Colonial Kilts

[Southern Breeze]

I've got a question for the experts and everyone else - how common were kilts in colonial America? I know people owned them and that they were worn on certain occasions such as weddings, but I'd like to know if they were worn more often. I've been researching this and keep coming up with nothing. Anything would help. Thanks.

[Mr. MacDougall]

Consensus among those who are historically knowledgeable around here indicates that they were actually pretty rare. Apparently, when Scots came to the new world, they adopted trousers to blend in.

[george7]

Of course, Kilts probably would have been terribly expensive and hard to come by...
and colonial kilt wearers wouldn't have had the support of xmarksthescot.com.

[hospitaller]

...and of course not even Scots in Scotland wore them all that much to begin with.

[macwilkin]

The majority of kilts would be found in military units, either Highland regiments of the British Army serving in North America during the various colonial wars and the Revolution, as well as in Loyalist militia regiments.

Another example of a militia unit was the Independent Highland Company of Foot, raised in the colony of Georgia:

http://www.hsgng.org/pages/gaprov.htm

Regards,

Todd

[kiltedsawyer]

The majority of kilts would be found in military units, either Highland regiments of the British Army serving in North America during the various colonial wars and the Revolution, as well as in Loyalist militia regiments.

Another example of a militia unit was the Independent Highland Company of Foot, raised in the colony of Georgia:

http://www.hsgng.org/pages/gaprov.htm

Regards,

Todd

Todd, thank you for that link, very interesting .......... a part of Scottish / Georgia history I didn't know about.
Thanks again,
David

[sharpdressedscot]

The majority of kilts would be found in military units, either Highland regiments of the British Army serving in North America during the various colonial wars and the Revolution, as well as in Loyalist militia regiments.

Another example of a militia unit was the Independent Highland Company of Foot, raised in the colony of Georgia:

http://www.hsgng.org/pages/gaprov.htm

Regards,

Todd

Did any fight on the American side?

[macwilkin]

Did any fight on the American side?

Highly unlikely. The majority of Highland Scots that immigrated to the North American colonies were Loyalists or at least tried to remain neutral during the Revolution.

There were individual Scots, such as Aberdonian Hugh Mercer, an ex-Jacobite, who served in the rebel forces, The Rev. John Witherspoon, James Wilson, etc. who favoured the American cause, as well as the Scots-Irish.

Regards,

Todd

[sharpdressedscot]

But not kilted?

[Carolina Kiltman]

Highly unlikely. The majority of Highland Scots that immigrated to the North American colonies were Loyalists or at least tried to remain neutral during the Revolution.

There were individual Scots, such as Aberdonian Hugh Mercer, an ex-Jacobite, who served in the rebel forces, The Rev. John Witherspoon, James Wilson, etc. who favoured the American cause, as well as the Scots-Irish.

Regards,

Todd

According to a local historian, (Cape Fear Valley region) one reason was that survivors of Culloden were offered the choice of being hanged or taking a loyalty oath to the Crown and being transported to to the Colonies. Thus they were most reluctant to break their solemn oath, part of the pride of the Highlander. How true this is I don't know, but it would explain at least part of the reticence.