Australian Dress Register

Sir James Somerville's distinguished lineage dates back to Sir Walter de Somerville, a follower of William the Conqueror to England in 1066. James himself was born at Dinder in Somerset, England on 17th July 1882. He was a son of Arthur Fownes Somerville and Ellen Somerville (nee Sharland Tasmania). Arthur had inherited the manor of Dinder, which was heavily in debt. He mortgaged Dinder and sailed to New Zealand, where he ran a sheep farm and in doing so managed to restore family fortune. Here he also found his bride Ellen Sharland (born 1855 died 1928)and they returned to Dinder. The marriage took place in July 1880 in Kiddiminster. Wyre Forrest, Wocestershire. Three children were born to the marriage James, Harrold and Marjorie.

James joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1897 and rose through the ranks to become Admiral of the Fleet in 1945. Despite a strict upbringing and an innate shyness, James became a loved and respected leader of the officers and men under his leadership. He was known for his quick mind and lively sense of humour, and was called "the best kind of fighting admiral".

In 1913 he married Mary Kerr Main(Molly) b. 1890, at Duxford, Hampshire. They had two children John b.1917 & Rachel b. 1919. James would write to Molly almost daily when he was away on active tours of duty.

James as a Lieutenant saw service in WWI and recieved the D.S.O. in 1916 for his actions at Gallipoli. He was promoted to Comander in 1915, 1921 he was promoted to Captain. He served as Director of the Admiralty's Signal Department from 1925 -27, then appointed Flag Captain to Vice Admiral Kelly.

Served as Naval Instructor at the Imperial Defence College from 1929-31. Following this he was Commanding Officer of the cruiser H.M.S. Norfolk. Promoted to Commodore in 1932 and in 1933 to Rear-Admiral. Became Vice-Admiral in 1937 and in the following year his assignment was as Commander in chief, East Indies. On the 31st July 1939 he was awarded the Order of the Bath (K.C.B.) and placed on the retired list. However, after the Declaration of War in September 1939 he returned to active duty and in 1940 helped organise the Dunkirk evacuation. He commanded Force H in the Mediterranean from 1940-42. He recieved the K.C.B. in 1941 for his success with Force H.

In 1942 became Commander in Chief, Eastern Fleet, held this position until 1944, recieved the G.C.B in 1944 and went on to be the Head of the British Admiralty Delegation to Washington from 1944-45. He was made Admiral of the Fleet in 1945 and in 1946 recieved G.B.E.

A Pelisse was a fur lined robe or gown. OR

A silk gown worn by women, often lined or trimmed with fur.

The pelisse here is an overgarment worn by Victorian children when outside.

Boys of the 19th century wore dresses untill the age of four or five.

A pelisse was originally a cloak made of fur or lined in fur, most notably a type of dolman. Hussar regiments wore pelisses overhanging their shoulders that had fur trim.

In early 19th - Century Europe, when military clothing was often used as inspiration for fashionable ladies garments, the term was applied to a womans' long, fitted coat with set-in sleeves and the then fashionable Empire waist. Although initially these Regency-Era pelisses copied the Hussars' fur and braid, they soon lost these initial associations, and in fact were often made entirely of silk and without fur at all. They did however, tend to retain traces of their military inspiration with frog fastenings and braid trim.

Pelisses lost even this superficial resemblance to their origins as skirts and sleeves widened in the 1830's and the increasingly enormous crinolines of the 1840's and 50's caused fashionable women to turn to loose mantles, cloakes and shawls instead.

References used in research:

Fighting Admiral : The life of the Fleet Sir James Somerville by Captain Macintyre Who's Who Navy Lists.

History Of War Admiral James Somerville

Wikipedia James Somerville (Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Fownes Somerville GCB, GBE, DSO)

Wikipedia Dinder House "Images of England"

Sydney Morning Herald 26th January 1945

SMH 21st March 1949

Google Pelisse Childs dress.

Bigelow, Marybelle S. Fashion in History: Western Dress, Prehistoric to Present. Minneapolis, MN: Burgess Publishing, 1970.

James Ronald M. & Raymond Elizabeth. Comstock Women, The Making of a Mining Community chapter 6 Creating a Fashionable Society. University of Nevada Press Reno/Las Vegas 1998.

Cavalcade of History and Fashion the caretaker of this garment has used it in both display and in exhibition. The most recent being in 2010 for the Epping Heritage Group.

Machine made broderie anglaise panels (33mm) and narrow tape (7mm) with daisy motif, make up the entire bodice and sleeve.

wider brodier angelaise (70mm) is used at the waist of the outer garment and at the hip (measures 150mm including the two tucks).

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Two tucks on the secound frill of the outer garment.4mm wide each and separated by 10mm, first tuck is 15mm

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Outer garment of white, slightly discoloured.

Inner garment - fine lawn fabric, with a plain weave also white.

Outer garment is of broderie anglaise.

Garment has two distinct layers but has been attached at the centre front (chesterfield style opening in a complex construction) and the armholes to be actually one piece.

Machine stitching throughout the garment mainly with a lock stitch machine (consisting of upper and under threads) however a chain stitch machine has been used on the inner skirt hem and on the centre front opening to finish raw edges which have been turned back 4mm.

French seams used on most areas of the garments' inner layer. Sleeves have been set into the bodice.

Collar of broderie anglaise with scalloped edge has been mitred at the Centre front opening to maintain scallop edge all around. Collar is shirtmaker style and 72mm in width.

True bias neckline facing finishes the collar seam of the outer garment.

Hand stitching appears on the buttonholes of both layers of the garment as well as to apply buttons.

The button at the centre front neckline of the outer layer is fastened with a thread loop worked by hand stitching.

Brodier anglaise panels are joined with lock stitching (machine sewn) to form fabric for bodice and sleeves.

N/A

None

Under layer is cut entirely on the straight grain.

Outer Layer.

The skirt frill in brodier, straight grain.

Front bodice panels are angled on a bias grain, that is, off grain.

Centre front right hand side from neck to hem edge band is on straight grain.

Back bodice is on true bias, broderie panels are arranged in a chevron pattern joining at the centre back in an up ward point.

Sleeve brodier panels are on the true bias, cuffs are straight grain.

Buttons and buttonholes on the outer layer in a chesterfield front opening from neck to hem. Inner layer also buttoned from neck to hip frill with larger buttons.

None used.

An overgarment worn by Victorian children when outside.

Boys of the 19th century wore dresses untill the age of four or five. At this age boys began to wear breeches and as one American reference states, "untill their breeching" (Comstock Women p.116)

Other descriptions of the garment include the following:

An ankle length, figure fitting overcoat dress, worn over lighter dress and usually open in the front, for house or street.

A ladys' or childs' long outer garment, of silk or other fabric.

A type of floor lenth coat, cut like a dress.

No other garment belonging to Admiral James Somerville.

James retired in May 1945, three months before Molly passed away, he was made Lord Lieutenant of Somerset in 1946 and continued to live at his Estate in Dinder where he died March 19, 1949. His funeral was held at Dinder and he was laid to rest beside his beloved wife Molly in Dinder Church yard. Memorial services were conducted at Wells Cathedral and also Westminster Abbey.

None at all.

Two small holes in the under layer one at centre back skirt and one at centre back bodice. These may be due to button stitching being in contact with the fabric.

None at all