Recruiting Sergeants at Westminster
1877
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1877
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Recruiting Sergeants at Westminster is a 1877 by John Thomson, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see two red-coated army recruiters chatting with a young man outside a London pub. These sergeants earned about £1 for every man they signed up—just enough to cover the new soldier’s shilling and the “bringers” who dragged in fresh faces. By 1875, London supplied over 3,600 recruits a year. For more scenes of 19th-century England, look up the subject: england, 19th century.
The sergeants, who held these posts for many years, were paid by the recruit, receiving a little over £1 for each person who ended up serving in the army. Out of that, the recruiters had to pay expenses, including giving each enlistee a shilling (1/20th of a pound) and paying “bringers” who supplied them with likely prospects. In 1875, 3,605 approved recruits were enlisted from London.
The hub of army recruitment in London in the late 19th century was this street corner, the site of the Mitre and Dove, a pub with a name that ironically invoked the church and peace.
Read the full account in the museum source.
John Thomson painted Scottish landscapes in oil, focusing on the rugged terrain around the Trossachs and Selkirkshire.
See the richer artist page
