Greetings, Chrissie. My husband's mother was called Flora Macdonald and because of that I wove tartan lap rugs for my three children and others. My great aid for this project came from Donald C. Stewart's most interesting book, 'The Setts of the Scottish Tartans,' first published in 1950 but reprinted several times. On pages 21 - 24 he has a great deal to say about the Black Watch tartan, the origin of which seems to have caused much controversy. There seem to be several clans laying claim to it. The custom when a regiment was formed was that the men wore the tartan of their commander. The first commander of the Black Watch regiment had no clan tartan - hence the puzzle. Where did the design originate? I bought the book in Oban Scotland, in 1980. I guess it will still be in print. Cheers, Mary Wrightson, South Australia. ----- Original Message ----- From: chrissie <chris@chrissie.demon.co.uk> To: <BORDER-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, 12 April 2000 23:36 Subject: Black Watch Tartan > Hi Listers, > Would anyone on list know anything about the Black Watch Tartan, which > family or clan are allowed to wear it etc. ? > Family Legend says my family are, but need information to either prove or > disprove this. > Many thanks, > Chrissie. >

Regarding Black Watch there are plenty of sites on the internet . Here are a few : as quoted from http://www.virtual-pc.com/journal/disp_020.htm: "It is now generally accepted that the dark tartan adopted at the time of regimentation in 1739 was what already had been worn by at least some of the Companies.Whether the Black Watch tartan was worn by the Campbells, Grants and others as clan tartans, or whether the military tartan was based on an existing design, will no doubt continue to be a subject for discussion, but the historical fact is clear that after its adoption by The Highland Regiment it became official for all troops in the government service wearing Highland dress. " from Scottish Military History site: http://subnet.virtual-pc.com/~mc546367/journal.htm#research Image of Black Watch tartan: http://www.virtual-pc.com/journal/bwtartan.htm "Six Independent Companies (of soldiery) were raised to police the Highlands of Scotland, so creating a Regiment called the Black Watch. Before 1740, they used a dark tartan which came to be called the Black Watch. Its origin is still argued but when tartan was proscribed it became the Government tartan and is now a Universal one, that all may wear. " from Regiments who wear the Black Watch and Black Watch web ring : http://www.angelfire.com/biz3/SolidFashionGuide/blackwatchlinks.html The Black Watch: http://www.highlanderweb.co.uk/culloden/theduke.htm Photo of my grandma's brother who died in the Black Watch during a slaughter in France . Sadly his dress uniform is not a kilt at all :( but I think there may be a tartan on his dress hat on the left image . http://www.accessin.com.au/~curran/MABONe.html Here is a beautiful photo of modern dress Black Watch : http://www.rmhnet.com/blackwatch/ Mary Wrightson wrote: > Greetings, Chrissie. > > My husband's mother was called Flora Macdonald and because of that I wove > tartan lap rugs for my three children and others. My great aid for this > project came from Donald C. Stewart's most interesting book, 'The Setts of > the Scottish Tartans,' first published in 1950 but reprinted several times. > > On pages 21 - 24 he has a great deal to say about the Black Watch tartan, > the origin of which seems to have caused much controversy. There seem to > be several clans laying claim to it. The custom when a regiment was formed > was that the men wore the tartan of their commander. The first commander > of the Black Watch regiment had no clan tartan - hence the puzzle. Where > did the design originate? > > I bought the book in Oban Scotland, in 1980. I guess it will still be in > print. > > Cheers, Mary Wrightson, South Australia. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: chrissie <chris@chrissie.demon.co.uk> > To: <BORDER-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Wednesday, 12 April 2000 23:36 > Subject: Black Watch Tartan > > > Hi Listers, > > Would anyone on list know anything about the Black Watch Tartan, which > > family or clan are allowed to wear it etc. ? > > Family Legend says my family are, but need information to either prove or > > disprove this. > > Many thanks, > > Chrissie. > >