Family Name and Clan

[Don Patrick]

p.s. -- glad you survived your accident. I earned my broken wings back in October of '86.

I've been riding since 1971 - this is my first motorcycle accident. I've been told there are those who have had a motorcycle accident and those who will have have an accident. Hope that doesn't jinx anyone!

[Arlen]

First off, I am supremely glad that you are O.K! Glad you're doing well enough to get back online.

As far as the rest of your post, yes, the information on that site is indeed correct.

I tend to look for a link with any Kilt I am considering getting. I had (until I got mugged and it got wrecked) a weathered Douglas. The reason I wore it was to honour my Grandfather who served in the Cameronians during WWII.

However, recently I broke with tradition by ordering a Heritage of Wales tartan Kilt.
The only links I can make with it are:
I like the Prince of Wales a lot.
My wife has some Welsh ancestors somewhere reallllly far back.
A friend of mine who died of leukemia was of Welsh ancestry.
Phil's dead Grannie came to him in a dream and said her Welsh ancestors wanted me to get the kilt.

[davedove]

Hence my earlier question? Is possession of the family name enough or is it not?

It all depends on how you want to look at it. Most people won't care at all.

And just because you have the name doesn't mean you were part of the clan. For instance, MacDonald means "Son of Donald", and Donald was probably a pretty common name.

Now, let's assume there is a Donald who is part of clan Campbell. He has a son named Ian. That son would be known as Ian MacDonald of Clan Campbell. He has a son named Angus, who would be known as Angus MacIan of Clan Campbell.

It's not until much later that last names became hereditary.

Matt Newsome wrote a real good article about this but I can't seem to find it right now.

[JakobT]

So theoretically Joe Wu the poor shipwrecked Chinese sailor finding himself being cared for by Highland Chieftain Dave could pledge loyalty to that Clan and be authorized to wear the Tartan.

Even today a letter to a Standing Clan Chieftain requesting to wear his Tartan is usually met with a wonderful and thankful permission to do so.

Now I'll throw a wrench into this question. If you feel you would only be comfortable wearing a Tartan you have a feeling for, how would you feel about wearing a district, State, or fashion Tartan?

My own personal feeling, having no Scottish connection that I know of, is that I would feel uncomfortable wearing a Clan Tartan. This is why I wear plain kilts today. If I wanted to wear a Clan tartan, I expect I would try to get the Clan Chief's permission before doing so.

When it comes to district tartans, any connection with the district at all will do for me, even if it's just a place I have a feeling for, though I would at least want to have set foot there.

As far as fashion tartans are concerned, anything goes. I have a Tartan kilt on order at the moment, in a very nice universal/fashion Tartan (designed by my kiltmaker).

These are strictly personal opinions, and apply to myself only. Anyone else are of course free to do exactly as they please.

[JerseyLawyer]

You've hit on what seems (to me, a newbie) to be one of the hot-button issues of the forum. There is support for both the "wear what you want" school (the entire idea of clan tartans is a victorian invention, a lot of it is absolute balderdash, and highlanders 'back in the day' wore tartan of whatever colors the weaver happened to have on hand) and for the "wear only tartans you have a 'right' to" school (whatever the history, clan tartans have been accepted for a long time now, and so you shouldn't wear a tartan just because you 'like the colors'").

I think the idea of any "right" to a tartan has been pretty well debunked. But it's more a question of taste. And tastes differ. I feel more comfortable wearing a tartan that I have some connection to (even if that is just "well, the band I played for when I bought this kilt wore this tartan"), and if I buy a kilt for my own personal (rather than band) use, I prefer one in a tartan that my ancestors are connected with in some way.

Ultimately, though, you don't need anyone's permission to wear what you like. If you feel more comfortable that way, then I fully support it (I feel the same way!) but suit (no pun intended) yourself.

[floridaredhead]

Hi I'm new here. Just wanted to offer my two cents.

The clan that my father was a descendant of is MacArthur, but he was adopted by another family when he was an infant, back in 1939. (Dad passed away 3 years ago.) Since it was neither the fault of myself or my father that he was put up for adoption, but he was a blood descendant of Clan Arthur, I say I have every right to wear the tartan and the badge. These are, after all, symbols of my biological ancestry.

Beyond that, my great-grandmother's maiden name was Hay. There is a Hay tartan as well, and even though it was her son who adopted my father, I think I'm entitled to wear the Hay tartan as well - ties of fosterage or adoption, so far as I can tell, always were considered just as valid as blood ties.

Just sayin'

[McFarkus]

For me as well. I feel that I need a connection to a tartan to wear it. I will not lock myself into a few generations though. My Great Great Grandmother was a Gordon, so in my mind that is my connection to the Gordon Tartans. I just can't get into the "I like it so I will wear it" attitude, but to each his own (I guess some would be grateful that someone wanted to wear their tartan).

Hey, cousin, my 2nd great-grandmother was also a Gordon!

Hey FloridaRedHead - from Chicago

[sharpdressedscot]

Glad to hear you lived, my dad had something similar a few years back. Tore up his hand into hamburger meat, shattered (I mean shattered, it's in pieces but he can still walk) and huge scrapes and cuts.

I think you can wear any tartan you wish, but it can mean alot more if you have a connection with it. I'm a Gillmore (Morrison if you will) and I wear a Wallace tartan.

random moment: would it be weird if a Morrison wore a MacLeod? I mean, we're very very very very very distant kin, but we have that rivalry thing...

[michaelbeeman]

I prefer to have a connection, myself. But if I find one I really would like to wear, I imagine I will simply seek permission.

[northernsky]

hmmm...feel like the anarchist here...although I wouldn't wear a military, police or corporate plaid, I feel pretty free to wear whatever tartan I like. Some I like and some I don't. I'm not sure to whom I would seek permission to wear a tartan. I would think that the more plaid the better for all concerned. So few people actually know the difference. The Hunting Mackinnon was used by the Hudson Bay Company for years for dressing gowns and shirts. I would just smile to myself whenever I would see one. I certainly didn't take offence because someone not a Mackinnon was wearing it. I happen to like most of my 'family' tartans, but I don't own a dress Mackinnon because I don't really like it (a little too busy for me). If someone else likes it then I would encourage them to wear it, Mackinnon or not, Scottish or not!