Which Kilt?

[LStaton]

Hello. As are the others, I am new to this site and trying to figure things out. I am our family genealogist. On my mother's side we have Urquhart and Mac Donald with many moving from the Strathglass and Lochness area to Nova Scotia. On my Husband's side there is Mac Gregor, Mahaffey, Williamson and Alexander. I have many questions but two are foremost at this time. When there are clans on both sides of a lassie's family which tartan or kilt is appropriate for her to wear? Second question: can anyone tell me the connection between the Mac Donalds (and by the way, which part of the clan are they) of Strathglass and the Chisholms? Why would my great, great, great grandfather be born in the Chisholm land of the Strathglass.

Thanks,
Lauralynn

[Father Bill]

Hi Lauralynn.

Traditionally, a woman wears the tartan her father wore until she gets married, and then she wears her husband's. (Pretty traditionally patriarchal, eh?)

When however, her father had no tartan affiliation but her mother did, she would wear her mother's tartan until she got married.

Similarly then, if her husband has no tartan attached to his lineage, he will adopt her tartan, whichever side of her family it came from.

This is all because the clan system was basically designed to recruit clansmen - warriors, thus, if you married into the clan (or actually often even if you just lived on the chief's lands) you belonged to the clan and owed loyalty to the clan chief. This traditional patriarchical viewpoint is still generally recognized as the usual if not the correct, line of tartan lineage.

Cheers and welcome to the "Great Rabble"!

[Liam]

Welcome to the forum!

[Anokar]

Welcome LauraLynn,

You are definitely in the correct place to have you question answered properly! I like the way Father Bill worded his reply! I'm curious about the Macdonalds and Alexanders myself...so I'll sit back and hush! I'm sure your answers will come in no time, have a great weekend!

Slainte,

Anokar

[Tarheel]

Well met and welcome LauraLynn. I second every word that Father Bill offered. I will throw this out for you to ponder. Is there a tartan color and pattern, in the family lines you listed, that appeals to you above all others?

A new thread, by a fellow clans man, concerns a kilt style made from one of the many different choices of color and pleating type in our clan fabric. He is asking technical questions about kilt construction but also about the tartan itself. I hope your quest isn't as hard to start with but can see how anxious a decision like yours can be.

Sometimes a tartan just "speaks" to you and the problem is solved. Glad to have you with us.

[Kiltedjohn]

Hi, LauraLynn, and welcome. I wouldn't worry about formal rules about which tartan you "should" wear. I looked at various tartans of the various names in my family tree, and simply chose the one that I liked best!

[Anokar]

Lauralynn,

I'm not the best person to try to answer your question about Chisholms and Macdonalds. But, you may want to look up information on the Battle of Flodden. It was a "War of the Holy League", between Scots and English pertaining to Catholicism among other things. It's known that, about 1513, Chisholm of Comar and Sir Alexander MacDonell of Glengarry were with Sir Donald MacDonald of Lochalsh at the Battle of Flodden. On their return they decided to attack the Urquhart Castle.


Again, this is a small bit of info I looked up, but hopefully will give you something to think about. Best of luck!


Slainte,

Anokar

[Tomak]

Hello and welcome to the forum. As I think Father Bill did a fine job explaining what you would wear historically, there is another aspect to consider. Since you are not swearing loyalty to a clan chief, simply pick the tartan from the long list of your family tree that you like the best. And since kilts seems to be some type of disease, you will no doubt add a few more in time.

[Riverkilt]

Welcome, we're probably cousins... Have many Chisholm relatives...

Many many Macdonald tartans to wear...from generic to specialty. Enjoy the search...that's half the fun! Other half is wearing your tartan with pride.

[tripleblessed]

Why would my great, great, great grandfather be born in the Chisholm land of the
Strathglass.

Then, as now, folk looked for both convenience and advantage in marriage partners. The convenience might be proximity.
A second or third son looking at no inheritance (the eldest got that) might hear of man in another clan with no sons and
marry his daughter so their son would inherit something _ advantage. Although it will be a great surprise to most ,
Scots could at times be a bit fractious, which could lead to the need to get out of town ahead of the constabulary or
relatives of the aggrieved, taking shelter under another chief. Or the wife's family. Or a clan feuding with the one you
were fleeing. Or just that a job was available.

People have always been people, and life takes ... um... interesting turns at times. This is real history. Not the great
causes we read about, but the individual stories which lead someone to be in the exact location at the right time to be
a hero. Or the goat. Or accidentally start a war. Or fall in love with a stranger.