kids in Highland military uniforms

[Roderick Powell]

Two points I can agree upon with this subject are the, "Daddy's boy" and dress just like the father's profession and the idea of apprenticeship or even fostering of children to relatives to learn a trade. One would wear the costume of the work regardless the age.
But, our new member Roderick has a clue which might be the case with promotional backgrounds in photos.

By the way, welcome Mr. Powell if I neglected your introduction before now.

Thank you for your welcome , Tarheel ,and my late response.

I never heard of the idea of fostering children to learn a trade . Perhaps this was the origin of "Keeping the trade in the Family"

My record shows that children of 10 or 12 years of left school in the 1920's or1930's to work with their parents on the fishing ,on the farms ,or on the Land,
to supliment the Family Income.

The Early photos of the thread go back to the birth of photography in the mid 1800' s with William Henry Fox- Talbot . See Lacock Abbey Photo Museum and the Frenchman.... Niepse.

The earliest record of boy soldier so far is Major General Joseph Brome 1741/ 1751 age 8 years old.

If we consider my historical dates which may not be correct we get a perspective regarding this thread.

1715 first Jacobite rebellion

1725 founding of the Black Watch

1745 Second Jacobite Rebellion

By considering these dates together with the first reference to boy soldiers in 1741/1745 we find Boy Soldiers is not a new Idea

There are probably early Archive Records showing paintings of boy soldiers. One of the issues which complicates this thread is that Shirley Temple was certainly not a Boy soldier and I think it was O C Richard's second photo showed a boy in military uniform with a Dirk longer than his Kilt.
The correct length of a dirk was shown in another photo. However the boys swagger stick was smaller than his fathers stick.
Roderick Powell 31.10. 2015

[Roderick Powell]

some more pictures:

92nd Gordon Highlanders drummer boy, 1866

Attachment 25744

Seaforth Highlanders Drummer boy, WWI

Attachment 25745

93rd Sutherland Highlanders bandboys, 1856

Attachment 25746

blackwatch70 ,thank you for photos of boys in military uniform. Please can you clarify from your file ; is your earliest black and white picture a photo,
or black and white copy of a painting.
The quality of the Southerland Highlanders band boy 1856 pic may well be very early Photo, or may be black and white copy of painting. this is not clear from computer photo.

one of the other photos in another thread is clearly a modern colour copy of an old original colour painting.... Roderick Powell...31.10.2015

[Michael Weatherhead]

This intrigued me, as a former member of the Boys Brigade (In England 1968-71) I had never heard of rifles being carried, but sure enough there old Pathe Films, of boys carrying rifles and also there are references to an American company making non firing rifles specifically for the Boys Brigade.
Today The Boys Brigade Pipe bands wear the kilt and kilts may be worn by others at their COs permission and there are notes around that indicate kilts were worn by some, pre WW2.
There is a Boys Brigade tartan https://www.scotweb.co.uk/tartan/Boys-Brigade-/54378
Of course many famous people such as Baden-Powell were members of the Boys Brigade, one wonders how much of the Boys Brigade influenced His starting of The Scouts.

Yes, when I saw the Boys Brigade carrying dummy rifles, it was as recently as the early 80's. But it seems that they all wore scout/military-type shirts, and trousers, not kilts (it was 30-ish years ago..memory is a wee bit foggy). As to Lord Baden Powell, I read that when he returned to England, from the Boer War, he attended a parade. The Boys Brigade was marching in the parade. Their quasi-militaristic look/behavior gave him the idea, to form the Boy Scouts. He decided then and there that young boys did not need to carry rifles, but did need to learn outdoor skills. He had already written his military training manual (Aids to Scouting). He decided to rewrite it, geared more to young men, than to soldiers. (It was a best seller, was being used by youth leaders and teachers, while he was still away). His is an interesting story, including his military service. Those interested in military heroes, or scouting, in general, should read about Lord Baden Powell.