Charles Edward Stuart's Targe

[artificer]

To date I'd only ever seen the targe Bonnie Prince Charlie had carried at Culloden in the Kenneth MacLeay watercolour of Lachlan and Ewan McPherson, as held by Ewan.



That is, until today. I was doing some research for an upcoming project when what should I stumble across on Wikipedia?



All I can say is "Wow!".

And Kenneth MacLeay was really dead-on in his illustration as well.

ith:

[Father Bill]

So... what's the documentation on it? Where is it housed or is this a reproduction? It's fascinating, but could it be a repro based on the painting you've referenced?

[artificer]

So... what's the documentation on it? Where is it housed or is this a reproduction? It's fascinating, but could it be a repro based on the painting you've referenced?

It's on display at the National Museum of Scotland- I've just somehow
missed the picture over and over, I guess. Probably because I'm usually looking at sporrans

ith:

[Father Bill]

I really am impressed, Scott. Super wow!

[Steve Ashton]

I don't mean to pick nits but the National Museum's Scotland website listing does not reference that this was actually carried at Culloden.

"Dress targe made of wooden boards covered with pigskin, with silver mounts, c. 1740, part of the accoutrements presented to Prince Charles Edward Stuart by James, 3rd Duke of Perth"

From the condition of this it would appear that it has never even been outdoors. There are no signs of use at all. It appears to be in new condition as a presentation item would be.

[artificer]

Steve,

in the notes of Amelia Murray MacGregor from the bound collection of MacLeay's illustrations for Queen Victoria (The Highlanders of Scotland) the targe is described as follows:

pg20 "Ewan MacPherson... he stands 6 feet 2 and carries the Target made in France for Prince Charles Edward before he came to Scotland, and presented after Culloden to Cluny's Ancestor."
... "The targe is now in the Royal Scottish Museum in Edinburgh."

pg55 "The target represented in the picture was carried by Prince Charles at Culloden. The two-handed sword was for two hundred years in the possession of the Frasers of Struy, the last of whom
bequeathed it to the present Cluny."

Whether or not it was truly TAKEN into battle, I could not say, but accounts place it at Culloden.

Of course the accounts COULD be apocryphal, just like how every old sporran is Rob Roy's and George Washington apparently slept EVERYWHERE.
But the notes are VERY detailed for each sitter and much of their clothing, down to how much they were reimbursed for travel and being away from their work/estates.

Interestingly enough there was a second one of these targes made, which was housed at Warwick Castle but destroyed by fire in 1871.

ith: