Gilbert Gerald Long,
Most regiments in the British army have had at one time or other had a nickname ie the diehards,the 10th Foot being no exception,the nickname came about because of a Royal Warrant of 1751 confirming the colour facings of the marching regiments of Foot, the 10th had bright yellow,this led to the Lincolns being given the nickname the yellowbellies,the regiment has fought for this Great County since 1685 as Grenville's regiment before becoming the lincolns, until 1960 at the time of the amalgamation with the Northamptonshire regiment nothing to do with their bravery look up the Emblazoned and Accredited Battle Honours.

Sylvia May
My great grandmother's family came from Lincolnshire, and my grandma's story is similar to Faye's, except that she used to say the women would gather the mustard from the fields in their aprons, rather than potatoes, their aprons would thus be coloured yellow.

Andrew Burgess
Not a clue but im no better off with the 1000 explanations above. May aswell have a guess, is it because we eat to much cheese?

Guy
After reading all of these and doing some checking The Coat of Arms and History says it's the The Royal North Lincolnshire Regiment had yellow on their uniform even before 1760's The Regiment was well before the 1879 period your father was born Ron living in the States The Story is told in the War for Independance 1776 that the cry Shoot those Yellow Bellies because of the color of the yellow on the waist coat. They were ambushed and cut down many retreated. So in the time afterwords they were taged cowards. However if you look at the History in other battles they were quite the opposite. I am of English decent and My Grand Father was from the area and I can tell you my father fought In WW11 for the US and His Brother fought for England and neither was a coward as my father has two bronze stars and a dozen medals to go with them. Be proud of your History.

Bob Rischmiller
I was born in Lincolnshire because my pregnant mother was evacuated from London in the Second World War. When I was a child she told me that I was a Yellowbelly and she claimed that this was because a copper coin placed on a baby's belly would turn into a sovereign before the man died. I presume this a polite way of saying that Lincolnshire folk are, or were, reputed to be misers.

George Crandon
A law was placed in 1523 that all cows were to have a gold streak on there bellies later on the law was passed

Johnny wilder
We are called yellow bellies because the lincolnshire armed forces wore yellow undershirts to show there power and wealth

danny cook
Before the regimental system in the British army was established, armies were raised from the county yeomanry. The Lincolnshire Yeomanry had a very bright yellow waistcoat. During the American war of independence the Lincolnshire yeomanry sent forces to America and these were soon to be nicknamed "yellowbellies" in the same way that other yeomanries became known as "redcoats" or "Greenbacks" etc. Anyone who has taken the time to acquaint themselves with the Lincolnshire Regiment will know that they were formidable troops who excelled themselves in battle on the Somme and in Flanders during the Great War as well as many other campaigns e.g. Egypt (The Lincolnshire Regiment's cap badge was a sphinx). It has nothing at all to do with cowardice. We should be proud of our yellowbelly nickname.

Wolf Turner
The real reason is; Lincolnshire was(and probably still is ) full of poachers, the pollen of meadow flowers was rubbed onto the poacher's belly as they crawled through the fields stalking their prey.I am told that the constabulary of the time regarded this is proof positive that the individual concerned had been up to no good and could well earn a trip to the colonies.

Michael Campbell
I thought the term Yellow Belly,came about because of the wildfowlers on the marshes,after prolonged laying in the silt on the marshes,their clothing was stained yellow.

