How far back is too far?

**Wareyin** · 13th February 19, 05:19 AM

Are you joining a clan, or a clan society? In my experience, a society will be happy to have you based on claimed ancestry alone. I never had to show genealogy or paperwork of any kind. I don't know how one would join a clan, as until last year my clan had been armigerous, with no chief and to the best of my knowledge no way to apply or join. It's probably different across the pond, but as you are in the USA like me, your experience should be close.

**Father Bill** · 13th February 19, 05:59 AM

I've addressed this a couple of times before: You cannot "join" a clan. Either you're a member by birth or you're not. You can join a clan association. It's a club for people who are a member of a clan (by birth) or in some cases, who support that clan or who are interested in that clan.

Your clan does not charge dues, keep a membership list, or have application forms any more than your family does. It's a group of people who, one way or another are related to the clan and were so related the day they were born.

Your clan association is usually the opposite of all of those. It will probably charge dues, keep a membership list and have an application form. It may or may not be composed of people who were related to the clan from birth.

The clan chief (assuming that there is one) makes the official description of who is related by birth. S/he (yes, there is at least one female clan chief of whom I read recently) may also choose to include others who have different surnames including variant spellings and completely different names for reasons best known to the chief - usually because they come from the clan's lands. Some chiefs are more rigorous in their requirements than others.

Belonging to either or both groups can be fun. You might unfortunately also run into members of the clan or its association who have different views of 'who belongs' or even, in the case of the clan association, 'who should belong' than the official rules or designations describe. Such people are best avoided for your own peace of mind in order to maximize the fun part. They're analogous to the 'kilt kops' who seem to think they know better than anyone else and cannot be convinced by either fact or logic.

Hope all that helps a bit.

Bill+

**CollinMacD** · 13th February 19, 08:12 AM

The tradition of Clan Donald, from what I understand of both family and the Clan members, you normally wear the tartan of your Father's side, not your materal side. I asked this question here several months ago, as my Grandmother on my paternal side (MacDonald), is a Chisholm. I wanted to purchase a Chisholm Kilt to wear to honor my Grandmother side, but was discouraged from doing so.

I also have Macintosh, ( Paternal Grandfather MacDonald's Mother), Kennedy (Paternal Great Grandfather's Mother), other Paternal
wives maiden names, MacDonnell, Huet, MacDonald, MacBride, MacKenna and MacIsaac all married MacDonald from Lochaber and Knoydart, all Clanranald MacDonalds, going back to 1640.

So point that was made to me here and with other Scottish folks was you wear your paternal Clan tartan, not the maternal side tartan.

Cheers.

**Singlemalt** · 13th February 19, 02:56 PM

Whenever I read these kind of threads I am very glad that there is a tartan which matches my surname and I like the colours so my choice is simple. The "rules" around what you should wear and what you should not are as varied as the people who offer them. I wear my kilt because it makes me feel good. I would chose the tartan for which you feel the strongest connection even if the evidence of connection is tenuous. No one is going to ask you for your papers. I see you are considering the Maple Leaf tartan. It is a beautiful one. If you would feel better having the "permission" of a Canadian to wear it....consider it given.

**CollinMacD** · 14th February 19, 07:35 AM

Anybody can buy and wear any tartan they choose, so have fun.

**Hirsty** · 14th February 19, 09:40 AM

Since most people move around a bit you'll tend to find that most Scots can lay claim to a few tartans in their lineage. It is worth looking at regional tartans as well. As mentioned above, many people go for a tartan that they find most aesthetically pleasing.

**AbuMaia** · 15th February 19, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by Hirsty

Since most people move around a bit you'll tend to find that most Scots can lay claim to a few tartans in their lineage. It is worth looking at regional tartans as well. As mentioned above, many people go for a tartan that they find most aesthetically pleasing.

I was just thinking of this. A new branch of my family tree was recently revealed, and it includes some folk who lived in the Fife area for many generations, though are not of a major clan surname. I was about to go look to see if there was a Fife tartan. (Amusingly, the same branch also shows I'm a distant relation to Voldemort.

)

**Jock Scot** · 14th February 19, 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by CollinMacD

Anybody can buy and wear any tartan they choose, so have fun.

Well not quite. It would be more accurate to say, “Anybody can buy and wear NEARLY any tartan they choose.”

There are some restricted, few I grant you, tartans around. The Balmoral tartan is but one example.

**CollinMacD** · 14th February 19, 07:21 PM

Originally Posted by Jock Scot

Well not quite. It would be more accurate to say, “Anybody can buy and wear NEARLY any tartan they choose.”

There are some restricted, few I grant you, tartans around. The Balmoral tartan is but one example.

Maybe so on the primary market, but with Ebay and the secondary market you can purchase anything you wish..... and once you purchase it, who will stop you from wearing it? No Tartan Police that I know of, and I have to say, I disagree with all of this, and myself abide by the rules of tradition.