Tartana - a Case for Clan Tartans
The 1707 Union of the Parliaments of England and Scotland was
hugely unpopular with the majority of Scots and it is known that,
in the years following it, tartan was worn in Lowland towns as a
political gesture of opposition to that Union. The Jacobite cause,
the central intention of which was to return the Stuarts to the
throne of the United Kingdom, drew support from many who simply saw
it as a means by which to regain Scottish independence. Accordingly
tartan was regarded as being a powerful symbol of Scots patriotism
(which was precisely why the Hanoverian government made the wearing
of it illegal after the '45 Rebellion).
Allan Ramsay was born in 1686 in Leadhills, Lanarkshire
and as a young man was a founder member of the "Easy Club" of
Edinburgh - an organisation known to support the Jacobites and
independence. Although the poet appears not to have fought in
either the 1715 or 1745 Uprisings, from his literary work, his own
patriotism and sympathies with the Stuarts are unmistakable. It was
out of this political situation and these loyalties that "Tartana"
appears to have been wrought.
Apart from simply expressing his love of tartan in a poetic way,
Ramsay crafts this work with some very interesting facets. Tartan
was not worn exclusively in the Highlands as many have imagined as
he makes clear with his references to - smooth meand'ring
Tweed... haughty Clyde... lofty Tay... Edina's streets. It was
a truly national garb.
He refers to the antiquity of the plaid - Look back some
thousand years, till records fail, And lose themselves in some
romantic tale, We'll find our godlike fathers nobly scorn'd, To be
with any other dress adorn'd. He alludes to the military
associations with tartan - No rattling silks I'd to my
standards bind, But bright Tartanas waving in the wind; The Plaid
alone should all my ensigns be, This army from such banners would
not flee. (This written but three years after the 1715 Battle
of Sheriffmuir).
He indicates that tartan is a considerable commercial asset to
Scotland - On our own mountains grows the golden fleece, Richer
than that which Jason brought to Greece; A beneficial branch of
Albion's trade, And the first parent of the Tartan Plaid. Our fair
ingenious ladies' hands prepare The equal threads, and give the
dyes with care: Thousands of artists sullen hours decoy On rattling
looms, and view their webs with joy.
Most controversially, Ramsay uses a number of poeticised surnames
in a manner which appears to indicate specific clan tartans -
The piercing beams Brucina can defy. . . . If shining red
Campbella's cheeks adorn. . . . If lin'd with green Stuarta's Plaid
we view . . . . Or thine Ramseia, edg'd around with blue. . .to
name just a few at this stage.
Firstly, it has been objected that Ramsay allowed his patriotic
enthusiasm to lead him into exaggeration regarding the extent to
which tartan weaving was a commercial asset to the Scottish economy
of his time. In fact extracts from Burgh Records and the
observation of travellers to Scotland confirm that tartan was a
major business in both Highlands and Lowlands during the 17th
century. Ramsay's language in this regard has proved justified.
"The same day, it being regraitted among the
commissioners be the tredders with plaiding, it being ane of the
chieffest commodities of this cuntrey... the tred of yairne now
being come to ane gritt trade in this cuntrey..." (Convention of
Royal Burghs: Perth, 4th July 1628).
Again referring to plaiding - "the same being ane of the grittest
and chieffest treds within this cuntrey, and being desirous that
the saids abuses may be taikin away and the saids waires reformit
and brocht bak to thair former integritie, ordains the burghs of
Edinburgh, Perth, Dundye, Abirdein, Stirling, Lynlythgow, Glasgow,
Air, Wigtoun, Montrose, and Elgyne to direct thair commissioneris
to meitt and convein..." (Convention of Royal Burghs: Dumfries, 4th
July 1622)
Lest it should be argued that at that time,
plaiding was not tartan as we now understand the term - "...the
women of the country, did wear cloaks made of a coarse stuff, of
two or three colours in checker work, vulgarly called Ploddan."
Fynes Moryson, English Traveller, 1598.
