Dress Sporran

[mrpharr]

Looking for a nice sporran to get married in and I really like the look of the White Rabbit fur style. It looks very elegant with the Prince Charlie et al. My brother sent me our grandfather's sporran but i beleive it is a pipers sporran and might not be appropriate for wedding garb. It's horse hair, from Liverpool Scotland made by A. Twentyman. Is this a company or is this the persons' name?

Next, no matter what i decide it seems to be silver on brass. Where the engraving there is some oxidation of the brass underneath making its way through. I'm looking for someone that can polish and then reseal it. I'm too worried about ruining it if I did it. Can anyone give me advice or know the history on the sporran?
Thanks,
Steve.

[Blu (Ontario)]

Let me suggest that such a family heirloom can and should be worn with great pride during the ceremony. It appears to be in wonderful condition... and I wouldn't be too quick to make it new again either. What you have is a precious bit of family history. Let it "shine" on its own complete with blemishes. Get a new fluffy white sporran to wear afterwards if you want somwthing shiny to show off. Before you do something to it you might regret, perhaps talk to someone from a museum that might be abl to advise you about preservation, storage, or even restoration.

The sporran is awsome and something wonderful to pass on to the next generation!

...and best wishes for your future wedding.

blu

[An t-Ileach]

It looks to me like a regimental sporran (maybe dress, maybe piper's) of the Liverpool Scottish: it seems to be in very good condition. I think A. Twentyman may have been a previous owner before your grandfather.

[bubba]

I'd wear you Grandfathers sporran. It has history and family value and a wedding is the place and time for that. I wouldn't do a thing to it beyond maybe a light cleaning with a bit of leather treatment on the pouch and maybe wiping the cantle down with a jewelers cloth which will simply remove dirt and grime only.

[macwilkin]

I would agree with An t-Ileach; it is a regimental sporran from the Liverpool Scottish (not Liverpool, Scotland, as Liverpool is in England). The LS is a Territorial unit, similar to our National Guard & Reserves, and was composed of Scots living in Liverpool. Besides the Liverpool Scottish, there was also a Scottish regiment in London and Tynside, Northumberland. There were also Irish regiments from major English cities as well. The Liverpool Scottish were part of the King's (Liverpool) Regiment. The regiment wears the Forbes tartan.

Here are a couple of web sites to peruse about the Liverpool Scottish:

http://www.liverpoolscottish.org.uk/

http://www.liverpoolscottish.org.uk/highlandim1.htm (notice the sporrans hanging on the wall)

http://www.liverpoolscottish.org.uk/sporbadge10im3.htm (info about the badge)

http://www.regiments.org/regiments/u...o/la-Lscot.htm

Was your grandfather a member of the Liverpool Scottish? If so, you have quite the heirloom on your hands.

From a historian's standpoint, I would advise you to NOT attempt to clean up the metal on your own. You might contact a local museum in your area and see if the curator might be able to assist you in conservation efforts, or contact the Liverpool Scottish's museum and see what they have done in regards to their sporrans. They might also be able to provide information on the individual that apparently owned the sporran before your grandfather.

I also wouldn't take the chance of wearing it at the wedding, simply because you wouldn't want to see something happen to it.

[mrpharr]

My mother is in for Mother's Day and she brought myself some interesting Geneology on the family. My mother's family moved to the states in the 1860's (Sneed and Kerr) or so and my father's side came in the 1760's (Craig and Wilkinson). My mother explained that Captain David Craig (My father's name with Gordon as the middle) was chased out of Scotland for banding with Prince Charlie (is that where the jacket got it's name from?). I need to phone my cousin about the full Geneology, she has the lot to offer (she is a Morrison).
It is all too facinating. What do our friends on the Isles think of our keen interest in our family roots? I've always wondered.

I think I might wear something I will buy and display the antique...any other opions are greatly welcome.
cheers.
steve.

p.s.
the links were amazing. the sporrans look exactly the same. i really think i have some antiques on hand. i also have his Glengerry hat.

[Rex_Tremende]

It's nice for a change to see the groom take as much interest in his wedding dress (as in attire) as the bride.

How cool is it to discover all the history attached to your possessions?

I say wear the heirloom ("something old") for the ceremony, then switch to a new one for the reception.

Regards,
Rex in Cincinnati

[Moosehead]

Just to play devil's advocate here, but it seems mighty improbable that, given your Father's family's arrival in the US, that your Grandfather served with the Liverpool Scottish. Might I suggest, that more than likely, he aquired it from the original owner Captain Twentyman, whom the gent from the Museum seems quite familiar with.

Such being the case, I won't go into the protocol of wearing such an item.

Again, just adding a different point of view.

[macwilkin]

Just to play devil's advocate here, but it seems mighty improbable that, given your Father's family's arrival in the US, that your Grandfather served with the Liverpool Scottish. Might I suggest, that more than likely, he aquired it from the original owner Captain Twentyman, whom the gent from the Museum seems quite familiar with.

Such being the case, I won't go into the protocol of wearing such an item.

Again, just adding a different point of view.

To echo Moosehead's comments, was your grandfather actually in the Liverpool Scottish, or was this something he purchased? If the latter, then I would say again that I would be hesitant to wear it at the wedding, and further (and this is just my opinion, take it for what its worth) -- I would consider donating the sporran to the regimental museum. Since it is apparent that Captain Twentyman was a key figure in the history of the regiment, an item such as this would most likely receive a prominent place in the museum collection. Items like this are very important to providing a "material account" of a regiment's history, and it would be nice to see it "go home" to the regiment if it doesn't have a strong connection to your family, such as a relative that served.

Again, this is just my opinion, as a historian and a park ranger at a Civil War battlefield, where we had many similar items pass through on a daily basis.

Regards,

Todd

[Bob C]

I think you had reached the right decision already, mrpharr. Buy a new sporran for the wedding. Archive the antique as the treasured family heirloom that it is.

I can't agree with Todd that you should donate it to the museum. They, no doubt, have many of them. This one was your grandfather's, regardless of how he acquired it.