johanne, lincolnshire born and bred
I was born and bread in the fens. The origin of the term yellow belly in lincolnshire comes from the yellow background on the waistcoat, which is also said to have had the red cross of st georgeon it, that the lincolnshire regiment wore. It has nothing at all to do with the frogs having yellow bellies as most of them dont have this feature. The story of the gold sovereign being hung around the first males neck is only applied to some families as some were not able to afford a sovering.Some have decided that it comes from malaria but as this is not a disease native to the uk so the jaundice associated with this disease cannot be the reason for the name.the idea that the mud would rub onto the people working in the field staining the bellies is not true as my family have worked the land for many years and they have not had this at all, i checked with my grandfather so this is a myth.the idea that we have no defined accent is not true. I now live in south yorkshire and here my accent is considered posh and very defined which to be honest we do not realise we ahve an accent when we are with people from the the same areas.i am told that not all cabe had the yellow undercarriage and so that theory is discredited.we certainly do not all have big bellies and hairy legs, i am a size 10 and proud of it at my age.if you look at history i do not think that the lincolnshire can be called cowards at all given the wars that they fought in. if you look in history you will find that regiment fough in many battles in a number of countries and not one can i find an account of them retreating and leaving a yorkshire regiment alone to be killed at battle.if we were cowards then please tell me why i am definitly not and do a job that meant that i am in the front line for attack at all times and most definitly not a coward?the misconception that yellowbellies mean we are cowards comes from the fact that most associate yellow with cowardice and in many other counties if you are a yellowbelly it does mean you are a coward but a lincolnshire person is not a woward by any terms and rather the opposite.the ale that was drunk was a light golden ale that most on the land drank, and now a ale is brewed in lincolnshire called yellow belly and it is a light golden ale and very nice.hopefully this will clarify the misconceptions that are associated with this term and any that feel we are cowards should reconsider

Richard Croft
I'm a Yellowbelly, as were countless generations before me .... I've always held with the Lincolnshire Yeomanry tunic colour theory as most likely and the fenland frogs next.Though John Ketteringham's Elloe proposal is a new one to me, it does sound very plausible

Colin Burridge
To locate the proper regiment, you begin with what is known. This could be the fact that he took part in a certain battle, or wore a certain type of uniform, or belonged to a regiment with a certain nickname. For example, The Lincolnshire Regiment was known for a period as the "Yellow Bellies" because of their uniform of the period. Go through the regimental listings looking for one (or more) that conform to the the facts as you understand them.

Deanna
Cause we are cool!!(H)

rob hughes
according to Brewers dictionary of phrase and fable published in the mid 1800s a yellow belly applies only to those people who live in the fens of lincolnshire AND east anglia and were so called because of the frogs native to those parts.So a yellowbelly is not unique to lincolnshire folk.Sorry.

Charlotte&Josh
because we're cowards, but i think its because we're too cool (H)

lewis smith
my friend said im a yellow belly because of the royal north lincolnshire millatary.

bigjo
because we aer the best

kelly peters
because they are cool, and have hairy legs and big bellies. hope i helped you. xxxxxxxxxxx

Alan Bell
I was told, by someone in Hull, that the origin of the "Lincolnshire Yellow-belly" was the fact that the under bellies of the horse drawn cabs that delivered Grimsby trawlermen to the docks were yellow. I think that history will confirm that the Lincolnshire regiment acquitted itself well enough for cowardice to be discounted.I'm proud to be a yellow-belly; born and bred.

Chris West
I was told the reason we are called yellowbellies, is due to a species of frog that is found in the Fens, which has a yellow belly.

John from Scunthorpe
Before the regimental system in the British army was established, armies were raised from the county yeomanry. The Lincolnshire Yeomanry had a very bright yellow waistcoat. During the American war of independence the Lincolnshire yeomanry sent forces to America and these were soon to be nicknamed "yellowbellies" in the same way that other yeomanries became known as "redcoats" or "Greenbacks" etc. Anyone who has taken the time to acquaint themselves with the Lincolnshire Regiment will know that they were formidable troops who excelled themselves in battle on the Somme and in Flanders during the Great War as well as many other campaigns e.g. Egypt (The Lincolnshire Regiment's cap badge was a sphinx). It has nothing at all to do with cowardice. We should be proud of our yellowbelly nickname.

LongDog
Before the draining of the Fens malaria was a common disease in the Lincolnshire area. Malaria induces jaundice = yellow = Yellowbelly. It is obvious really (and has NOTHING to do with riflemen / waistcoats / cowards / farmers daughters etc.. ) :D

Robert Smith
Because we drink too much and get jaundice!

