Tartans

[janetparkes]

As we MacWhos try to work out exactly which part of Scotland our common ancestor came from, I wonder whether something might be gained from discussing the tartans we wear, particularly amongst those of us called Mclay/Maclay/Mclea/Maclea/Macleay (etc). I think I am right in saying that historically there is not a Mclay (etc) tartan as such. I will kick off by saying that in my family, Glaswegian and now lowland, and so a long time away from the Highlands, if a tartan is worn, it is the Hunting Stewart. However, when I met up with a Mclay 3rd cousin, I found that for the century my branch has been wearing the Hunting Stewart, his branch (common descent from 2 x great grandfather) has been wearing the Stewart of Appin. What tartans do other Mclays wear? It may be that the tartans we identify with in fact predate our EKA, which could help send us in the right direction, whether north south east or west!

I should add here that our family memory suggests an EKA called James Mclay, a stock farmer born in Argyll circa 1765, but we have never called ourselves Livingston. However, James is only a memory, for whom so far I have not been able to find any records. The actual EKA is his Glaswegian son John Mclay, born about 1790, a cotton spinner.

Best wishes to all,
Janet

[Kyle MacLea]

Hi Janet,

More on your discussion later, but for now let me leave you with the Maclay tartan:

http://www.clanlivingstone.info/Maclay.htm

I don't know much about its history, though, but it has been around for quite some time. We have other threads which have discussed the history of the Livingston Modern (WR1003) tartan, which is quite common among clansmen, including McLea/McLay, as well.

I own my wedding kilt in Livingston Modern, but would like to get the Maclay as well!

Kyle=

[Hamish McLeay]

my kilt i have had for 20 years is also stewart of appin!

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Janet,

I am not really aware of what tartan Mclays or Macleays are wearing except that there is aTartan 1488 Livingstone Maclay Macleay out there which might be worn by some. For some reason Tartan Books give the reader the impression our traditional red green and black Livingstone tartan is associated with the old Lowland Callendar Stirlingshire aristocratic Livingston family. In fact it is more likely that it was highland livingstones who first had a tartan woven specifically for the clan sometime in the 1800's though by this point in time, many of them were now living in lowland Counties such as Lanarkshire and Stirlingshire. I think some variety of a red green an black in a variety of thread counts has been worn for sometime since at least the 1800's by the highland Livngstone Livingston clan though Robert Bain and others in the early 1900's are not very clear as to the ultimate origin of our clan wearing a red green and black plaid. Prior to that I imagine in the 1700's for example our highland ancestors likely wore a district tartan or whatever tartan they fancied or could afford. It is very likely that our many of the highland ancestor tenant farmers may have been content with very plain tartans and then there is question of what natural dyes and colours were available to Western Argyll Macleas.

THere is very little doubt that highland Macleas from APpin, Lismore and Morvern who served with the Jacobite Appin Stewart regiment wore some sort of tartan kilts at the Battle of CUlloden in 1745. A contempory painting commissioned by the DUke of Cumberland himself leaves no doubt as to that but the question that remains is what tartan or tartans. In all liklihood more than one tartan as it assumed that there is good possibility that at that point we did not have a distinct highland maclea tartan and may not have till the sometime in the next century when as highland Livingstons tartans in both the highlands were they orignated and in the lowlands became a kind of Scottish 19th century fad.

