A shirt part of a uniform from the Company of Watermen and Lightermen

A blue and white striped cotton shirt with mother of pearl buttons. Likely part of a uniform worn by lower rank boat crew of the Company of Watermen and Lightermen in London. Dating from circa 1827. The other parts of the uniform are trousers (ZBB0018) and jacket (ZBB0019).

This shirt, jacket and trousers were used by Thames watermen in the early part of the 1800s, likely for the lower-ranked crews of rowing boats when they were participating in local regattas, pageants like the Lord Mayor's Day ceremonies and other events on the river. Watermen did not wear a specific uniform in day to day work. This is a rare surviving example of historic dress worn during the course of work.

Thames watermen worked rowing passengers along and across the Thames, regulated by the Company of Watermen and Lightermen, a guild of the City of London. They provided an essential public transport service in London, in a period where there were very few bridges crossing the Thames and roads were of poor quality.