Border wear (and an introduction)

[DougNZ]

Dear fellow members

I'm new here but, by way of introduction, I'd like to say my Scottish ancestors came mostly from the Borders (West March). As a result, I have a particular interest in Border history, lore and dress. Sadly, I find it a largely overlooked part of current Scottish knowledge which is somewhat ironic as Border practices have influenced cultures around the world from Northern Ireland to North America to Australasia.

Anyhow, I am a strong proponent of the maud as a symbol of the Anglo-Scottish border and wrote the following article on Wikipedia that you might be interested in: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maud_(plaid) Incidentally, the old maud pictured at the top is mine, originally from the Lanarkshire area. I hope you enjoy.

I see there are a few threads on Border wear but I would be interested in hearing from others with connections to the Borders or Border clans.

Yours aye

[Tarheel]

Well met Doug. There is a segment of my family (Ingram) that has a history in Irvine.

I looked into my connection and there wasn't enough to claim definitive relations. The information is out there and hope you have fruitful hunting. Look to the Hadley MA. (circa 1650's) area for some connections to Scots/Americans. Cheers

[DougNZ]

Thank you for the welcome, Tarheel, and thank you for the Ingram entry.

I'm interested in anyone else with insight into traditional Border wear.

[Baeau]

Greetings Doug. Don't have anything to add. However, I would like to see what information comes about. I've some connection to the borders, Johnstones in the ancestory. Also, to any Maxwells..........please remember I'm harmless. Ta!!

[DougNZ]

... Johnstones in the ancestory. Also, to any Maxwells..........please remember I'm harmless. Ta!!

I think the word you're looking for is "gentle".

[Baeau]

Better is coward. Growing up, I always said, "I was the fastest thing on earth, when being chased by my Mother". Full blooded Spaniard. If she were a bull, no Torrero would have survived a meeting. Yup, coward.

[tpa]

A warm Scottish welcome, Doug, from middle England.

[DougNZ]

As in the Gentle Johnstons, as they were known. Funny story, Baeau.

Returning to Border wear, I used to have some photos on my old computer of Border men in the early twentieth century wearing Border check (Shepherd check) trousers. One, from memory, was of a road worker whose Border check trousers were patched with a piece woven with larger squares.

In the same period but at the other end of the socio-economic scale, Border check trousers became fashionable in London for wear with a stroller or morning coat.



From the mid-nineteenth century, the maud evolved into tweed country suits of Estate check (or gun club check) in natural, muted colours. Just as tartan has a myriad of patterns formed of intersecting lines, Estate check was woven with contrasting rows of colour to produce individual patterns. In some cases, staff on Border estates were outfitted in the Estate check of their landlord employer in much the same way as clansmen began to wear the tartan of their chief from about the same period. The earliest estate tweed is said to be the Glenfeshie, designed by Janie Ellice about 1840, for the estate her father, General Balfour, rented. This simple tweed is of black and white Border check with a simple over check of red.



Popularity spread, leading to a trend of district checks thoughout all the lands north of the Border.

[Bruce Scott]

Page 53 (at the link) of George Macdonald Fraser's 'The Steel Bonnets: The Story of the Anglo-Scottish Border Reivers' has some information. The period he is discussing is not entirely clear to me although reiving was probably at it's peak in the 1500s.

https://books.google.com.au/books?id...derers&f=false