District tartan Macpherson

[Pipersson]

Hi Guys!

Another tartan question...
Does anybody know which district tartan would be appropriate to be worn by Macpherson clan members?

Thanks and greetings,

Tom

[Steve Ashton]

The Kidd Tartan or alternately Wilson's no. 155.

[Jock Scot]

No doubt our resident Macpherson expert will chip in here, but is there a Badenoch, or Strathspey district tartan? Lochaber might be the closest, but I don't know.They hail from the area of Badenoch

[Pipersson]

Thanks guys...

I had no clue.

@ Jock:There is a Strathspey but no Badenoch...

@Steve: Could you give a little explaination why these two where appropriate?

[Steve Ashton]

May I quote from

"The Invention of Tradition"
By Eric Hobsbawm & Terence Ranger
Published by Cambridge University Press
Copyright 1983
ISBN 0 521 43773

so I don't have to reprint the entire book, a little background.

In 1822, HRH George IV made a Royal visit to Scotland.
Sir Walter Scott, the novelist, as Master of Ceremonies, pressed the Highland Chiefs, "to come with their 'tail' of followers and pay homage to their King". He directed that they present themselves "in his proper Highland tartan, with his tail, banner and pipers."
The Highlanders duly came. But what Tartan should they wear?

And to Quote;
"The idea of differentiated Clan Tartans, which had now been publicized by Stewart, seems to have originated with the resourceful manufacturers who, for thirty-five years, had had no clients except the Highland regiment but now,(sic) saw the prospect of a far larger market."

"William Wilson and Son of Bannockburn, saw the advantage of building up a repertoire of differentiated clan tartans, and thus stimulating tribal competition, and for this purpose they entered into alliance with the Highland Society of London, which thew, over their commercial project, a cloak, or plaid, of historical respectability."

"In 1918, when the royal visit was first suggested, the firm prepared a 'Key Pattern Book' and sent samples of the various tartans up to London, where the Society duly 'certified' them as belonging to this or the clan."

"So Cluny Macpherson, heir to the chief of the discoverer of Ossian, was given a tartan from the peg. For him it was now labelled 'Macpherson', but previously, having been sold in bulk to a Mr. Kidd to clothe his West Indian slaves, it had been labelled 'Kidd", and before that it had been simply 'No. 155."


If you look at the no. 155 from Wilson's Key Pattern Book, the Kidd Tartan, ITI #1409, and the MacPherson Tartan, ITI #1410 you will see that they are one and the same.


"There are three rules that govern what Tartan you can, or should, wear.
1) Pick a Tartan you like.
2) Know what Tartan you are wearing. (you will be asked)
3) Wear it with pride.

If anyone tells you that you can only wear your "Clan" Tartan or that you cannot wear a particular Tartan, then I'm afraid I must say:
Yes, there are Tartan Snobs out there but fortunately there are no Tartan Cops."

[Pipersson]

Thanks, Steve,

for your detailed explainations...
I know that many of the Clan Tartans were a product of creativity.
Was just wondering if there is a district tartan typical for Macpherson.(As there is no Badenoch tartan...)

Thanks again and greetings from Germany,

Tom

[davidlpope]

Was just wondering if there is a district tartan typical for Macpherson.(As there is no Badenoch tartan...)

There is a Badenoch tartan. It's more commonly known as Hunting MacPherson. See here:

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...-tartan-74497/

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