Uniform Coat Belonging to Colonel Aeneas Shaw of the 1st Regiment of the Lincoln Militia- c.1810-1820

This uniform coat belonged to Colonel Aeneas Shaw of the 1st Regiment of the Lincoln Militia during the War of 1812. It is believed to be a staff officer uniform and has five pairs of buttons down the front with the “GR” cipher of the British Militia. This wool coat is double breasted with adjustable or reversible lapels. There is also fine black and gold lace on the stand up collar and the small of the back and two epaulets on the shoulder. This coat most likely predates the War of 1812, but soldiers would have several coats available to them depending on the situation.

Shaw was born in Scotland and was the 2nd son of Angus (14th Chief of the Clan Shaw) and Anne Shaw. He was in the Queen's Rangers during the American Revolution, the same unit that Lt. Gov. John Graves Simcoe commanded. He was given permanent rank in the British Army on December 25, 1782 and following the Revolution, he settled in Fredericton, (Nashwaak Village) New Brunswick. He married a Nancy Ann Gorsline of Newtown, Long Island in 1783 and who died in 1806 after giving him 7 sons. He came to Newark with John Graves Simcoe in 1792 and moved his family to Newark (Niagara) in 1793 where served as a member of the executive council from 1794 to 1807. With his military background in the American Revolution, he was appointed Adjutant General of the Militia in 1807. As the major-general of the militia in 1811 he was responsible for training the colonies militia leading up to the War of 1812. He died at York, Upper Canada on February 6, 1814.