Proscription Act Repealed

**Scott Gilmore** · 3rd July 06, 08:06 AM

Curious that the image in the lead post seems to illustrate what appears to be an English banner flying from the pipe.

Regards,
Scott Gilmore

**Kilted KT** · 3rd July 06, 08:15 AM

Originally Posted by Scott Gilmore

Curious that the image in the lead post seems to illustrate what appears to be an English banner flying from the pipe.

Regards,
Scott Gilmore

the banner was prolly one taked from an englishman the piper bashed over the head with his pipes!

**ozmeath** · 3rd July 06, 08:16 AM

The first (and last) attempt I made at playing Scottish pipes was definately a demoralising experience for myself and anyone within earshot. A weapon of war indeed!

**Pour1Malt** · 2nd July 07, 01:08 AM

a day late this year, ai am...

n'er the less...

July 1

Proscription Act Repealed

Thus allowin again the wearin o' kilts & tartan, the teaching o' Gaelic,
and the carryin o' weapons; includin bagpipes.
(1782)

Wear yur kilt proudly the day lads!

**PiobBear** · 2nd July 07, 01:47 AM

Not to be picky, but the Acts of Proscription of 1746 & 1747 didn’t ban bagpipes. There’s no mention of bagpipes in the Acts, and there’s no record of anyone ever being prosecuted pursuant to the Acts for playing bagpipes.

The myth is based upon the case of James Reid, a Jacobite piper captured at York after the ’45 who was tried for treason. At his trial it was argued in his defense that he had "not carried arms," however, according to the trial judge, "The claim of being merely a musician is spurious, and the charge of armed rebellion is proven, for it has been the experience of this court that a Highland regiment has neither marched nor fought without a piper. Therefore, the bagpipe in the eyes of the law is an instrument of war." However, this decision never found it’s way into case law, much less statute.

**PiobBear** · 2nd July 07, 01:50 AM

Curious that the image in the lead post seems to illustrate what appears to be an English banner flying from the pipe.

I've forgotten the name (and the patron) of the piper (the drawing's based upon a contemporary portrait), but he was Loyalist. More Scots fought for the Crown than Prince Charlie.

I'd observe that the second illustration clearly shows a piper wearing Government tartan and a red coat, as well, and that's undeniably the Union Jack carried by those redcoats in the lower left corner...

**macwilkin** · 2nd July 07, 03:46 AM

Originally Posted by PiobBear

I've forgotten the name (and the patron) of the piper (the drawing's based upon a contemporary portrait), but he was Loyalist. More Scots fought for the Crown than Prince Charlie.

I'd observe that the second illustration clearly shows a piper wearing Government tartan and a red coat, as well, and that's undeniably the Union Jack carried by those redcoats in the lower left corner...

It's actually an imagine of one of the "mutineers" of the Black Watch, Donald MacDonald, from the mutiny of the regiment in 1743. One version of the image comes from Francis Grose's* Military Antiquitaries. See Stuart Reid's 18th Century Highlanders.

The second illustration is of a piper of the 77th Highlanders in the French & Indian War, which was part of the force sent to attack Ft. Duquense in 1758 with General Edward Braddock. The artist is Robert Griffing:

http://www.paramountpress.com/majgranpip.html

Cheers,

Todd

*Grose, as some of you may remember, was the one who commissioned Burns to write a poem to accompany a drawing of Alloway Kirk...and thus Tam O'Shanter was born.