clan regiments
Sheila McGregor
I am working on a theory that at least some of the earliest formal
'clan' tartans (listed by Wilsons of Bannockburn in 1819) were identified
with certain clans because they had been used as the uniform tartans of
clan fencible regiments. Can anyone supply any information about any
clan fencible regiments? I know the McGregors raised the Clanalpine
Fencibles c.1790, and there was a Fraser Fencible Regiment which fought
in Canada (unusually, I think). Where can I find more information
about these regiments? They wore Highland dress, and were allowed
to use their chief's coat of arms on buttons etc where the standard
line regiments (like the Black Watch) only had a number. Who made
the yards and yards of uniform tartan for them? Wilsons? Where did
I read that the three-yard kilt was introduced for reasons of economy
only to be rejected on the grounds of indecency?
--
Sheila McGregor
NINETY 3RD
Sheila McGregor <she...@emplus.demon.co.uk> wrote:
This will have to be brief for the moment due to my time...Most Fencible
Regiments were raised, uniformed and served much like regular Line
regiments. The Frasers you mention were not Fencibles. In the 7 years War
(French & Indian War) they were the 78th Regiment and were disbanded in
North America at the end of that conflict. During the Am Revolution,
another Fraser regiment was raised in Scotand, and again numbered. They
too were disbanded at the end of said conflict.
As to whether there were actually "clan" fencibles is debatable just as
whether the Highland Regiments of the British Army were really "clan"
regiments. The 93rd Regiment was called the Sutherland Highlanders, but
not everyone in it was of or named Sutherland. Same for the Gordons, the
Camerons, etc. ----Speaking of, there were 3 Sutherland Fencible Regiments
before the 93rd was raised in 1799, and many came from the 3rd fencible
unit. The 93rd was also comprised of the Reay Fencibles who were
disbanding at the time (most of whom were named MacKay)
Also, Fencible regiments were not to be used outside of their homeland
(this included fencibles raised in Canada) though at times this did
happen. ie, the 3rd Sutherland Fencibles served in Ireland during the 1798
unpleasantness. Fencibles were basically "home guard" units.
As to length of tartan used in kilts, relatively small (to what we are
used to today) amounts were used up and through Victorian times, the usual
being anywhere from 3 to 5 yards for Other Ranks (enlisted). This also had
to do with the way kilts were made, which is different form today as ALL
the material was used - none was cut away.
Many so-called "clan" tartans are in fact based on government sett tartan
(or more popularly known as "Black Watch"). This is what was issued to the
Highland Regiments as uniform. UNI-FORM - get it? One form, one way, one
dress. That soldierly way of dressing like everyone else in one's regiment
or army. It is not the other way around. Due to the proscription against
"things highland" after the '45, if it were not for the British military
and the Highland Regiments, many traditions such as wearing tartan or
kilts, playing bagpipes and much bagpipe music itself, might have been
lost forever. Government sett tartan was the BDU of the time and what all
the first Regiments were issued. There are some who claim - without any
substantiation - that the 78th Frasers wore an orange Lovat tartan.
(Firstly, this did not exist in the 1700's, let alone there is no
documentation to prove the regiment wore anything but government...).
Anyway, for instance, the "Sutherland Clan tartan" is nothing more than
government with extra stripes. "Gordon" is government with yellow stripes,
and so on. Some may try to claim government is based on their clan (Grant
for instance) but this does not hold water.
The history of all the Fencible units is much more involved than what I
can give here. I hope I have not dissuaded you from further research!
Sheila McGregor
Thanks to those who have replied to this thread. I am making some
progress in this research.
Notably, from Scottish Military Dress, by Peter Cochrane (Blandford
Press, 1987), I have established not without difficulty that Murray,
Lamont, Gordon and Mackenzie are the 'government tartan' aka the
Black Watch with a variety of overstripes. This practice goes
back to about 1745 but continued for a while. On the other hand
the Cameron Volunteers or 79th were dressed in a unique tartan
designed for them by Alan Cameron's mother. The author rejects the
normal terms of "MacDonald with some MacLean influence" (or
whatever) for "a sett worn in Morvern and Mull with elements of
a sett worn in and around Lochaber", ie, she used elements that
were familiar to her from local traditions.
I have developed a suspicion that there was a rival mill to
Wilson's, perhaps in Inverness.
The Clanalpine Fencibles wore what is now McGregor but this may
have been an earlier green and red McGregor with a white overstripe.
They were certainly a 'clan' regiment but appear to have been
unusual in that. They also served in Northern Ireland as a police
force. A "Murray McGregor" tartan (which significantly was the
colonel's name) is listed by Wilson. The present chief, who is
a direct descendant, believed always that his ancestor had
invented this tartan, so refused to wear it! But he probably
"invented" it by adding an overstripe, in imitation of Gordon,
Loudon, etc.
I caught up with the Frasers and, yes, they were certainly a line
regiment. Sorry about that. Still haven't unearthed them in
Cochrane's book which is slim but dense and has the worst index
I've seen for a while. At least "Fraser" is listed by Wilson.
Other Fencible regiments don't seem to have been specifically
clan regiments, and I have not made much progress in finding out
what tartans they wore. The general belief is that they wore a
tartan chosen by the person who equipped them. Since they were
generally short-lived (raised to fill an emergency, then disbanded)
this information is elusive. I have information about Clan Gregor
which suggests that the body of men who represented the Clan in
1822 at the visit of George IV were essentially outfitted in the
uniforms of the Clanalpine Fencibles of 20 years earlier. We
know exactly what they looked like because they were painted in
1822, as a body. I had always wondered how they managed to get
them equipped but this would explain it. However they seem to have
been unique, which is rather a pity. Does anyone know of any
record of what other clans wore for the 1822 shindigs?
So far there is support for the idea that some clan tartans are
regimental uniform tartans and that the general idea of a clan
all wearing the same tartan is no older than the raising of the
first kilted Highland regiment which according to Cochrane was
the 42nd foot in 1742. Earlier Highland regiments existed but
do not appear to have worn Highland dress.
Thanks to everyone who helped so far.
--
Sheila McGregor
Karen McFarlin
> This will have to be brief for the moment due to my time...Most Fencible
> Regiments were raised, uniformed and served much like regular Line
> regiments. The Frasers you mention were not Fencibles. In the 7 years War
> (French & Indian War) they were the 78th Regiment and were disbanded in
> North America at the end of that conflict. During the Am Revolution,
> another Fraser regiment was raised in Scotand, and again numbered. They
> too were disbanded at the end of said conflict.
You seem to know a lot about British military units, so might be the
person to whom I should direct this question. Do you know which particular
British units were stationed in which posts in Canada? And anything about
the United Empire Loyalist militia units? I just discovered that an
ancestor of mine was either a Loyalist or a British soldier during the
Revolutionary War. (Imagine my shock - seven ancestors on the DAR Patriots
Register and I turn up a Tory! Oh well.)
Thanks
Rob Macphail