The Scottish Clans and their Tartans

[Sharkman]

I have a copy of this book that I came across a couple of years ago. It was published in Edinburgh, Scotland by W. & A.K. Johnston and G. W. Bacon and it is a thirty-sixth edtion. It gives a short history of each clan and a full list of septs, with illistations of the tartans.

I'm not sure what year it was published because it is not noted anywhere in the book, but there are several pages of advertisments in the front and back of the book.

It is pretty interesting for a small book and if anyone might know anything more about it I would appreciate any information you might have.

I did notice that there are a couple of places in the differnet adds where they reference being approved by the King and also one that claims approval by Queen Mary but there are no dates listed.

I also noticed that the tartan they claim as Campbell is not the tartan recognized by the Duke of Argyll, MacCailein Mor.

[figheadair]

The Johnstons' work was first published in 1906 if I recall correctly.

Queen Mary was the wife of George V (1910-36). If yours is really a 36th edition, then I guess that it must be just pre-war.

It's been a while since I've seen a copy but I think that the Campbell tartan to which you refer is the Campbell of Argyll. It's a tartan that several successive chiefs disagreed about both whether it was a bona fide sett, for the sole use of the chief and his family, and whether the white and yellow lines should have black guards.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I have a copy of the 33rd edition and it was published in 1947. I agree, one of the more interesting aspects of books like these (which don't really have much to say about tartan itself) are the ads. In this case, for Scott Adie, Wm. Andersons (which is now Kinloch Anderson), J. Morrison, Hugh MacPherson, the Scotch House, P & J Haggart, Romanes and Patterson, the Harris Tweed Association, and even non-clothiers such as the Caledonian Insurance Compnay and the National Bank of Scotland.

As to the Campbell tartan, this book does illustrate the so-called Campbell of Argyll tartan as Peter surmised, as well as Cawdor, Breadalbane and Louden.

[Sharkman]

Thanks for the reply figheadair and M.A.C. Newsome,

I thought the book was pre WWII, but I had thought that it might be as early as 1900.

The Tartan that I was refering to was the Campbell of Argyll, and fighead you were right about the dispute between succesive Chiefs about the sett.

According to our current Duke, MacCailein Mor, he has decided that the changes instituted by the former Duke, his father recently passed, are to be the earlier recognized traditional sett.

So to those of us just learning these things it is all very interesting. I have just learned in the last few years of my clan heritage and I submitted my geneology to the Clan Geneologist to confirm my information and my interest has only grown from there.

I really appreciate the feed back and I'm looking forward to learning more so that I can pass these traditions on to my family.

[MacSpadger]

I have a copy of this book, (it fact, it's the only tartan book I have). I just really like it because all the tartans appear to be printed from woodblock cuts. I love the colours. The original printers plates must have been a joy to see!

[Sharkman]

Hi MacSpadger,


It is in fact the only book I have on Tartans. A friend at work found it and because he knows my interest in my heritage he gave it to me. The historical information is pretty interesting in it also and as you noted the prints are beautiful!

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

The Johnstons' work was first published in 1906 if I recall correctly.

My copy of the fourth edition is dated 1896 on the fly leaf; I believe that the first edition may have actually been published as early as c. 1880-1885.

[Detroitpete]

Here's the online version: http://www.archive.org/details/scott...sthe00edinuoft

I'd love a copy.

[MacSpadger]

Here's the online version: http://www.archive.org/details/scott...sthe00edinuoft

I'd love a copy.

Thanks for the link. My copy is a reprint of a later edition, which seems to have less writing, but also has pictures of cap badges, which would not have been so formalised when the book was first published.

My copy, (although bought by myself in Aberdeen, Scotland, for £1), was published by Chartwell Books, 110 Enterprise Avenue, Secaucus, New Jersey, 07094 "a division of Book Sales. Inc", cover designed in London, England and printed and bound in Hong Kong. What an international world we live in.

Maybe you could track a copy down in the US?