18th Century Men’s Stocks

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Last updated: Oct 12, 2025

• Christie’s Lot 321 / Sale 5422, a rare gentleman’s stock, fine linen gathered to tabs, one with three buttonholes
• Colonial Williamsburg 1993-166,A, neck stock attributed to George II, England, c. 1740-1760; “White neck stock of fine plain-woven linen. Long narrow shape with fine white fabric pleated lengthwise (to go around neck) and applied to unpleated backing fabric. The ends are designed to be worn with a stock buckle: on one end is a tab with three buttonholes; the other end has tapering tab. On the reverse of longer tab is a mark in fine red cross stitch consisting of a crown and the number 46.”
• Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust INV.45, a black silk stock from the Invincible, 1758
• A man’s neck stock, c. 1765-1830, in Fitting & Proper: “A black silk satin neck stock, molded and stiffened with buckram, lined with beige silk crepe and glazed black linen, with a metal buckle”
• DAR 927, white linen neck stock supposedly worn by George Washington, c. 1770-1800
• MFA 99.664.6, Massachusetts, last quarter of the 18th century; “Pleated neck stock, four button holes on shorter tab at one end, longer tapered tab at opposite end (Stocks were worn with a metal buckle at the back of the neck. The tab with buttonholes was slipped over knobs on the buckle, while the plain tab was pulled through the buckle.)”
• Colonial Williamsburg 1953-864 & 1953-863, England, 1780-1830; men’s stocks with hanging short bands “as worn by clergymen, barristers, and academics.” On 1953-864, the gathered stock and bands are made of cotton with linen tabs and tape ties; 1953-863 is made of linen in two different weights.
• Thomas Jefferson’s neck stocks, c. 1790-1825: Monticello 1927-55, 1927-56-1, 1927-56-2, 1935-9, 1983-14-4, 1983-14-5, 1983-14-6, 1983-14-7, 1983-14-8, 2021-8-9
• Colonial Williamsburg 2008-114, neck stock owned by John Knight of Wolverley, England, c. 1795-1811 (or c. 1780?); “White neck stock made with semi-sheer cotton gathered to two linen tabs. One tab has four buttonholes for use with a removable stock buckle. Other tab is tapered and rounded at ends. Cotton material consists of about 62 inches of fullness gathered into 3-inch tabs.”
• Meg Andrews 7513, gentleman's stock, 1795-1810; “47 inches of fine soft cotton have been gathered into the width of the stock with the lower side open and unseamed … of fine cotton gathered into double thickness tabs, one end with two buttonholes, 18 x 6 1/2 in”
• Meg Andrews 7321, linen, late 18th or early 19th century; “white linen gently curved down at ends, one large hole hand embroidered as if a buttonhole, for tapes to thread through, tapes to each end, 3 in or 8 cm centre depth x 23 in or 59 cm length”
• V&A T.44-2021, British, c. 1800
• Met 08.187.8, early 19th century, British

Stock buckles

Stock buckles were often precious and expensive items; silver or gold stock buckles are often mentioned as gifts – or as items that have been stolen.

You can also find original and reproduction 18th century stock buckles on eBay.

• Fort Dobbs Artifacts
• A.H. Wilkens Jan 05 2016, Lot 150, a stock buckle and matching breeches buckles made in Boston c. 1750
• Historic New England 1925.368b, silver, Ipswitch, Massachusetts, c. 1757-1800
• V&A 951-1864, a silver stock buckle with pastes, England, c. 1770
• Alderfer Jun 12 2008, Lot 2010, a neck stock buckle that “Belonged to Jas Adams, Born June 18, 1748”
• LACMA 42.16.24, a gilt-metal stock buckle, England, c. 1778-1795
• V&A M.1-1934, a silver stock buckle with a steel chape, England, c. 1780
• Historic New England 1931.315, silver, America, c. 1780-1800
• Cowper's Stock Buckle: A Material World
• A.H. Wilkens Apr 17 2012, a pair of late 18th century silver stock buckles