Secondly, there is the matter of clan tartans. If it were not for
the fact that there has long been an influential and determined
body of opinion set against the idea of clan tartans having existed
prior to the late 18th century, then the obvious interpretation of
the lines in question would be that Ramsay was referring to clan
tartans. It is only because this is unacceptable to that perceived
wisdom that other interpretations have been sought. In fairness,
the argument against early clan tartans deserves respect and should
be addressed with a reasoned response.
What are the main objections to clan tartans? It is said that
the evidence of old paintings which depict tartan argues against
uniformity and that there is no record of early clan tartans. There
are also some anecdotal stories which imply that clansmen could not
identify each other by tartans and there are instances from the
early nineteenth century of clan chiefs apparently being unable to
identify their own clan tartans.
How are these objections addressed? Evidence of tartans taken
from the paintings of that time is extremely unreliable. Artists
were naturally more interested in giving a likeness of their
sitters than of the tartans they were wearing. Tartan is extremely
difficult to paint with any degree of accuracy. There are, in fact,
several 18th century portraits of members of the Royal Company of
Archers wearing the jackets of the Company's uniform tartan. In
each portrait the tartan looks decidedly different, and in none of
them does it look like the actual jacket, one of which is now in
the keeping of the National Museums of Scotland (dated to mid 18th
century).
Another painting, which has often been used to disprove the
existence of clan tartans during the '45 Rebellion, is by the
artist David Morier. That depicts an incident in the Battle of
Culloden and it has long been assumed that the artist used Jacobite
prisoners as models for the work. Because they can be seen wearing
a variety of different setts, this is put forward as an argument
against clan tartans. If it was in fact, Jacobite prisoners who
posed for Morier, they were most unlikely to have been wearing
(after a period of captivity) the same tartans that they had worn
on the field of battle. Either they would have thrown off their
plaids during the Highland charge (which was the custom of clansmen
in battle), or they would have been stripped by their captors. Any
tartans they wore while posing for this painting would probably
have been issued to them randomly from a pile of discarded
clothing.
It is known that Cameron of Locheil, Lord Ogilvy and the Duke of
Perth all ordered supplies of tartan for their clan regiments and
it is practical common-sense that these would have been uniform
patterns. It is pointed out that none of the tartans depicted in
Morier's painting is identical to any clan tartan known to us now.
What can be said about that? A cursory glance at this painting
reveals that all of the setts depicted have been painted in a
rough, one might say impressionistic, style, lacking by far the
precision required for any attempt at identification. Further, it
has been demonstrated from his misrepresentation of diced hose that
Morier had great difficulty in depicting even the simplest of
tartans. All of this illustrates that evidence from paintings
simply cannot be used to any real effect in the argument about the
antiquity of clan tartans.
There is no record of clan tartans? In fact
there are some recorded references which support the pre 1745
existence of clan tartans. An eyewitness account of the Battle of
Killiecrankie (1689) implies that uniform tartans were worn by clan
regiments. Martin Martin (1695) records that a person's district
could be "guessed" by the tartan he was wearing. This is a most
important observation since by the very nature of Highland society
a particular clan would tend to dominate a given district. So,
through a natural process, the setts woven and worn in that area
would become associated with that clan. It is believed that it was
in this way that the whole concept of clan tartans evolved. The
Laird of Grant (1704) gave instruction for his men-at-arms to wear
a uniform tartan, as reported by a British Army officer. There is
also strong circumstantial evidence (from one of Burt's
observations) that the tartan worn by the Highland Independent
Companies (later Black Watch) was originally a clan tartan
(1725).
