Historical Hose Question

**Harper** · 28th August 14, 06:16 PM

I've read that diced hose are fine with anything. I've also seen pictures of some dedicated re-enactment gentlemen who said in the accompanying text that their diced hose indicated a Highland policeman, post-Culloden, working for the English.

Is that only true for his red-and-white diced hose? I'd planned to wear red-and-black diced with my historical kit, but I'll choose something else rather than be taken for an employee of the English.

Cheers.

**McMurdo** · 28th August 14, 09:50 PM

This is a first for me. Not sure where you heard that one.

**figheadair** · 28th August 14, 11:02 PM

You're informer is simply wrong. I presume he was a military re-enactor and R/W hose were part of their standard uniform as were red coats but the fact that British (not English) regiments wore this pattern does not mean that only they wore it. The portrait of Sir Stuart Threipland, a prominent Jacobite, is but one example of a non-Highland policeman wearing R/W diced hose.

**duke_19_62** · 29th August 14, 03:37 AM

"You're informer is simply wrong. I presume he was a military re-enactor and R/W hose were part of their standard uniform as were red coats but the fact that British (not English) regiments wore this pattern does not mean that only they wore it. The portrait of Sir Stuart Threipland, a prominent Jacobite, is but one example of a non-Highland policeman wearing R/W diced hose."
Stuart Threipland, of Fingask, Dr. Sir by William Delacour.jpg

**Grizzly** · 29th August 14, 03:44 AM

Originally Posted by Harper

I've read that diced hose are fine with anything. I've also seen pictures of some dedicated re-enactment gentlemen who said in the accompanying text that their diced hose indicated a Highland policeman, post-Culloden, working for the English.

Is that only true for his red-and-white diced hose? I'd planned to wear red-and-black diced with my historical kit, but I'll choose something else rather than be taken for an employee of the English.

Cheers.

Do you have something against the English? I may have to burn my jeans in protest!

**Harper** · 29th August 14, 04:41 AM

Originally Posted by McMurdo

This is a first for me. Not sure where you heard that one.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/11520091@N04/1510937144

I'd have been surprised if you had been sure where I heard that one, but there it is.
I'm just trying to do the thing right. Don't snob on the new guy.

**Pleater** · 29th August 14, 06:22 AM

Just because the description includes the word 'policeman' it doesn't follow that the man is an officer of the law.

I suspect that the inference is that he was in the Army and policing the country and the goings on with a view to keeping the king's peace, but at the time policing was the responsibility of the boroughs, and an actual bobby would be more concerned with the state of the roads, the drains and the number of strangers within the boundaries. He might have had a badge, a stick and an allowance for boots and helmet, but a recognisable uniform - doubtful.

My use of the term bobby is an anachronism - they were named for Robert Peel who started the Metropolitan Police during his time as Prime Minister, but it was well over 100 years post Culloden before cities in the UK were obliged to form their own police forces, which were still local, though later still that there were area forces formed - the police forces today are still divided into separate areas - so the idea that a policeman in - say Glasgow - was an employee of the English would only be correct if he was on holiday there, or possibly that there was a very serious on-going problem with law and order - or rather a total lack of it which has never before occurred in the UK.

Post Culloden the kilt was prohibited, by the way - except for members of the armed forces as part of their uniform. In the UK the police are not part of the armed forces and gamekeepers were more likely to go armed than the police in previous centuries.

I'm afraid that you need to keep the salt pot handy when it comes to who did and who did not wear what in the past.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

**Jock Scot** · 29th August 14, 06:25 AM

Originally Posted by Harper

Is that only true for his red-and-white diced hose? I'd planned to wear red-and-black diced with my historical kit, but I'll choose something else rather than be taken for an employee of the English.

Cheers.

Now hold on a minute! Comments like that really will not do! I know that you, Harper, are new here so I give you some slack, but in this modern day and age comments like that are just plain insulting and not in the least bit relevant. Particularly as this is an international website , with many English members, who are respected by all.

**McMurdo** · 29th August 14, 06:33 AM

Originally Posted by Harper

https://www.flickr.com/photos/11520091@N04/1510937144

I'd have been surprised if you had been sure where I heard that one, but there it is.
I'm just trying to do the thing right. Don't snob on the new guy.

Hey not being a snob at all. If you go over some of my posts I really do try to help out the new guy. I've just never heard of something so ludicrous regarding kilt hose. The information you were given was wrong. This is a huge problem with Highland wear, what with films like Braveheart. The right thing to do is to listen to people on this website who are trying to deal with all the misinformation that we hear on a daily basis.