Of Two Clans

[cessna152towser]

from Scotland.
I also have Wallace and Wilson ancestry lines.
I own a Wallace Hunting Green kilt which I wear occasionally.
I also have, and sometimes wear, a Wilson kilt. Be aware, the Wilson tartan was an invention of Wilson's of Bannockburn who produced many of the tartans in the 19th century.

[grizzbass]

It goes back through my mother's side to arrive quickest at the scots but my dad's side finally gets there. My mom side gets to a male scot back in 1830 but even then it's just a name (Anderson) with only an occupation (cobbler) and death date (1863). Catherine McKenzie Anderson Dye, his wife, then moved to america where a couple of page history of her life was written down by her grandson so at first I knew more of her and wore McKenzie mostly. Even though I don't know any more of him now I tend to divide them equally because he is still my great great great grandfather and I want to honor him.
I view it more of a person thing. Wearing the tartan of an ancestor is to honor them especially since a bunch of english, swiss, germans and danes joined the tree between me and the scots so there is probably little scottish dna left. It isn't to me a DNA thing. They, as well as the germans, danes, english and swiss, are my family. I admit I'm more excited about the Scots and Danes (yea vikings) but have thought about lederhosen every so often (but don't drink so would seems weird) and have always been a fan of english history and love the dickens festival here in riverside. It's coming up next month and I can't wait.
I've never joined a clan org so it hasn't mattered but if I did I guess I'd go with their rules although being paternal based does strike me as something that needs to change.

[Silmakhor]

I admit I'm more excited about the Scots and Danes (yea vikings) but have thought about lederhosen every so often (but don't drink so would seems weird)

Think further "north" than pants. This jacket is a trachtenjanker, a traditional jacket worn in Germany and Austria. In this case worn with a kilt, but works equally well regular trousers.

I happen to think it looks great with a kilt, but I'm weird like that ;)

[OC Richard]

Be aware, the Wilson tartan was an invention of Wilson's of Bannockburn who produced many of the tartans in the 19th century.

And also in the 18th century, the firm began in 1759.

Wilsons themselves were in the business of designing and selling cloth, for which they made no "Clan" claims, there being no such concept in the 18th century when most of the Wilson designs were created. Their designs were assigned numbers, and in some cases also known by the name of a customer, or sometimes a place, or an historical person.

It was their customers who turned #64 into Graham of Montrose, #43 into MacPherson, and so on.

The Royal Visit to Scotland in 1822 cemented the "Clan tartan" idea in the popular imagination, as Clan after Clan grabbed existing numbered Wilsons designs and anointed them their "Clan tartans".

About your tartans:

Wilson: This appears in the Wilson 1819 Pattern Book as "Janet Wilson sett" and was evidently designed by William Wilson and named for his wife Janet Wilson nee Patterson. It could have been designed for the occasion of their wedding in the 1750s or perhaps as late as around 1780.

Wallace: All I can find are statements that it "appears in early collections" and "was in use in the late 18th century". However which "early collections" aren't mentioned.

[BigRob]

Thank you all for the advice. It will be very helpful in selecting tartans for future wear.