More on Septs

[MacSpadger]

I did a search for "Jewish Gordon" and "Jewish tartan" in the threads here on Xmarks, and got far more results than I have time to go through. As I mentioned earlier, this was discussed in 3 or more threads some years ago here, and in the course of them, one of the X Markers whose name escapes me, from Glasgow and of Jewish descent who grew up in what is or was the Jewish section of that city, mentioned that it was so common that when he saw some one wearing a Gordon tartan kilt there, he assumed they were Jewish. What is his name? Is he still active on X Marks? He married and American and moved to Montana, I believe it was. I enjoyed reading his posts.

Yes, I believe I have found those by searching too, an ex Moderator called Arlen who appears to have provided the first reference to Jews wearing Gordon tartan in Glasgow. If only he knew what would begin from an innocent post.............

Chipping in a bit late...
I live just next to the highest Jewish population in Scotland. It's not at all uncommon to see folk wearing matching Kilts and Kippot to weddings or Bar Mitvahs.
I knew a folk folk when I was in School who would wear the Gordon tartan as in some Jewish communities Gordon is a popular surname. (There are many stories of why.)

But I have not found any of the photographs you previously mentioned. If they are evidence of the widespread wearing of Gordon tartan, that would be fantastic, although of course it would raise more questions than answers in this neck of the woods.
Why would a tartan developed in Aberdeen in the late 1700's specifically for a British Army regiment from the North East of Scotland , and to offically indentify that regiment, be associated with Jews living in Glasgow in the South West of Scotland?
I totally agree with Arlen that you can see matching Kilts and Kippot worn to weddings or Bar Mitvahs, (just as immigrant Sikhs wear matching turbans and kilts to Glasgow weddings), but have not seen any Gordon tartan with my own eyes, but that doesn't mean anything other than times may have changed. I see mainly the modern purple hued fashion tartans, Heritage of Scotland, etc.
Online searches regarding the wearing of Gordon tartan by Jews in Glasgow from other forums, blogs, online publications, seem to lead back to this forum and this forum only, one thread in particular, and the one magazine reference I found to Jews in Glasgow wearing Gordon tartan, after enquiry, also took this information from this forum.
Any solid or pictorial evidence would be fantastic. I have begun local enquiry here, where a vast amount of archive exists, in both the museums and the University, Scotland and Glasgow have always been fairly meticulous in record keeping, and there is a vast photographic archive too, in several places in Glasgow.
Lord George Gordon, by the way, is practically unknown in Scotland. He was born in England, lived in England, had a brief time in Holland while trying to avoid arrest, was imprisoned in England, converted to Judaism while in prison in England, died in England. A very English story, to my Caledonian eyes anyway. His life story is at odds with what is written in the aforementioned "Between Two Worlds" by Benjamin Gordon, in which is stated that Gordon travelled to places such as Lithuania where "Parents came to use his name when blessing their sons, and many families adopted his name as a surname. It was thus that my grandfather changed Gordomy to Gordon." As Gordon was an Englishman, I doubt it will be easy to find records regarding his travel, (apart from his attempts to avoid prison), without help for across the border. At the moment, there appears to be no evidence or record, hearsay or otherwise, of him ever having visited Scotland, it's very unlikely that he ever wore a kilt.

A lot of the other stuff out there, that the Gordons were originally Jewish, the founding of Aberdeen University by the Duke of Gordon with a clause that Jews must be included in the enrollment, are just nonsense. The Gordons were famously, some might say aggressively, Catholic, and this really got them into a lot of strife.
Aberdeen University was founded in 1495 by Bishop Elphinstone, under Papal Bull by the Pope, at that time Pope Alexander VI. Until the Reformation, it was entirely Roman Catholic in it's staff, teachings and pupils. Maybe there has been some confusion with Robert Gordon University. This was founded in the 18th century by Robert Gordon, who was a merchant and trader who made a fortune in Baltic trade and used his money to found the beginnings of the RGU. He was no aristocrat, however, he was a hard working trader who gave his money to establish fair care and education for "poor boys". No mention of Jews, but, as I have said, Aberdeen is at the opposite end of Scotland from Glasgow, so, no Glasgow connection either.

If I find any evidence it will make a striking addition to a significant cultural display currently ongoing. I do, at this point, feel that any further evidence, (if any), will be found in Glasgow itself, rather than online or in Aberdeen. It's common sense, really.