Census poll: What is your cultural / historical connection to the kilt?

**Walkman** · 11th July 12, 02:17 AM

I'm a descendent of the Gordon, Douglas, Anderson, Boyd, Elliot, MacTeer, and Skene clans/families, as well as a number of other Scotch-Irish families.

**Chas** · 11th July 12, 03:16 AM

Originally Posted by Chas

I always knew that my paternal grandfather was Scottish, He came from Aberdeen. That made me 1/4 Scots.

In August, my mother (92 years old) came for a visit. She let slip that he courted and married a local girl. In one instant, I went from 1/4 Scots to 1/2 Scots.

Regards

Chas

It just shows, that if you look in the right place and ask the right questions, you will find what you are looking for.

For years, I had been unsuccessfully searching British army records for a General Whannell - no luck.

Then a chance remark and a search of the Madras Army files (military arm of the Honourable East India Company before the Mutiny) and BINGO. There was my direct ancestor Major General Peter Whannell, Adjutant General of the Madras Army. Who was the grandson of another Peter Whannell -

Peter Whannell alias Buchanan registered his arms with Lyon Court on 8th. August 1778 (see Lyon Register Vol.1) He is stated to be “of the County of Air” and to be “descended in the male line from the antient family of Buchanan of Buchanan”.

So the 1/2 has gone up to 9/16ths and an armiger in the mix as well.

Regards

Chas

**CMcG** · 11th July 12, 07:35 AM

Originally Posted by Chas

...
So the 1/2 has gone up to 9/16ths and an armiger in the mix as well.

Nice!

**Richrail** · 11th July 12, 08:57 AM

Family history I've done so far, Father's side all English. Mother side Irish and German. Now my wife's side Scottish, English, Welsh and German.

**Mike_Oettle** · 11th July 12, 02:25 PM

Amazing how the information crops up, Chas.
Perhaps I will soon find out more about my Fotheringham great-grandfather and his MacGregor mother (or so we believe).
Regards,
Mike

**Your Bonnie Lass** · 11th July 12, 03:12 PM

I'm adopted, but we're pretty sure my mother was Irish/Italian and my father may have been British. Who knows, I might be Scottish somewhere down the line!

**Chas** · 12th July 12, 03:27 AM

Originally Posted by Mike_Oettle

Amazing how the information crops up, Chas.
Perhaps I will soon find out more about my Fotheringham great-grandfather and his MacGregor mother (or so we believe).
Regards,
Mike

Hi Mike,

One little tool, I have found very handy is a time line. It could be done on paper, but I find MS Excel really good for this type of thing. It allows you to slot in dates, where ever needed. So often, we can't understand why an ancestor did something, until we see a world picture.

In my recent case, it was not new information, but rather seeing what I already knew with a different perspective.

Good Luck and Good Hunting.

Regards

Chas

**Joe I** · 15th July 12, 03:48 PM

My maternal Grandmother always said that her family was English, Scotch-Irish, Dutch, and that my Grandfather was full German. Well he wasn't, he was English and possibly Scotish from what I found on Ancesstry.com. So far I've only found English on Grandmother's side. My father was from Egypt. Egyptions wore kilts in the time when the pyramids were built. So I guess it doesn't really matter. My wife says: Do you have to be Italian to eat pizza?

My real reason I like kilts is Robert A. Heilein's Methuselah's Children and Time Enough for Love books I have loved scense 1974

**wepollard** · 16th July 12, 10:36 AM

My ancestry is Cornish on my fathers side. On my mothers side there is Cornish, German ( Pennsylvania Dutch), and a tad of Irish in there somewhere. I wear the kilt because I like to, not because of my heritage. I don't get upset when somone asks me why I am wearing a skirt. It just gives me an opening to talk about the history of the kilt and why is it such a perfect choice as a mans garment.