Tartan genealogy

[Morris at Heathfield]

On the July tartan of the month thread Peter MacDonald suggested I start a thread on this topic. Here is what I wrote on that thread:

I've read about a hypothesis that all or most of the tartans predating the Proscription can be divided (roughly by geography) into three or four types. Jamie Scarlett recognized three types: the Ross type worn north of the Great Glen, the Mackintosh type worn in the Grampians, and the Macdonald type worn in the west. I have a book that gives four types: Huntly, Glenorchy, Lochaber, and Lennox.

Peter wrote:

I'm broadly in agreement with the concept of regional groupings but not necessarily with Jamie Scarlett's classification. Historically I certainly don't recognise the four types you quote. The trouble is that previous writers have based their ideas on groups that include post c1780 setts in which I include: Huntly, Lochaber and Lennox.

I'm working on a paper that I hope will prove the existance of a generic Applin/Lorn/Lochaber setting based on several pre-'45 specimens.

The direct historical evidence for district tartans comes primarily from Martin Martin, who in 1703 wrote:

Every isle differs from each other in their fancy of making Plaids, as to the stripes in breadth and colours. This humour is as different through the mainland of the Highlands in so far that they who have seen those places is able, at the first view of a man's Plaid, to guess the place of his residence.

This has often been interpreted to imply a uniformity in the tartans worn in a particular region, but I think it more likely that it implied nothing more than a sort of "family resemblance" among the tartans woven in a particular area. There seems to be a rough consensus among tartan scholars that this family resemblance of regional tartans was later transferred to clan tartans, which might explain, for example, the similarities between the MacDonell of Keppoch and Mackintosh tartans.

I am in sympathy with the idea, but still a bit skeptical as to how much of the evidence we have about these groupings comes from before the Proscription era. An example of a case where the similarity between two tartans appears to date from after the end of Proscription is that of the Grant and Drummond tartans. Then there are the plaids supposedly given to Bonnie Prince Charlie by the chief of Clan X which were subsequently left behind in the castle of the chief of Clan Y....

[figheadair]

This question goes to the heart of the pre-Proscription, pre-Clan tartan question. Because little was written regarding that aspect of Highland culture there has been a huge amount of speculation often without any attempt to prove theories or reference them to actual examples.

The paper that I'm working on will deal with a lot is the issues raised in the OP. I thought that I could keep it simple but in order to set the scene I've had to deal with how we got to where we are and look at the evidence before citing a true example of a district/regional sett style.

It's going to take me a month to complete as I need to re-photograph one of the pieces in better light but I'm sure that there's a lot that can be discussed in the mean time.

[figheadair]

I am in sympathy with the idea, but still a bit skeptical as to how much of the evidence we have about these groupings comes from before the Proscription era. An example of a case where the similarity between two tartans appears to date from after the end of Proscription is that of the Grant and Drummond tartans.

If you mean the currently Grant and Drummond tartans then they are one and the same and started out life as Wilsons' 'New Bruce'.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I've seen the Martin Martin quote used many times in support of a pre-Culloden "district" or regional tartan scheme. The problem is that we tend to project our own modern day ideas about tartan back into the past, when it is not always justified.

Today, tartans are worn symbolically. You wear a tartan to identify whether you are a MacDonald or a MacKenzie or a Campbell, etc. Individual tartans have very specific associations and meanings. So with this culture of representative tartans in mind, it is easy to read what Martin Martin wrote and read into it a system of regional tartans.

However, if we remove ourselves from this mindset, then what he wrote could be taken to mean nothing more than an observation that there are common characteristics of cloth produced in certain regions and if someone were familiar enough with these then one could make a reasonable guess as to where someone was from based on his clothing.

Stylistic commonality in dress within a certain region is a common enough occurrence, and does not necessarily imply an established system of district tartans.

All this is to say that more evidence of what type of tartans were woven during that period and how they were used would be needed before one could come to any definite conclusions.

[MacMillans son]

However, if we remove ourselves from this mindset, then what he wrote could be taken to mean nothing more than an observation that there are common characteristics of cloth produced in certain regions and if someone were familiar enough with these then one could make a reasonable guess as to where someone was from based on his clothing.

Stylistic commonality in dress within a certain region is a common enough occurrence, and does not necessarily imply an established system of district tartans.

That makes good sense to me Matt. "People from this region tend to use simple, broad striped tartans (Macgregor) and people from this region tend to use multi-color fine lined tartans (Anderson)" etc. without there being some organized consensus on the practice.

In thinking about that, I am curious what other regional conditions, like economics, availability of natural dies etc, may have influenced the designs and making of tartans. Did people in areas with greater resources, including leisure time, develop more complex tartans than those in areas with fewer resources? But, as you alluded to in your post Matt, that may be me trying to apply modern effects of economics on an unrelated historic practice.

Interesting stuff!

I look forward to Peter's paper and any other contributions on this.

[figheadair]

I've seen the Martin Martin quote used many times in support of a pre-Culloden "district" or regional tartan scheme. The problem is that we tend to project our own modern day ideas about tartan back into the past, when it is not always justified.

The other point about Martin Martin is that because he was a Factor on Skye some people have also 'assumed' that he know what he was talking about which is by no means certain. He was also the source for the use of sett sticks which I think I've convincingly shown in my paper on them to be based on a misunderstanding by a layman of the weaving process.

[artificer]

I would also assume (perhaps incorrectly) that the local materials available / preferred for dyes would give a somewhat regional colour-palette that would aid in "localizing" the original pre-proscription tartans to the educated viewer of the day.

Please correct me if this assumption is wrong.

ith:

[Nick the DSM]

The tartan would have been designed by the Chief himself, right? That would also be a major factor.

[artificer]

The tartan would have been designed by the Chief himself, right? That would also be a major factor.

No, before proscription it was basically just "weave something nice". The whole idea of clan tartans starts later in the post-proscription era.

ith:

[xman]

And chiefs don't usually weave them, they just give them the nod.