Isaac , a Tyke ;)
My dad told me the origin of the Licolnshire yellowbelly came from the yellow tunics of the Lincolnshire regiment, he also said that Lincolnshire is the reason yellowbelly means coward. According to him they were meant to fight along side a Yorkshire force in a battle (which he conveniately forgot to name) but the Yellow Bellies fled and the remaining Yorkshiremen were defeated! Then again it could just be my dad isn't a fan of Lincolnshire Ha Ha!

Julie Eyett
According to some members of the Sealed Knot Society the term 'yellow bellies' refers to Lincolnshire troops in the civil war fighting on the side of the parliamentarian forces whose officers wore broad yellow sashes around their waists in battle

Simon Reeks
I was taught at school in Boston (many years ago!) by the late G Edward Campion who was a renowned "Lincolshire expert", particularly related to folk tales and dialect. He believed that Yellow Bellies were specifically from the Fens and got their name from a particular yellow fungus that was liable to grow on the belly in damp (fenland) conditions.

Roy Pell
My grandfather was born and bred in North Lincolnshire, was a Sergeant in the Lincolnshire Regiment in the Great War and a Lieutenant in the Lincolnshire Home Guard in the second war. He told me when I asked as a boy in a quite matter-of-fact way that 'yellowbelly' derived from the facing colour of the Lincolnshire Regiment and I'm sure this would be born out by the National Army Museum records. This was confirmed to me in later life by my uncle who was in the 5th Inniskilling Dragoon Guards in the second war. My Great-grandfather, also a yellowbelly, worked the land all his life and never mentioned the suggested agricultural origin. The stagecoach idea of Londoners being responsible for the name seems preposterous - pictures show that many coaches had yellow undercarriage. I suggest some of those Londoners who shouted may have been old soldiers who recognised the stagecoach as coming from Lincolnshire - the home of the regiment with yellow-fronted tunics they had fought alongside.

Nathan Parkes
I was always lead to believe we were called yellow bellies because we have no defined accent, although why that would be relevant is beyond me

harriet
i was always led to believe that people from lincolnshire were called yellow bellies because they were cowards. but why cowards were nick-named yellow bellys i don't know !!

Mandy Waldron
I was taught at school that the term Lincolnshire yellowbelly was related to the Yellow waistcoat worn by ******** who's picture symbolised Lincolnshire. Can't remember if it was a specific person's name or a general image of a gentleman farmer, I only remember having to draw him.

Rik cullen
it goes back to the times when armies of lincolnshire used to wear yellow tunics as breast plates and hence the other armies from the north ie yorkshire would turn tail and retreat bringing about the phrase yellow belly as in scared

Beth Somers
I was always told that "yellowbelly" was a referance to the extensive over use of opium in Lincolnshire at some unspecified point in history!

Alfred Erles
Before the draining of the Fens, there existed a disease very similar to maleria. This was caused by the mosquito & still, stagnent waters in the area. The symptoms were non fatal but gave severe belly cramps. Locals consulption of Opium was very common amongst farmworkers who believed rubbing it onto the belly area cured the ailment. This process caused yellowing of the skin. Hence Yellowbelly. I know of this as my great-great grandfather held a diary which was passed down to him by his grandfather. It,s all in there, mystery solved!

Gordon Sharp
My grandfather maintained it went back before banks and building societies, when money was a rare commodity in the fens. The yarn is that to protect their monetary interest, the Lincolnshireman would sleep with his money, presumably gold at that time, resting on his stomach. The theory being that if anyone were to try to remove it - the stomach being sensitive - the owner would wake and prevent its removal. It would seem this custom was peculiar to Lincolnshire and hence the myth was born.

Stephen Harrowing
I have read and been told it's Because of a Farmer and his rather overweight daughter. Being very overweight no one wanted to marry the daughter, so the farmer decided to use an incentive. To the person who would marry his daughter he would give as many gold coins as would cover her stomach as she lay on the ground. Hence 'yellow belly'.

mick cook
The name "yellow bellies" derives from cowardice created during the war of the roses when there was turmoil in the houses of York and Lancaster.The people of that time whom had no interest in the war were forced to move. Most of which moved east to lincs and norfolk.To this day we are still known as the lincolnshire "yellow bellies" (COWARDS) a mantle i`ve been trying to shift all my life.