Clansmen unable to identify each other by
tartans? Jamie Scarlett, in Tartan, Some Aspects for
Study, addressing two of the more regularly employed
anecdotes, demonstrates wisely that such evidence will usually bear
differing interpretation -
"During the '45, a group of Jacobite MacDonalds expressed fears
that they might become involved with 'their brothers of Sky' in the
Government army and be unable to recognise them, 'seeing we are
both Highlanders and both wore heather in our bonnets, only our
white cockades made some distinction'. Two eminent authorities took
different views of this. D.W. Stewart's was that since both groups
would be wearing the MacDonald tartan and the Clan badge, there
could be no other distinction than the cockades; Telfer Dunbar held
that there were no 'clan' tartans at the time and so there could be
no distinguishing marks but the cockades. Neither took into account
the probability that groups of MacDonalds from far apart would be
wearing different tartans anyway and the others might well not
recognise them. A young Highlander, captured at Culloden and hauled
before an officer, claimed to be a Campbell - and, hence, on the
Government side - but could not be identified because he had lost
his bonnet with its black cockade; again this is 'proof' that there
were no clan tartans at the time, but all that is really proved is
that the officer concerned was unable to recognise a tartan, which
would not be altogether surprising."
Clan chiefs being unable to identify their own clan
tartans? Much could be said about this. In fact there are
two particular instances which are usually resorted to by those
whom we may call the "disbelievers". These are Robertson of Struan
and MacPherson of Cluny. The present writer has dealt with these
stories elsewhere, but regarding this question perhaps it may be
enough to quote James D. Scarlett again, this time referring to the
registering of clan tartans by chiefs with the Highland Society of
London around 1816.
"The people who contributed to the Highland Society
collection at the beginning do not seem to have had much trouble
rustling up a genuine tartan; it seems to have been 1822 and later
when difficulties arose..."
Let us now return to Allan Ramsay and "Tartana". We have spoken
of how the clan tartans are likely to have evolved in the Highlands
and Islands from the district patterns. It may be that when Ramsay
refers to Brucina (Bruce), Pringella (Pringle), Hepburna (Hepburn),
Hamilla (Hamilton) etc. that another process has taken place. As
has been said, at the time the poet was writing this work,
townsfolk (perhaps particularly the ladies) were expressing their
political opinions by the wearing of tartan. It is perfectly
possible that individual Lowland families were adopting favourite
patterns which became identified with them, later to become their
"clan tartans". Is it reasonable to expect those clan tartans to be
identical to the ones of the same names which we know today?
The first systematic records we have of commercially produced
tartans are those of William Wilson and Sons of Bannockburn. That
company began to market clan-named setts in the early 1790s and we
have, therefore, a span of over seventy years to bridge. In fact,
most of the setts which bear family or clan names appeared rather
later, in the early nineteenth century. So a hundred year gap would
be more realistic.
Let us look at the very few clues which may be in the poem:
"The piercing beams Brucina can defy, Not sunburnt she's, nor
dazzl'd is her eye..."is not particularly helpful in
descriptive terms. The modern Bruce tartan originated in the
Vestiarium Scoticum, a questionable collection of setts which was
not published until 1842. It is known, however, that Wilsons
produced a tartan which was called "Old Bruce" which certainly had
the look of a group of setts which are believed to have been around
in the first half of the 18th century.
Of Pringella (Pringle) it is suggested that it is bright, with
much white in it - "The lily, pluckt by fair Pringella,
grieves, Whose whiter hand outshines it's snowy
leaves..."
The only Pringle tartan we are aware of was not designed until
1998.
Campbella (Campbell) would appear to have been a red sett -
"If shining red Campbella's cheek's adorn..." This is most
interesting. The great majority (nearly all) of the Campbell
tartans now considered to be such are of the green/blue/black style
typified by "Black Watch". However, in his book on military tartans
Jamie Scarlett points out that early Campbell portraits show red
tartans. We have cautioned against the use of paintings for the
purposes of identifying particular setts, but it is surely
reasonable to expect that an artist is unlikely to have given a
green/blue/black tartan the appearance of a red one. So Ramsay may
very well have been describing a Campbell sett of his time.
"If lin'd with green, Stuarta's Plaid we view..." is not
especially useful to us in isolation but more will be said about
this Stuart tartan in due course.
"Ramseia, edg'd around with blue..." One might assume
that Ramsay would get the tartan of his own name correct. The
Ramsay tartan which we know today comes from the Vestiarium
Scoticum. It has no blue in it. There is a blue sett regarded as a
"hunting" Ramsay, but it appears to be of more recent origin.
