoulder belt plate [which we sold some time ago] will be found in the Gallery section of the website. The York Volunteer Corps was raised in 1794 when Baines was commissioned as a Captain. He was promoted to Major in 1796 and Lieutenant Colonel in 1803. An account of a parade of the corps on the Knavesmire at York can be found in the Sun published in London  Monday Dec 29^th 1794. He still appears in the twelfth edition of the List of Militia & Volunteers Officers of 1807 as one of the two Lieut Colonels, the other being Sir William Milnes, Bt. aug25/4 SOLD 27th August 2024

The curvature of the button makes it difficult to photograph.