Englishman invents the modern kilt?

[NorCalPiper]

I've heard this before, but can anyone shed light on this article?

"‘About 50 years ago, one Thomas Rawlinson, an Englishman, conducted an iron work carried on in the countries of Glengarie and Lochaber; he had a throng of Highlanders employed in the service, and became very fond of the highland dress, and wore it in the neatest form; which I can aver, as I become personally acquainted with him above 40 years ago. He was a man of genius and quick parts, and thought it no great stretch of invention to abridge the dress, and make it handy and convenient for his workmen: and accordingly directed the using of the lower part plaited of what is called the felie or kilt as above, and the upper part was set aside… It was found so handy and convenient that, in the shortest space, the use of it became frequent in all the Highland Countries, and in many of our northern Low Countries also."

[Nick the DSM]

It's false, you can check out one of Newsome's articles and it basically defuncts that. Phillabegs were seen before that, its just an englishman "brought it to the light".

[Bugbear]

Here is Matt Newsome's article, "The Early History of the Kilt," where he discusses the myth.
http://www.albanach.org/kilt.html

Though this sounds like a new version of the myth that is attributing the kilt, as we know it today, to Rawlinson.
* Edit: I guess looking at it again, this is the same basic myth I've seen here and there. It was the "Modern" kilt part in the title of the thread confusing me.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

If you believe that an Englishman invented the kilt (as we know it), then you'll probably believe that Al Gore invented the internet, and that Soviet scientists invented television...

[Peter Crowe]

This theory about a certain Rawlinson inventing the philabeg was propagated by the late Hugh Trevor-Roper (Lord Dacre) who loved to debunk received wisdom about Scots traditions. Recent scholarship has since debunked his Rawlinson canard with primary source images of philabegs being worn earlier from at least the late XVIIth century. Trevor-Roper (despite authenticating the phoney Hitler diaries) did (and still does) have some standing as a serious academic historian but he was an incorrigible Scotophobe. This is worth bearing in mind whenever reading T-R's works as they pertain to Scotland and the Scots.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I have another article which deals a bit more specifically with this issue here:
http://www.albanach.org/kilt_enlish.html

[JSFMACLJR]

This theory about a certain Rawlinson inventing the philabeg was propagated by the late Hugh Trevor-Roper (Lord Dacre) who loved to debunk received wisdom about Scots traditions. Recent scholarship has since debunked his Rawlinson canard with primary source images of philabegs being worn earlier from at least the late XVIIth century. Trevor-Roper (despite authenticating the phoney Hitler diaries) did (and still does) have some standing as a serious academic historian but he was an incorrigible Scotophobe. This is worth bearing in mind whenever reading T-R's works as they pertain to Scotland and the Scots.

Lord Dacre and I became friends in the early 1980's when he came to lecture at The University of The South. I was an undergraduate, majoring in British History. I had the chance to dine with him on several occasions, and always enjoyed those times. Yes, his Scotophobia did break through from time to time, but he was an academic authority with a great deal to contribute to serious historical research.

[Peter Crowe]

Lord Dacre and I became friends in the early 1980's when he came to lecture at The University of The South. I was an undergraduate, majoring in British History. I had the chance to dine with him on several occasions, and always enjoyed those times. Yes, his Scotophobia did break through from time to time, but he was an academic authority with a great deal to contribute to serious historical research.

I quite agree about Trevor-Roper's eminence as a serious historian, T-R supervised my wife's Ph.D. supervisor (at Glasgow University) while he was working for his D. Phil at Oxford. Having studied Politics and Scottish History as my joint Honours options for an MA degree (undergraduate) at Glasgow University I often noticed that when discussing Scottish history, philosophy, and theology T-R's English prejudice was noticeable. This became most clear when reading his views on the Scottish Enlightenment and Presbyterianism where he often took a selective view of the evidence. T-R certainly expounded the view that the Scottish Enlightenment was entirely a result of the Union of 1707, however, a cursory knowledge of someone like Fletcher of Saltoun's life and works would clearly refute that.

[Dale Seago]

I have another article which deals a bit more specifically with this issue here:
http://www.albanach.org/kilt_enlish.html

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[CelticSire]

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