"Highland clothing after the '45?" Topic

I have read that the kilt was outlawed. Or was that just the weaving of tartan?
Did the dress stay the same, but not in tartan pattern?
What about trews?

This might help a bit!

link

Bareassed :)

Every ass is bareassed under a kilt, at least it should be!

You can find it on Wikipedia

That from and after the first day of August, One thousand, seven hundred and forty-six, no man or boy within that part of Britain called Scotland, other than such as shall be employed as Officers and Soldiers in His Majesty's Forces, shall, on any pretext whatever, wear or put on the clothes commonly called Highland clothes (that is to say) the Plaid, Philabeg, or little Kilt, Trowse, Shoulder-belts, or any part whatever of what peculiarly belongs to the Highland Garb; and that no tartan or party-coloured plaid of stuff shall be used for Great Coats or upper coats, and if any such person shall presume after the said first day of August, to wear or put on the aforesaid garment or any part of them, every such person so offending … For the first offence,shall be liable to be imprisoned for 6 months, and on the second offence, to be transported to any of His Majesty's plantations beyond the seas, there to remain for the space of seven years.

It would be safe to say that wearing tartan was an unpopular option

That is to say, until George IV wore one while visiting

Did the proscriptions apply to America, particularly among North Carolina Loyalists at Moore's Creek Bridge?

Clothing in the Scottish Highlands, 1600 – 1800 CE has details from paintings of the 1780s.

MIRROR SITE
Clothing in the Scottish Highlands, 1600 – 1800 CE

Druzhina
Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers

Jim Duncan that was a great link. Not seen it before.

Yes, a good site!

I've always wondered what soldiers from disbanded highland regiments did during the Proscription. They couldn't be discharged in the kilt. Were they given/sold slop clothing from the quartermaster?

This might explain the debate over whether Fraser's highlanders of the SYW wore red tartan or government tartan kilts. Loudon's Highlanders of the WAS ( 64th.) wre disbanded in 1748. This would leave the colonel, Lord Loudon; with around 600 kilts. I'm sure he knew Simon Fraser and would offer him the lot in 1756! Fraser raised almost 1100, so perhaps his regiment wore red tartan and government tartan!

I visited Fort George in Halifax in 2009. The living history guides there suggested that Scots joined the Army to wear their belived tartan as it was "banned" and a crime to wear it.

In the 1850s

When i pointed out that this might have been so in 1750 it might not necessarily have been the case in 1850 they had a good laugh at the foolish English man. The monument director though was more historically minded and agreed to set the reenactors on a more correct path :)

Yes. The proscription on Highland dress was lifted in 1782. Some say as a sop to aid in recruiting in the Highlands.

From my readings -- but this is a general statement, I'd have to do serious delving in my library to cite sources, altho' I want to say that Stuart Reid has been active in this area -- there is controversy now as to how strictly this law was enforced, and for how long and in what districts. Some modern scholars say it was not in practical effect for very long and was in force only in areas where the occupying redcoats were present, or enforced primarily against Jacobite clans. Loyalist Highland lairds do not seem to have been inconvenienced by this, or protested. And there is much written and artistic contemporary evidence that tartan and Highland dress did not disappear during the proscription period. This seems to be one of those events that has been taken too much at face value, or exaggerated for sentimental or romantic effect. There were certainly some poor souls who were convicted of violating this ban, you can read of instances, but it was far from universal. And it is noteworthy, too, that the MacCrimmons maintained their status as hereditary pipers to MacLeod of Dunvegan for the whole of this period when bagpipes were supposedly banned.