Chesterfield single-breasted woollen overcoat, made by S. Nelson, London, 1895

Single-breasted overcoat with a short centre back vent and velvet collar. It has side flapped pockets, a pocket on the outside left breast as well as a ticket pocket on the right side.There is also an internal pocket printed with the tailor's label and date. The coat is fastened with four buttons down the front. It is lined with brown and cream checked wool and the two lower pockets are part lined with chamois leather.

Given by Colin Harris

This coat was made to order for W. [?] Duffin Esq..

Samuel Nelson, a master tailor, was based at 13 Hanover Street, Hanover Square. He was born in Terrington St. Clement, Norfolk and baptised on 15 December 1835. His father was a tailor in that village. Samuel lived for a short period in Lincoln where he married before moving to London by the time of the birth of his eldest son in 1860 when he was living in Brompton, Kensington. He worked for Frederick Grosjean of 109 Regent Street and was in partnership with Grosjean's son Jessie between 1874 until the partnership was dissolved in 1883 with Samuel taking over the business and running it from 13 Hanover Street as a Naval and Military Tailor. Samuel was chair of a provisional committee established in 1886 to formulate a scheme for the improvement of the trade of tailoring in the West End through better training. He was one of the founder members of the Association of London Master Tailors. This was formed in response to a general strike of journeymen tailors in London in 1891 who wanted to agree a log which was a uniform statement of time to be taken to complete all aspects of tailoring work, with a standard rate per log hour to regulate wages. Samuel was one of the original signatories for the employers of the London Time Log, which became operative in 1893. He died at Upper Park Road, Hampstead in December 1901. His son, Thomas Edward took over the business of S. Nelson.

This type of overcoat is known as a Chesterfield. It was named after the 6th Earl of Chesterfield, a leader of fashion during the 1830s, and became popular in about 1840.

This example is particularly interesting as it has an early example of a tailor's label on the inside breast pocket. The tailor was S. Nelson of 18 Hanover Street, Hanover Square, London. The date 1895 is written beside the client's name (unfortunately illegible). It is unusual to be able to date a coat made at this time so precisely as the changes in men's tailoring styles tended to be very subtle.

The Chesterfield had several distinctive features. It was slightly waisted, with a short back vent, and it usually had a velvet collar. It had flapped side pockets and a small ticket pocket on the outside right breast, which was introduced in the late 1850s.

It remained the most fashionable style of overcoat in the 1890s. There were several different varieties. These included the 'Long' Chesterfield, which reached to the calf, the 'Sac-back', and the 'Caped', which was loose-fitting with an elbow-length cape but no sleeves.

T.15-2006