Various Fraser Setts

[cavscout]

The Clan Fraser Society has a huge album of Tartan swatches and photos of various setts of what is reported to be the various Fraser Tartans as well as the Lovat Fraser Tartans. From memory I recall them all pretty much being some version of the common Fraser Red, Fraser Hunting and Fraser of Lovat (respectively)





I was surprised to even see the sett commonly seen in Poly/Viscose (no white stripe) in the book


The Clan Chiefs reference, generally, the the various tartans on their web sites
http://www.clanfraser.org/tartans.html
http://www.fraserchief.co.uk/tartans.html


Then browsing the Online Resources from the Tartans Museum I see some I don't recall ever seeing, at least named Fraser.


Vestiarium Scoticum
1842


Patterns of the Highland Clans


Old & Rare Scottish Tartans - 1893


So, my question is, what is known about the evolution of the tartans known as Fraser from the older tartans to the current. I imagine that some of the change can be attributed to whims of the Clan Chiefs or maybe even various weavers but is there any story behind the changes?

The Lovat Fraser site states that "All the oldest Fraser tartans are associated with the Lovat family and branches of their clan - since, historically tartan was only worn in the Highlands", and I can see the similarity in the Lovat Fraser Tartans to the ones on the STM web site. However, in light of Scotchmasters thread bringing some confusion to the surface, I wonder how to prioritize the various tartans for historicity and accuracy.

Any help and insight would be appreciated.

[figheadair]

The Fraser tartans are a pretty huge subject and not one that can easily be dealt with in a simple reply. Many of th older setts are unrelated to each other, so far as we know, and do not appear to be part of an evolution to what is work today.

Basically the older setts should be treated separately from the standard clan sett that was shown in the VS and which is the basis for the hunting and the various Gathering setts.

If anyone has Doug Ikleman's address that ask him if he's written anything up on their history.

[cavscout]

Thanks for the reply.