Quote Originally Posted by O'Callaghan View Post
My wife was told she was Clan Davidson by her Scottish grandmother, maiden name Davidson but then living just across the border in England, before the latter died [ETA: Oops! I see I already said that]. In most cases, even in Scotland, this is as close as most people will get to being able to prove that they belong to a particular clan.

As my wife was never told anything about the Clan Chattan Confederation by her grandmother, she declines to claim it.

Ironically, her grandfather was a Wilson, but English, not Scottish, and of no known Scottish provenance, although as we know there is no Wilson clan and nor is it a sept of any clan [ETA: I see from above in this thread that Wilson is now regarded as a sept of Innes, but that wouldn't include English Wilsons, unless of Scottish descent, because that's not how it works]. However, as I'm sure you know a Scottish Wilson owned the first ever commercial tartan mill, so of course there is a Wilson tartan, simply because they owned the mill! [ETA: Moreover, as thrifty Scots, I'm sure they would have been more than happy to take the money of Sassenach Wilsons who wanted to wear it!]
I thought Wilson was claimed as a sept of Clan Gunn? http://www.clangunn.us/septs.htm