Canadian tartans

[CMcG]

'Eastern Townships' is another Canadian regional tartan, one that I fear may be lost even though the lady who developed it had it officially registered. It is, or was, quite a lovely subdued tartan with a lot of earth colours reflecting the natural ones found in the area.

<snip>

Anyone familiar with that tartan? While it was definately woven by a Scottish mill and in some quantity back in the 1960s era, I have never ever seen it made into a kilt.

I did a quick search and came up with a reference to it but no image:

"The Eastern Township Tartan was created by Mr. Richard Allan of Kinnear's Mills. In 1974 he went to Scotland to have it recognized. He was the founder of the Megantic Historical Society and owner of the last steam saw mill of the county.

Inverness, as former chief town of Megantic County, is proud to acknowledge this Tartan. Its colours represent the beauty of the county's landscape: the sumptuous green of the hills, the icy-white of the snow, the rich brown of the earth, the deep red of the autumn leaves and the bright yellow of dandelions and buttercups."

You might try contacting the town of Inverness, Quebec:
http://www.municipaliteinverness.ca/

[ForresterModern]

Once again, is it me or does the Ontario Centennial listed just a few posts above have two entirely different thread counts in the warp and weft directions? I guess it is still a tartan but tough to describe it in the classic terms of thread counts and pivots. Would that be an example of a named fashion tartan? The only other similar one I personally know of is the St David's tartan which I believe has red and greenish blue vertical stripes with horizontal thin stripes but no horizontal green or red.

jeff

[CMcG]

Once again, is it me or does the Ontario Centennial listed just a few posts above have two entirely different thread counts in the warp and weft directions? I guess it is still a tartan but tough to describe it in the classic terms of thread counts and pivots. Would that be an example of a named fashion tartan? The only other similar one I personally know of is the St David's tartan which I believe has red and greenish blue vertical stripes with horizontal thin stripes but no horizontal green or red.

jeff

Good eyes, sir. The Scottish Register of Tartans calls it a fashion tartan and has this to say about it:

"Note says 'from Pik Mills'. An extremely complicated sett, non reversing and with very different warp and weft. Count from Scottish Tartans Society. Procedings Series 3 No. 2. Note there said: 'This tartan was one of a special presentation for centennial year.'"

[Dixiecat]

I can't find my nice digital pic of another 'regional' tartan, the Cape Breton tartan. It's very popular here in the Maritimes and can be found in equal abundance at any fabric store here.

[CMcG]

I can't find my nice digital pic of another 'regional' tartan, the Cape Breton tartan. It's very popular here in the Maritimes and can be found in equal abundance at any fabric store here.

It is quite a nice tartan and good to know that it's readily available in the Maritimes. Come to think of it, I recall seeing it around Halifax when I visited there last summer Here's the digital version of it:

[Riverkilt]

For sure would be interested in the Eastern Townships tartan. My maternal line goes back to that area - Philipsburg, Quebec and Highgate, Vermont...a mix of Loyalists and Palatine Germans. Border kept being resurveyed back when and nationalities changed.

On my father's side been looking for a Gillis tartan. The Gillis clan was one of the first on Cape Breton Island and my great great grandfather married one of the many Mary Gillis's running around. I know some use the Gillies tartan. But found that J. Andrea designed a Gillis tartan for for St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S. Just its only been done as a computer background - did find his sister a few years ago and she said its never actually been woven.

[CMcG]

For sure would be interested in the Eastern Townships tartan. <snip>

On page 11 of this newsletter from Kinnear's Mills, there is a bit more info about the Eastern Townshipper's Tartan. Apparently it was recognized by the Lord Lyon, so you might check there. I think there is a charge for those searches though...

Here is the best I could do for an image:



Any historians or tartan experts care to help with this one?

[Lallans]

On page 11 of this newsletter from Kinnear's Mills, there is a bit more info about the Eastern Townshipper's Tartan. Apparently it was recognized by the Lord Lyon, so you might check there. I think there is a charge for those searches though...

Here is the best I could do for an image:



Any historians or tartan experts care to help with this one?

Amazing, CmcG!

That image is definitely the Eastern Townships tartan, more white in it than I had remembered, but that IS the predominate local colour for about half the year . I was given a scarf made of the kilt material and have it put away somewhere. Memory is a funny thing but I do have a very clear memory that the tartan was developed and registered by a woman, because I remember a writeup about her in The Sherbrooke Record, and also her appearing at cultural events etc. I must have missed a step somewhere; she must have taken up the cause. Well, I was quite young at the time.

I'm told that an image of the tartan is used by an organization called the Townshippers Association; I'll be getting someone to put me in touch with them, since they might be another source of information. Also, that is one great link, one I managed to miss myself and which I'll be sharing with fellow Appalachians exiles. Thanks very much for that.

[CMcG]

I'm sad that my University (York) doesn't have a tartan but here are the ones I found:

Queen's University:


University of Alberta (I believe we have a UofA prof amongst the rabble, I hope he's reading this!):


University of Calgary:


Laurentian University:


St. Francis Xavier University:

[CMcG]

Amazing, CmcG!

<snip>

I'm told that an image of the tartan is used by an organization called the Townshippers Association; I'll be getting someone to put me in touch with them, since they might be another source of information. Also, that is one great link, one I managed to miss myself and which I'll be sharing with fellow Appalachians exiles. Thanks very much for that.

No problem. Please be sure to share whatever other info you can dig up!