Daryll Sleight
Because when the landworkers picked mustard from the feilds it was waist height and rubbed on their bellys,so now you know!

Sallyanne Braithwaite
My Grandmother Sybil Braithwaite was born in 1900 and lived in Barnetby, North East Lincolnshire, she told me that yellow belly was from the belly of the post cart, however to add to Mr Feirns story above she followed the Sovereign tradition but gave the first-born a gold sovereign (male or female) and subsequent siblings a half sovereign.

margery magnet
i was told it was due to a festival and celebrating pototoes people would paint their bellies yellow to resemble a potato!

Faye Tew - A True Lincolnshire Yellowbelly!
I have just been reading your webpage about the origins of the term 'Lincolnshire Yellowbelly'. Although, I now live in Northampton, I was born and bred in Lincoln (and proud of it!) and the story I was always told about the origin is as follows: When the farmers and farm workers went to pick the potatoes from the fields, they would use the bottom of their shirts (or aprons for the women) folded up to gather them before placing them in a box or barrow. The mud from the potatoes would then be all over their shirts (or aprons) leaving a yellow stain in the belly area - hence the term yellowbelly! I'd be curious to know if anybody else has been told this story also or whether I've been lied to for all these years!

John Ketteringham
I suppose the reason the most convincing and logical definition of Yellow Belly is not so well known is because it is not as romantic and fanciful as some of the others. The correct definition is as follows : The term originated in the name for the Rural Deanery which serves the fen area of the Lincoln Diocese. In turn this took its name from the Saxon Wapentake which was referred to as "Ye Elloe Bellie". Elloe means "out of the morass" and "bel" was the Celtic word for hole or hollow. Therefore, the original Yellow Bellies were the inhabitants of the Fens and the expression over the centuries has been adopted for all inhabitants of the County. The Elloe Deanery includes the parishes of Fleet, Holbeach, Long Sutton, Whaplode, Cowbit, Crowland, Gosberton, Moulton, Pinchbeck, Surfleet and Spalding. All of these are obviously in the Fens. I included this definition in my Lincolnshire Hotchpotch

Keith Bamkin
The Royal North Lincolnshire Regiment had yellow on their uniform to commemorate the fact that they really had yellow stomachs. He tells us "This was caused by a poor diet consisting mainly of the yellow cole plant. This is connected with the origins of the of the mustard firm "Colemans" who are named, I believe after the plant and not the surname."

David in Pristina
I am afraid I have two more possible explanations. For the term “yellow belly” I do not know of their truth but they have come my way over the years. I have also heard of the mail coach story. 1. Another reference to the Lincolnshire Regt. In the American war of independence the Lincolns were deployed somewhere over there in the swamps of Mississippi or somewhere similar. Apparently some Kentucky Riflemen had them pinned down in a swamp area and the only way out for them was to crawl out to safety on their fronts below the level of the vegetation. When they arrived back at their base the front of their uniforms was covered in the light ‘yellow’ coloured mud of the area. They were called from that time “Lincolnshire yellow bellies”. Not exactly confirming this, but I know that at that time the marksmanship of the Kentucky riflemen was legendry and the only way out would have been to leave the area and keep out of sight. 2. Another reference to the Farmers. The traditional clothing for a farm worker many years ago was the smock made of light coloured canvas material. Apparently when this material was subjected to sunlight and the garment became older it turned a yellowy colour, hence “Lincolnshire yellow belly”

Ron Feirn
My Father, who was born of Lincolnshire Stock, in Barnetby in 1879 told me that the origin of Yellowbelly was the practice of Lincolnshire families to hang a Gold Soverign around the neck of the first born male child. Only the first born male child was eligable for the appellation. He also knew of the yellow waistcoats of the Lincolnshire Regiment, but he insisted that this was a story of later origin.