Assistance with livery colors for clans????????

[Harold Cannon]

I am looking for the livery colors for the following clans. I would greatly appreciate the assistance of the Rabble.

Armstrong
Baird
Campbell
Donald
Douglas
Ferguson
Gillean
Grant
Gunn
Irwin
Keith
MacDougal
MacFarlane
MacGregor
MacLaren
MacKensie
MacNeil
MacTavish
Moncrief
Ross
Scott
Stewart
Wallace
Davidson

[Cygnus]

I looked them up in the Scottish Clan and Family Encyclopedia and used the tinctures listed for the standards (where listed). The two marked with * had standards of a single colour - so I assume they have only the one as the livery colour. Those that didn't have a standard listed, I simply used the first colour and metal in the blazon, which are generally the livery colours.

Armstrong - no chiefly arms matriculated (possibly Argent and Azure)
Baird - no chiefly arms matriculated (possibly Gules and Or)
Campbell - Or and Sable
Donald - Or and Gules? (a guess)
Douglas - Azure and Argent
Ferguson - Or and Azure
Gillean - ?
Grant - Gules and Or
Gunn - no chiefly arms matriculated (possibly Argent and Azure)
Irwin - Argent and Vert (assuming the same as Irvine?)
Keith - Argent and Gules
MacDougal - Azure and Argent
MacFarlane - Argent and Gules (standard not listed - first colour and metal in blazon)
MacGregor - Argent and Azure
MacLaren - Gules (and Or)*
MacKensie - Azure (and Or)*
MacNeil - Sable and Or
MacTavish - ?
Moncrief - Argent and Gules
Ross - Argent and Gules
Scott - Azure and Or (standard not listed - first colour and metal in blazon)
Stewart - Or and Azure (standard not listed - first colour and metal in blazon)
Wallace - Argent and Gules
Davidson - Argent and Azure (standard not listed - first colour and metal in blazon)

Still leaves a few gaps, but hopefully that helps! I can check in The Clans, Septs, and Regiments of the Scottish Highlands to see if the missing ones are there when I have it more readily available.

[Harold Cannon]

WOW that was quick! Thanks!

[Tartan Tess]

What does "Livery Colors" pertain to exactly? are horses involved?

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Under the Scottish system the first named metal and colour are the livery colours. While chiefly standards are usually of two colours, with either the chiefly arms or the saltire flag of Scotland in the hoist, the use of a single colour is by no means unusual; in the instance of Maclaren the field of the standard is red, with the motto in gold-- the livery colours of the Chief of the Maclarens. Using the standard of my own chief as as an example, it displays his badge in the hoist (a lion's head erased sable collared or charged with three mullets azure) and on the fly (gold) the word "CNAP" in black -- again conforming to the use of his livery colours which are gold and black. Without exception, at least that I am aware of, all of the chiefly standards are fringed with alternating stripes of the chief's livery colours-- again the first named metal and colour of the blazon.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

What does "Livery Colors" pertain to exactly? are horses involved?

The word "livery" comes from the old French "livree" meaning to deliver; the practice of giving servants clothes in the heraldic colours of their master gave rise to the term "livery colours".

When blazoning a coat of arms each of the elements is described by shape, attitude, and colour. A gold shield with a black spur rowel on it would be blazoned "or (the heraldic term for the metal gold) a mullet (the heraldic term for a spur rowel) sable (the heraldic term for the colour black). Following the practice of using the first named metal and colour (or and sable/gold and black) these would constitute the livery colours of the person to whom the arms belonged.

So, how are livery colours used?

Today, as in medieval times, livery colours are often worn by employees at great estates and are also used for racing colours (see, horses are involved). In the days when it was possible to employ domestic household staff it was customary to provide them with "livery"-- usually two suits, one black, the other a greyish tweed. In addition, the employer would also supply full livery for the household staff to wear when working "up stairs". Full livery for a butler was a tail coat, high buttoned waistcoat, white shirt, black four in hand tie, and grey striped trousers for day wear which, in the evening, were replaced by black dress trousers and the tie was replaced by a black bow tie. In most houses footmen wore the same outfits, except with metal buttons and black trousers, often with a striped waistcoat; in the evening they would don a black bow tie and striped waistcoat. In truly grand houses state livery might also be provided and this would inevitably be in the "livery colours" derived from the employer's coat of arms. This was a truly amazing outfit, usually with buckled shoes, silk stockings, velvet knee britches and coat with a contrasting satin waistcoat, all in livery colours. The entire ensemble was topped off, quite literally, with a powdered wig and a huge bicorne hat, usually festooned with lots of flat gold braid. Other than at coronations I rather doubt state livery is worn much these days, at least outside of Buckingham Palace.

In less exalted spheres, livery colours are often seen in striped ties, garters, or as cockades on bonnets, in the work-a-day world of Highland Games.

[Harold Cannon]

Speaking of striped ties that is one of the things on my to purchase list!

[CameronCat]

While chiefly standards are usually of two colours...

MMofR, Thanks for that! I believe you've inadvertently solved something I was wondering about as well.

When we attended the Cameron Clan gathering at Achnacarry in 2009, we noticed around the fields or during the parade(s) several shields, flags and placards being held aloft on poles and such. They were in the Cameron colors of yellow and red but bore simply five alternating vertical stripes (3 yellow, 2 red) with no symbols or other graphic elements.

At the time I thought it was simple decoration or window-dressing for the day but I see now that it must have been the Chief's livery being shown by the clansfolk.

Live and learn. Thanks!

[Harold Cannon]

Now here is the question. If there is no current clan chief would the clan use the livery colors of the last know chief?

[Chas]

Now here is the question. If there is no current clan chief would the clan use the livery colors of the last know chief?

That is very much a yes and no answer. It all depends how far back the last chief was. There was one chief who lost all his money and lands and went off to live in Canada. He died without producing an heir sometime in the 1930s. His coat of arms is easily traced.

But,

Lord Lyon's records only start in the late 1500s/early 1600s. If the chiefly line died out before that, there is no official record of the arms. One extreme example is Clan Galloway. Today, those of the name assume that it comes from the district. But there was originally a family Galloway, with a chief. He gave his name to the district before being killed in one of the many clan wars. Did he have arms? It is believed so, but there is a dispute as to what they were. So livery colours - who knows.

The whole question of livery colours is more in the realm of what should or could have been, rather than what really was. If we spend any time thinking about this, we can see all the flaws. Take Keith for example, Argent and Gules. Just how were they keeping their clothing white? And where was all that very expensive red dye coming from? They were using natural dyes in those days, so every batch would be a different colour. They didn't wash themselves, leave alone their clothes. After a year, how much red and white would be seen? Precious little, I would say. Even today mud and grass stains will ruin clothing.

At the time we are talking about, these retainers would also be the local lord's army, because there were no standing armies. He recruited his men when he needed them and afterwards they went back to the plough. The Plantagenets were so named because they put sprigs of plantain in their hats by way of being a plant badge. But why would they have to? Surly if they all wore livery clothing, they could easily identified each other. The truth of the matter is that they didn't and they couldn't - not without an identifying badge. Their clothing was brown and brown with highlights of vegetation and soot.

Unfortunately, Harold, livery colours are part of the myth and mist of history. Very romantic and idealised, but totally impractical and far too expensive. This has come up in a variety of places and I have yet to see a reliable contemporary source that says that the common people wore livery colours. They wore what they could get hold of, regardless of the colour. If a man was killed in battle, he went into his grave naked, because clothes were too expensive to waste.

Regards

Chas