Our clan of course was prohibited from weaving or wearing whatever tartans we once wore for many years after our Appin Stewart Regiment and other Jacobite regiments with Bonnie Prince Charlie were defeated by the Duke of Cumberland at Culloden in 1746. By the time the ban was lifted and in the years after when there was a resurgence in interest in highland tartan in both the highlands and even in the lowlands the original weavers and in many the patterns were long since gone and forgotten. There were efforts made however by the late 1700's to try and contact the highland clans and see if they could help identify a tartan used by a specific clan if such was the case. In the early 1800's some highland chiefs were contacted regarding information on clan tartans but I could not find any evidence that the Chief of Clan Livingston at the time Baron John Livingstone was contacted regarding an old highland Maclea tartan or tartans that was worn by Western Argyll Macleas in the 1700's and subsequently by their children and grandchildren who adopted the name Livingstone or Livingston in Western Argyll. If there was a particular tartan or weave favored by our highland Jacobite Maclea ancestors it was lost to us with the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie. That being said it would be very interesting to have insight into the real history of Livingstone Tartan 1003 and the preference for a red, green and black weave. Some have suggested similarities of Livingstone tartan with and old Macdonnell clan tartan perhaps and one that perhaps was worn at Culloden itself by some Maclea Livingstones as well. I have managed to find the name of an early tartan manufacturer circa early 1900's that Tartan Book Author Robert Bain consulted in the 1920's but that in not much help. Regretably the tartan historians of the early 1800's seem to have overlooked our clan or no tartan swatches were submitted to the researchers at the time by our clansman or their Chief. We do however have a written account that Donald Livingtone 1728-1816 of Morvern, Argyllshire, hero of the Battle of Culloden wore a tartan kilt into his old age and is said to have worn his kilt even when it was prohibited from the years 1747 to 1788.

Today Highland Livingstones seem to wear a few varieties of Livingstone tartan that have been over the years designed for Livingstones generally particulary Livingston ancient and Livingston modern which are a red, green and black plaid. Tartan 1003 is worn by the Chief. I think that is ancient Livingstone. As highland Livingstones were originally Macleas and believed to be connected to other Scottish Macleas and Macleays I would imagine that it would be appropriate for both Livingstones and Macleas to wear Livingstone tartan.

regards,

Donald (Livingstone) Clink
Historian
Clan Maclea Livingstone

[Jill Richmond]

Hi Everyone,

Several Livingston(e)s I have met wear the Stewart of Appin tartan. This has almost certainly come about because nearly all the Clan Tartan books say that we are a sept of Clan Stewart, when in fact we are not. I wear a Muted Livingstone tartan skirt from time to time. It is a very pretty tartan, and is nice for a woman to wear.

Jill

[janetparkes]

Hi all,

It would be good to know which tartan the Australian Macleays, descended from the Provost of Wick, wear; also which tartan the USA Maclays, the early established family of senators who went to USA from the Loch Achilty area via N Ireland, wear. What tartan do the Frothingham Maclays originally of Clackmannanshire wear? Are any of those corresponding here from the far north or east coast of Scotland?

All good wishes,
Janet

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Janet,

There are infact a number of Livingston tartans apart from those I have mentioned including some which are a more recent nature. Some apparently created for specific Livingston families. It is surprising that there arent more Macleay tartans out there particulary amongst the old Macleays of Rosshire. Does anyone know what tartan the old Macleay families that still live in Rosshire, Scotland favour these days? Do some of them wear one of the Mackenzie tartans favoured by the Seaforth Mackenzies of Rosshire given their close historic association with the Seaforth Mackenzies? Dont think they would be wearing Livingstone Macleay Tartan 1488.

regards,

Donald

[janetparkes]

Hi Donald,

My interest is less in what these families were wearing way back when, but what they are inclined to wear now, which may well be based on early family memories connected to the parts of Scotland they originated from. I am flying a kite. This may be a red herring, but, as you say, it would be good to hear from some Ross shire Macleays inter alia.

Regards.
Janet

[Kyle MacLea]

I have a recent contact among a Macleay family in Scotland, I will drop a line and see what they say!

Kyle=

[Greg Livingston]

When I first purchased my kilt, I got the Livingston(e) Modern tartan. Over the years since I have come to like the Anceint colors and, after seeing the Muted, I like that one also. The MacLea tartan also looks very good. If I did not know about the Livingston(e) tartans, I would be inclined to go with the Stewart of Appin tartan.