Fergusia (Ferguson) gives nothing worth quoting. There is a
Ferguson tartan which was included in the collection published by
James Logan in 1831.
Hepburna (Hepburn) seems to suggest a check of white and black,
but the only Hepburn tartan now known is of recent design.
Keitha (Keith) offers nothing descriptive. Our Keith tartan
(though listed as Austin by Wilsons) was supplied by Messrs.
Romanes and Paterson of Edinburgh to the Keiths early in the 19th
century.
Humea (Hume or Home) is not described. The modern tartan comes
from the Vestiarium. Hamilla (Hamilton ) gives us nothing
decipherable. Today's Hamilton sett is also taken from the
Vestiarium. Maxella (Maxwell) is without obvious description.
Although the Maxwell tartan has the appearance of an older sett, it
is also of the Vestiarium. So many of these tartans are said to
have originated with the Vestiarium Scoticum that it is, in
fairness to the much reviled "Sobieski Stuarts" who published it,
worth pointing out that they most certainly did not "forge" all of
the tartans which that book contained. The MacGregor sett (just to
take one example) had been included in the collection of the
Highland Society of London long before it appeared in the
Vestiarium. So it is perfectly possible that some of the tartans
said to have originated with that publication had in reality been
around much earlier.
Having said all of this, it seems undeniable that no very obvious
direct link can be established between the extremely scant
descriptive clues contained in "Tartana" and the equivalent clan
tartans we see today. Given the circumstances this should hardly
surprise us. However, it was indicated that we would return to the
subject of the Stuart tartan. In one passage the poet gives us a
veritable spectrum - The plaid itself gives pleasure to the
sight, To see how all its sets imbibe the light; Forming some way,
which even to me lies hid, White, black, blue, yellow, purple,
green, and red.
The Royal Company of Archers, a sort of gentleman's club in the
18th century (and now the Queen's Bodyguard in Scotland), was
widely regarded as being pro-Jacobite. According to The Domestic
Annals of Scotland the Company was - "...a sodality composed
almost exclusively of the Jacobite aristocracy, and, in fact, a
sort of masked muster for the cause of the exiled Stuart." In
1713 the Archers adopted a uniform of tartan and according to
historian Ian Hay and tartan researcher John Telfer Dunbar, that
pattern was "Stuart" - a logical choice for a Company which had
been granted its Royal Charter by Queen Anne, and which supported
the Stuart Dynasty.
Three year later, the staunchly Jacobite Ramsay published
"Tartana" which, as we have seen, included the words - "If
lin'd with green, Stuarta's Plaid we view."
In 1724 the Company held an archery contest in Edinburgh and we
read in Old and New Edinburgh: Vol. IV: " Their dress was
tartan, trimmed with green silk fringe..."
Of the same occasion, and from the same source - "The cavalier
spirit of Allan Ramsay glowed at seeing these elegant specimens of
the Aristoi of Scotland engaged at butts and rovers, and poured
itself forth in verses to their praise."
That 1724 event was under the leadership of the Duke of Hamilton
and in another poem - on the Royal Archers Marching. . . " -
Ramsay writes: "See Hamilton, wha moves with grace, Chief of the
Caledonian Race . . . the Archers him their Chieftain chose .
." Is this the Hamilla of his Tartana poem? In yet another of
his works on the Archers, he gives a list of members' names which
includes Pringle (Pringella?)
In the beautiful surviving Royal Company of Archers jacket (dated
to mid 18th century) which is presently in the keeping of the
National Museums of Scotland, the green edging is there to be seen
as are all the colours mentioned earlier by Ramsay. Can there
remain the slightest element of doubt that the Jacobite poet was,
in "Tartana", specifically referring to the Stuart tartan as worn
by the Jacobite Royal Company of Archers? From there, it is
reasonable also to assume that the other references to Brucina,
Campbella, Pringella et al are also referring to tartans associated
with those names.
This being so, we have in this piece of literature strong (one is
almost tempted to say irrefutable) evidence of the existence of
clan tartans in the year 1718.