History of brogues with straps?

[Wandering Spark]

I am researching the history of brogues. The use of straps, like those on modern buckle brogues, appears to have a long history in Highland brogues.

The earliest examples I can find come from the archaeological site of Eadarloch Crannog in Lochaber, dated 16th-early 17th century.

drawing of a brogue found at Eadarloch Crannog from Ritchie and Crowfoot 1942
I believe that one of these brogues is on display at the West Highland Museum, but unfortunately, it is now in such poor condition that you can't really discern the original shape.

Sir Mungo Murry wears brogues with ankle straps in his circa 1683 portrait.


Brogues with straps show up in several early 19th c. paintings:

detail from The Penny Wedding by Sir David Wilkie 1818


early 19th c. painting of a Highland dancer from the Inverness Museum


painting of Allan M'Aulay from 'A Legend of Montrose' by Horace Vernet 1823
The straps on these brogues are weirdly low, but the other details are accurate enough that I think Horace Vernet must have had a real Scotsman model for this painting.

Brogues with straps were a popular choice in 'Highlanders of Scotland' by Kenneth MacLeay

Although brogues with straps were clearly worn during the 17th and 19th centuries, I have yet to find any examples of them from the 18th century. Has anyone seen examples of this type of brogue dating to the 18th c.?

[OC Richard]

You raise such an interesting question!

It's puzzling the two paintings showing shoes with flaps, Mungo Murray as you show, and Lord Duffus, both seen in this collage I did.



I actually hadn't paid attention to the fact that Mungo Murray's shoes have a small gap between the shoe and the strap.

With Lord Duffus the flap hides whatever might be going on there.

I hadn't seen that Penny Wedding painting. I had always imagined that putting a strap over the instep was a later development.

We can see that the 18th century shoes that covered the whole foot and had functioning buckles evolved as the 19th century progressed, being cut lower and lower, becoming slip-on pumps with a nonfunctional buckle at the toe.

I had thought that it was a matter of a strap being added to this shoe. Highland officers in the mid-19th century can be seen wearing both the strapless pump and the brogue with strap in the same orders of dress (Levee Dress, Mess Dress) depending on regiment.

Here even late in the 19th century Argylls officers are still wearing the slip-on style.

[User]

Those pants on the far left are surprisingly high waisted. Are they at the same waist as kilts?

[Father Bill]

Those pants on the far left are surprisingly high waisted. Are they at the same waist as kilts?

That was the normal height for pretty well all men's pants into the 50s and then the 60s shifted.

[figheadair]

I actually hadn't paid attention to the fact that Mungo Murray's shoes have a small gap between the shoe and the strap.

Richard. The the dating of the Mungo Murray portrait is wrong, it's c.1680 rather than 1660.

[OC Richard]

Richard. The the dating of the Mungo Murray portrait is wrong, it's c.1680 rather than 1660.

Yes, sorry, I was using the traditional date for that portrait.

For, what, a half-century the Scottish National Portrait Gallery had it listed as "Unknown Highland Chief c1660" then at some fairly recent point changed their designation to "Lord Mungo Murray c1683".

John Telfer Dunbar states that three versions are known. Are any of the three signed by Michael Wright?

What makes me ask is the fact that for ages the Scottish National Portrait Gallery had the painting of Hugh Montgomery listed as being by an unknown artist at an unknown date before recently claiming that it's an original John Singleton Copley.

[figheadair]

Yes, sorry, I was using the traditional date for that portrait.

For, what, a half-century the Scottish National Portrait Gallery had it listed as "Unknown Highland Chief c1660" then at some fairly recent point changed their designation to "Lord Mungo Murray c1683".

John Telfer Dunbar states that three versions are known. Are any of the three signed by Michael Wright?

What makes me ask is the fact that for ages the Scottish National Portrait Gallery had the painting of Hugh Montgomery listed as being by an unknown artist at an unknown date before recently claiming that it's an original John Singleton Copley.

Richard,

As far as I know, none of the three versions is signed by Wright, nor is the companion one of the Irish Chief O'Neill that is also attributed to the artist. However, by tradition Wright’s portrait of Lord Mungo Murray was painted during the artist's stay in Ireland in 1679-83, where he had travelled to escape the strong anti-Roman Catholic sentiment in London at the time.

Peter

[Wandering Spark]

You raise such an interesting question!

It's puzzling the two paintings showing shoes with flaps, Mungo Murray as you show, and Lord Duffus, both seen in this collage I did.


I actually hadn't paid attention to the fact that Mungo Murray's shoes have a small gap between the shoe and the strap.

With Lord Duffus the flap hides whatever might be going on there.

I hadn't seen that Penny Wedding painting. I had always imagined that putting a strap over the instep was a later development.

We can see that the 18th century shoes that covered the whole foot and had functioning buckles evolved as the 19th century progressed, being cut lower and lower, becoming slip-on pumps with a nonfunctional buckle at the toe.

I had thought that it was a matter of a strap being added to this shoe. Highland officers in the mid-19th century can be seen wearing both the strapless pump and the brogue with strap in the same orders of dress (Levee Dress, Mess Dress) depending on regiment.

Here even late in the 19th century Argylls officers are still wearing the slip-on style.

Where is the 1793 example in your collage from? I don't have a copy of that one.

I'm guessing that our modern buckle brogue is result of someone combining the toe-buckle pump with the earlier instep strap brogue. I just found some more early 19th c. examples I had never seen.

Sir Francis Grant circa 1824 source These remind me of the hybrid style in Highlanders of Scotland.


Lewis Alexander Grant-Ogilvy. An early 2 buckle brogue. No date, but he died in 1840, so this painting must be from before 1840. source


Duncan MacDonell. The basic version. Again no date, but it looks to me like this painting is a similar date to the Lewis Alexander Grant-Ogilvy portrait. source
If anyone has a better idea of the dates for these, I would love to know.

There was definitely some interesting variety in 19th c. Scottish footwear.

[OC Richard]

Thanks!! Those are great images.

That pushes the strap quite a bit earlier than I had imagined (mid-19th century).