Historical Plain Dress with the Kilt?

[Jock Scot]

I know of one town of Wigton which is just over the Scots border in the English county of Cumbria(probably called Cumberland in those days). I also know of a town called Wigtown in the Scots border county of Dumfriesshire. Whilst these two towns are probably about 50 miles apart, the Highlands would start about 150 miles further North of Wigtown.

[Bugbear]

I know of one town of Wigton which is just over the Scots border in the English county of Cumbria(probably called Cumberland in those days). I also know of a town called Wigtown in the Scots border county of Dumfriesshire. Whilst these two towns are probably about 50 miles apart, the Highlands would start about 150 miles further North of Wigtown.

Thanks, Jock.

I think it would be the Dumfriesshire Wigton, if I remember what I read. It looks more like Fox was trying to go to the Highlands, but I don't think he made it there.

[Jock Scot]

From what I remember, the Scots town of Wigtown used to be spelt WIGTOUN maybe that is how it was spelt in Fox's day?

[Bugbear]

Oops, oops, Jock, it is "Wigton" his spelling, and on the way to Cumberland. It took me a while to find it again. I'm looking at an old, public domain copy, and there is a note about "Highlanders" chasing Fox out with pitchforks, but Fox's text doesn't say Highlanders. It's a little confusing.

Sorry about that.

[Bugbear]

Ok, Jock, I have to cut out the majority of this, but… Fox talks about traveling from Dumfries to Douglas to Heads to Badcow, then back through Heads and Badcow to Garshoke.
Do those place names make any sense? I am sure I have heard of Dumfries on this forum!

Then Fox talks about a priest who has some sort of fainting fit, puts on a "Scotch plaid," and goes to the "country amongst the dairy-women" for a time. So,, there is the kilt. I can't believe I found that.

This is around page 316 of the 7th edition of Journal of George Fox…, (London : W. and F. G. Cash, 1852) now out of copyright, and from the Internet Archive site.

[ThistleDown]

Nought to do with the Highlands, Ted. As Jock said, 150 and more miles south of the Highland line. The "plaid" was commonly worn by Lowlanders as wrap for warmth and weather resistence, just as it was worn in the Highlands for the same purpose. Nothing to do with the kilt, at all, and nothing to do with "plain" clothing, either.

Dumfries is where Pour1Malt has his guest house, just inside the Scottish border.

[Bugbear]

Nought to do with the Highlands, Ted. As Jock said, 150 and more miles south of the Highland line. The "plaid" was commonly worn by Lowlanders as wrap for warmth and weather resistence, just as it was worn in the Highlands for the same purpose. Nothing to do with the kilt, at all, and nothing to do with "plain" clothing, either.

Dumfries is where Pour1Malt has his guest house, just inside the Scottish border.

Fair enough and thanks, ThistleDown.
Though Fox makes it somewhat clear this plaid was about all the priest was wearing, having taken off his clothing after waking from his fainting spell. It's a secondhand story to Fox, and I wouldn't exactly trust Fox's interpretation of what he saw in the first place…

It just gave me a good laugh when I came across that line.


* It might be interesting to know how the Lowlanders wore these plaids of which you speak, though.

[cruiser348]

The way I've heard it described by someone whom had left the Amish community that summed it up well was this, "wear nothing just for pretty."

[Bugbear]

The way I've heard it described by someone whom had left the Amish community that summed it up well was this, "wear nothing just for pretty."

Ya, plain dress became simple dress among Quakers, but a few still practice plain dress from what I hear. Gray became the standard color at one point, but that is not to say all Quakers practiced plain dress.
My grandparents lived across the street from a Mennonite family when I was a kid, and as best as I can remember the clothing was mainly black and without ornamentation.

Just thought I would poke around in my personal cultural heritage a little because I don't have that family connection to Scotland. I don't know what is done now-a-days in Scotland.

* I mean plain or simple dress in relation to the kilt in Scotland. Might not be done at all, now or any time in the past, for all I know.

[Ryan Ross]

I don't know if this helps you out any, but my great great grandfather was very strict Plymouth Brethren, and he did not allow his boys to wear trousers until they finished secondary school; they were kilted full time, usually in tweed, but not always.