This man's formal suit is a rare survival of a complete three-piece suit in wool with a waistcoat in coordinating embroidered silk. The hardwearing broadcloth and diminutive silver embroidery are markers of the practical, unassuming elegance that marked the last few decades in the eighteenth century—a direct response to the flamboyant Macaronis of the period. The very slim silhouette suggests a mid-1770s date. The popularity of this more subdued style of dress is seen in numerous paintings, including Sir Joshua Reynolds’ portrait of Sir Richard Peers Symons, 1st Baronet (painted 1770–71), whose suit features a collared frock and galloon trim rather than embroidery.
We often don't know who wore a given historical garment, but this suit comes from the estate of the Seale family of Mount Boone, near Dartmouth and likely belonged to John Seale (ca. 1753–1824). Seale married Sarah Hayne (d. 1815) at Townstal in April 1775, and this could have been his wedding suit. In 1724, Seale’s father, also John Seale (1705–1777), had purchased the estates of Coombe House and Mount Boone, where Seale and Sarah Hayne resided. Their son was later made Sir John Henry Seale, 1st Baronet (1780–1844). The Seale family papers are today preserved with the Devon Archives and Local Studies Service. The letters of John Seale and Sarah Hayne, as well as other members of the family, have been digitized by the Dartmouth History Research Group and offer a fascinating glimpse into life at Mount Boone, including accounting for the purchase of textiles and the services of a tailor.
Man's formal suit of silver-embroidered wool and silk, English, ca. 1775.
