Fringe sample, drummer, 56th (West Essex) Regiment of Foot, sealed pattern, 1860

Twisted worsted in white, red and blue.

A 'sealed pattern' is a prototype of any item that the British Army issued to soldiers. It provided clothing or equipment suppliers with an example to copy.

Originally raised as the 58th Regiment of Foot, it was re-ranked in 1756 as the 56th and later became the 56th (West Essex) Regiment of Foot. In 1881 it amalgamated with the 44th (East Essex) Regiment of Foot to form the Essex Regiment with the 56th becoming the 2nd battalion. The battalions were merged in 1958 to become the 3rd East Anglian Regiment (16th/44th Foot) and in 1964 this became the 3rd battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment. The 3rd battalion was disbanded and its personnel absorbed into the 1st battalion in 1992.