Certainly Historical ...

**Chas** · 23rd May 13, 05:57 AM

Certainly historical, but what exactly it is I don't know.

Admiral Sir Charles John Napier KCB GOTE RN (6 March 1786 – 6 November 1860) was a Scottish naval officer whose sixty years in the Royal Navy included service in the Napoleonic Wars, Syrian War and the Crimean War, and a period commanding the Portuguese navy in the Liberal Wars. An innovator concerned with the development of iron ships, and an advocate of humane reform in the Royal Navy, he was also active in politics as a Liberal Member of Parliament and was probably the naval officer most widely known to the public in the early Victorian Era.

This is one of his sons:

And just to be fair to the other gender, one of his daughters:

Regards

Chas

**Phil** · 23rd May 13, 06:29 AM

Love the lace knickers! Hard to tell with Victorian children as they used to dress up the little boys in frocks as well. Don't think it's a kilt though.

**Nathan** · 24th May 13, 10:49 AM

Well it's certainly evocative of a kilt and plaid and doublet but it looks to be made of cotton. The girl's dress is ill fitting. Maybe his wife wasn't that gifted a seamstress but he didn't have the heart to tell her.

**unixken** · 24th May 13, 01:14 PM

Originally Posted by Nathan

Well it's certainly evocative of a kilt and plaid and doublet but it looks to be made of cotton.

And, his slip is showing...

**Ozark Ridge Rider** · 24th May 13, 06:42 PM

Have never seen a tartan quite like that. Presumably the pix are hand colored. The double fine white threads are reminiscent of some of the Scott tartans, and Napier is a family often associated with the Scotts.

Interesting.

**TheOfficialBren** · 24th May 13, 07:58 PM

To my untrained eye it looks like a period example of "sell all of the things" and "wear all of the tartan." It is an unusual example of tartan being worn, for sure.