'Dyer's madder' or 'Turkey Red' were used to dye fabrics such as the red coats of the Redcoats; 'Turkey' refers to the country, which was an important source of the dye.

"Given the difficulty of the dyeing process, it is highly likely that the Redcoat wool came in many different shades of red when it was new. Add to that the natural sun-bleaching in the field, and the continual soaking and drying experienced by the soldiers, then we would definitely see a range of reds in the Crown Forces. Officers' coats might well be dyed with the even more expensive Cochineal dyes"