Was Tartan ever actually banned?

[figheadair]

I'm sure that I'm not the only one that was brought up on the fact that tartan was banned by the Act of Proscription. The other day I was re-reading transcripts of the Act and find myself wondering whether it's been misunderstood/misinterpreted over the past 100 years or so.

Unfortunately the original is not available (yet) on-line and so one has to work with various transcriptions but in general they all give the following:

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That from and after the first day of August, one thousand seven hundred and forty seven, no man or boy, within that part of Great Briton called Scotland, other than shall be employed as officers and soldiers in his Majesty's forces, shall on any pretence whatsoever, wear or put on the clothes commonly called Highland Clothes (that is to say) the plaid, philibeg, or little kilt, trowse, shoulder belts, or any part whatsoever of what peculiarly belongs to the highland garb; and that no tartan, or partly-coloured plaid or stuff shall be used for great coats, or for upper coats; and if any such person shall presume, after the said first day of August, to wear or put on the aforesaid garments or any part of them, every such person so offending, being convicted thereof by the oath of one or more credible witness or witnesses before any court of justiciary, or any one or more justices of the peace for the shire or stewartry, or judge ordinary of the place where such offence shall be committed, shall suffer imprisonment, without bail, during the space of six months, and no longer; and being convicted for a second offence before a court of justiciary or at the circuits, shall be liable to be transported to any of his Majesty's plantations beyond the seas, there to remain for a space of seven years

Note the section highlighted. Neither here, nor anywhere else in Act, does it state that possession of tartan was banned, merely that the wearing tartan or parti-coloured Highland clothes by men was forbidden. Now it may of course be that some 'authorities' choose to interpret the Act more rigerously (as with the judge that classified the Pipes as a weapon of war despite the fact that they're not mentioned in the Act), we just don't know but it's an interesting subtle difference and may be the reason that some plaid/blankets etc survived.

Food for thought.

[xman]

I suppose it's possible that this is where the tradition of the Laird's Plaid comes from since a blanket carried upon one's shoulder could be easily argued as not actually being worn even though one is displaying their colours.

Another thing I've wondered is if The Act was not a primary instigator for the production of Harris Tweed as a replacement. Tartan kilts were banned, but perhaps a tweed kilt was acceptable.

[HeathBar]

Is it "parti-coulured" or "partly-coloured"? By your thought then, they could still own their old Highland Clothes, they just couldn't wear them. Unless, of course, they traveled south of the border to England.

[davidlpope]

wear or put on the clothes commonly called Highland Clothes (that is to say) the plaid, philibeg, or little kilt, trowse, shoulder belts, or any part whatsoever of what peculiarly belongs to the highland garb;

I suppose it's possible that this is where the tradition of the Laird's Plaid comes from since a blanket carried upon one's shoulder could be easily argued as not actually being worn even though one is displaying their colours.

Another thing I've wondered is if The Act was not a primary instigator for the production of Harris Tweed as a replacement. Tartan kilts were banned, but perhaps a tweed kilt was acceptable.

I think that the plaid proscribed would also include what we have now come to call the "Laird's Plaid"- i.e. an untailored amount of fabric that could be used in multiple ways (e.g. Belted Plaid, mantle, cloak, etc.). Also, the proscription seems to outlaw the little kilt by definition, without reference to whether it was tartan or not.

All that being said, I think that Peter's point is a good one. The romantic notion that "scraps of tartan" were safeguarded away by poor clanspeople in defiance of the Proscription are probably just romantic myths.

David

[macwilkin]

I think that the plaid proscribed would also include what we have now come to call the "Laird's Plaid"- i.e. an untailored amount of fabric that could be used in multiple ways (e.g. Belted Plaid, mantle, cloak, etc.). Also, the proscription seems to outlaw the little kilt by definition, without reference to whether it was tartan or not.

All that being said, I think that Peter's point is a good one. The romantic notion that "scraps of tartan" were safeguarded away by poor clanspeople in defiance of the Proscription are probably just romantic myths.

David

Unfortunately, the myth of "scraps of tartan" is still being perpetuated today by many unsuspecting folks who organize "Kirkin' of the Tartan" services. Some of us have tried to introduce the real story of the service (which is a much better story involving aid to displaced Edinburgh & Glasgow children in WWII), but it's still an uphill battle. <sigh>

T.

[DougC]

I have always heard that the act only prohibited the wearing of the kilt in Scotland by men, not that tartan was ever banned..unless you were a soldier. Even reading the act, it seems women could wear tartan if they wanted to do so. But, then again, I might be splitting hairs too finely...

[figheadair]

Is it "parti-coulured" or "partly-coloured"? By your thought then, they could still own their old Highland Clothes, they just couldn't wear them. Unless, of course, they traveled south of the border to England.

Parti-coloured was common term at the time that seems to have been synonymous with tartan. We might use the term multi-coloured in much the same way today.

Technically they could have worn their Highland cloths in Edinburgh or Glasgow. The Act talks about '...that part of North Britain called Scotland' by which them mant the Highlands. The Act clarifies it by areas north of the Forth, Perthshire etc.

[figheadair]

I suppose it's possible that this is where the tradition of the Laird's Plaid comes from since a blanket carried upon one's shoulder could be easily argued as not actually being worn even though one is displaying their colours.

Don't think that they would have got away with that as I'm sure it would have been covers by wear or put on.

Another thing I've wondered is if The Act was not a primary instigator for the production of Harris Tweed as a replacement. Tartan kilts were banned, but perhaps a tweed kilt was acceptable.

Harris tweed dates to the period of the Highland improvements in the 1830s and therefore post-dates the Proscription by some 50 years. And in any event, a kilts a kilt, or was then, parti-coloured or plain.

[davidlpope]

Unfortunately, the myth of "scraps of tartan" is still being perpetuated today by many unsuspecting folks who organize "Kirkin' of the Tartan" services. Some of us have tried to introduce the real story of the service (which is a much better story involving aid to displaced Edinburgh & Glasgow children in WWII), but it's still an uphill battle. <sigh>

T.

Todd,

I'm with you, brother. I've started lumping this sort of thing under the category of "I reject your researched and well-documented information because it does not fit with my romantic notions..." Also included in this file:

1. Sgian dubhs cannot be returned to their sheath without having drawn blood.
2. The number of colors in a tartan denote social standing of the wearer.
3. Each color used in a tartan should mean something ("blue is for the swift-flowing clear waters which crisscross our state, green is for the lush green grass that grows on the ground, blah, blah, blah...")
4. "My clan's tartan" dates back to Robert the Bruce, William Wllace, etc.
5. Every surname has a tartan.
Ad nauseum

[artificer]

Todd,

I'm with you, brother. I've started lumping this sort of thing under the category of "I reject your researched and well-documented information because it does not fit with my romantic notions..." Also included in this file:

1. Sgian dubhs cannot be returned to their sheath without having drawn blood.
2. The number of colors in a tartan denote social standing of the wearer.
3. Each color used in a tartan should mean something ("blue is for the swift-flowing clear waters which crisscross our state, green is for the lush green grass that grows on the ground, blah, blah, blah...")
4. "My clan's tartan" dates back to Robert the Bruce, William Wllace, etc.
5. Every surname has a tartan.
Ad nauseum

Just like how EVERY European decended family can trace their direct surname family back to a crest/coat of arms!... I love the interwebz