A very nice find in a local antiques emporium yesterday!
A Gordon Highlanders kilt - with an excellent date label - for just £30!
One strap and one buckle are absent, but what the heck? I couldn’t get me wallet out quick enough!
And a little history:
The Gordon tartan is the regimental tartan of the famous Gordon Highlanders and was selected by Alexander, the 4th Duke, from a choice of three submitted by William Forsyth, a weaver and outfitter from the town of Huntly.
Forsyth wrote on 15th April 1793 'When I had the honour of communing with His Grace the Duke of Gordon, he was desirous to have patterns of the 42nd Regiment plaid with a small yellow stripe properly placed. I imagine the yellow stripes will appear very lively.'
A Gordon website claims that the Duke offered the other two Forsyth samples to Gordon Branch or Cadet Families. The Gordons of Hallhead and Esslemont selected the tartan with three yellow lines and the Gordon-Cumming of Altyre and Gordonstoun chose the tartan with two yellow lines. The earliest known date from a list compiled by D.C. Stewart from Wilsons of Bannockburn letters is 1798.
Huntly is quite local to me and the yellow stripe is, indeed, ‘very lively’!
All the best,
Rob
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