Why twice?

[Patty Logan]

Hi tartan Aficionados! As I was scrolling though the register of tartans i came across military tartans that I believe were registered twice (correct me if I’m wrong) like the 78th highlanders or 79th regiment when in reality these are the MacKenzie and the cameron tartan respectively. Why were so many these tartans registered as a military tartan if they were previously registered as a clan tartans? Curious to find out! Thx

[figheadair]

Hi tartan Aficionados! As I was scrolling though the register of tartans i came across military tartans that I believe were registered twice (correct me if I’m wrong) like the 78th highlanders or 79th regiment when in reality these are the MacKenzie and the cameron tartan respectively. Why were so many these tartans registered as a military tartan if they were previously registered as a clan tartans? Curious to find out! Thx

Actually, it's the other way around, they were military tartans that were later adopted by various clans. All such tartans were not registered with the SRT but were from the pre-SRT records that they incorporated.

It is the case that some are here twice, some several times under different names. This essentially reflects an historic practice of (unhelpfully) recording the same tartan under different names when a pattern was subsequently adopted by another clan/family/ground etc. If the SRT revert to using only the original name and then adding a note that tartan X was also used by A, B and C, then there would be no Campbell, MacKenzie, Gordon, MacLaren, Macpherson, and many, many more tartans too.

[Patty Logan]

Actually, it's the other way around, they were military tartans that were later adopted by various clans. All such tartans were not registered with the SRT but were from the pre-SRT records that they incorporated.

It is the case that some are here twice, some several times under different names. This essentially reflects an historic practice of (unhelpfully) recording the same tartan under different names when a pattern was subsequently adopted by another clan/family/ground etc. If the SRT revert to using only the original name and then adding a note that tartan X was also used by A, B and C, then there would be no Campbell, MacKenzie, Gordon, MacLaren, Macpherson, and many, many more tartans too.

Thx for the insight. Very interesting to know!

[Steve Ashton]

It may be a bit of work but it would be nice if when a Tartan is described on the SRT that they listed the other names.
This is sometimes done and is helpful but for some designs there many be multiple names and knowing this would make it much easier to search.