1744 Trews Construction

[figheadair]

That would be my guess as well. It was replaced by someone at a later date who didn't have any more of the original tartan. And possibly, the portion of tartan that was replaced was cut out and moved to patch elsewhere, hence the ragged edges. Pure speculation on my part, but it makes a lot more sense than this being all original.

I'm having a hard time telling which side is front and back from these close-up photos. If the replacement tartan was used at the rear/seat area, it would make sense. That portion would usually be covered by one's coat tails, if wearing a typical style coat from that era. But the front would be visible by others, so it would be necessary to use original tartan for front repairs (and harvest that tartan from the rear).

The raw edge is pinked, so it was definitely left raw on purpose. Not sure why. Do you have a wider view of the whole outfit? It seems like a very short jacket or waistcoat for 1744. Piecing was very common at the time, but it does seem a little more haphazard than I would think.

The raw edges are ragged but they’re not pinked. Here’s a picture of the whole suit without the plaid that appears in most photographs taken when the suit is in the case at the NMS.