Rosemary,
I would just like to add my personal opinion about the Battlefield Britain series (and especially their episodes dealing with Jacobite history). I think they are badly researched and have a too unbalanced portraial of the both the events and people involved.
The reenactors in the series also seem to suffer from bad research and too many typical notions of how the Jacobites fought. I think I only saw two or three (of some 30) Jacobite-reenactors wearing jackets, and only two or three muskets. And nearly every plaid and shirt-clad highlander are wielding basket hilted broadswords!

I think we should all be very critical to use TV-documentaries as sources. Personally I've found that reading, and discussing the '45 with the friendly people on forums such as this and the Scottish and Border Forum at SFI are very good ways to get aquainted with the period and its' history. I'm very grateful that there are forums such as this one, because it has given me so much!

Cheers,
Henrik

Well, regarding shoes...there was more than one way to come by shoes. There's a great story about the MacGregors of Glengyle during the 1715 rebellion...they noticed a large group of whigs exiting a church, very well-dressed, and so walked over and "requested" their shoes, waiting while the rich gentlemen sat down on the curb to remove them. Now, most of these sort of stories are largely romantic twaddle, but it does make the point that shoes didn't have to be bought to be worn. Women went largely barefoot around home, but generally put on some sort of shoes to go out and about. I don't think that it's possible to say "everyone wore gillies" or "everyone had buckled shoes," I think modern interpretation is more a matter of what each of us is willing or able to put up with. I can't go barefoot because I am allergic to bees and would rather not step on one...so even when I'm doing po'folk, I have hard-soled shoes on...I know that it's not really as accurate as it could be, but I have to work within my abilities and what I feel comfortable doing.

As far as men in shirttails, I think that there were far fewer "highland gentlemen" than we assume. Most (at least IMO) may have been gentlemen of circumstance in a military situation, but at home with the wife and kids, they were just another guy like everyone else. And remember...even now, the same guy who wears a three-piece suit to work comes home to his wife and changes into sweatpants. We're less formal at home, and I think that holds through history to some extent or another.

Since the Vicar's shared his philosophy, I'll add my own rule of thumb (which I think I may have filched from WH Murray...either him or Hamilton Howlett): When two opinions on the same subject are diametrically opposed and deeply held, it's likely that neither is the whole truth, and the real truth of the matter lies somewhere in the middle. We all have our own personal filters and prejudices on history that draw us toward one side or the other of that middle ground....I think the key is identifying where our own leanings are, and why we have them, because then we can think around our own minds and see the big picture.

Edited to add: I am also deeply cynical about documentaries, especially ones that use volunteer reenactors or footage of reenactments, just because there's no central authority to coordinate and balance the costumes properly. Then again, Tim says that seeing a costume film with me is like being in "Mystery Science Theater 3000" because I riff on the inaccuracies so badly.

Hi 
I thought I'd add my bit from over here in the UK.
Wearing a plaid around the house is not practical. Lace Wars worked up at the Highland folk Museum, and I've worked there on my own. What was clear was that in the houses (these are true 100% correct reconstruction's of mid 18th century Highland houses and barns) was that you couldn't work very well, and when moving about you had to be careful not to knock things over, that was if you pocketed the loose ends of your plaid. If you pinned (note no broaches!) it to you jacket it was just as cumbersome. So I ended up taking my plaid off. My shirt is long and the pattern came from a bog body so I know it to be correct. It covers up every thing, unless I sat down legs apart, which I didn’t. Even though it has triangular gussets it didn’t blow up in the wind and show any thing. So it would be fair to say that Highlanders did not wear the full plaid all the time. If you wear the little kilt there is no problem at all. There is a piece in Burt's letters describing him meeting a laird or the like in just his shirt and jacket. By the way I always wore my belt over my shirt as it had my knife and sporran on it.

Regarding “warrior wear”. There was no such thing. Clan warfare had almost disappeared by the end of the 17th century. Yes there were fights, but not wars. No one in the clan structure could ever be described as warrior. Cattle thief yes, warrior no.

Shoes, I make historic shoes and had to do a ton of research to get it right. Although I went to shoe making college that only taught me how to make patterns (designs) not how to completely hand make shoes. A shoe maker is a shoemaker or Cordwainer, a cobbler is some one who mends shoes (maybe some you know the expression " a load of cobblers"?). In the 18th century shoes varied hugely. Like today fashion did not change on a specific date. Brogues were normal wear in the Highlands and are just a glorified piece of leather made up to fit the foot. Next there were closed shoes, even the well off wore these, they are the same as 17th century closed shoes and are welted construction. Next buckle shoes, worn by the better off as you had to buy the buckles and the shoes! Women went barefoot a lot of the time as did the children. That doesn’t mean they all did or all the time. But it was common. Women’s shoes are of a different type to men’s (brogues would be the same). They have a heel and are more pointed.

The Battlefield Britain is a bit of a sore point with me. It was made by the BBC and supported by English Heritage (EH). The filming was done with out us, and yes its rubbish, White shirted Highlanders with no guns AGAIN! The programme was shown on a Friday evening in the UK (first showing). As with the whole series at the end Peter Snow’s son said “if you want to see a re-enactment of the (’45) go to (Carlisle castle) this week end.  Carlisle castle is run by EH. About six week before this I got a call from a middle man. A guy who books re-enactors for EH. Guess what they had no re-enactors. LW were already booked out for the week after. I got together 6 of us who went up for the event. EH got a couple of sets of rubbish hire kit to make up two more Redcoats. So we had a few Jacobites and a few Redcoats. They then got another part time actor who dressed up as a Jacobite, he got to told where to get off by me after trying to mess things up. They then got some pantomime kit for a BPC. The week end was joke. Several months later EH put on a festival of history with all the periods from the BBC programmes in one place. We were asked go as a group. It was shambles. For a big group they really messed up. 

If any one wants our (Rose and Thistle who are part of Lace Wars) kit guide drop me a line through the Lace Wars web site www.lacewars.co.uk  and I’ll forward it to you. We have both men and women’s references.

Slainte
Tod

Hi
If you mail the web master from the RaT web site (Steve) I think he has a group picture of us there. It used to be on the old site. The pattern is from the murder victim. It's available as a pattern. If you mail me your address I'll do a copy for you, and take pictures of mine.
Tod

Hi
The good old Jacobite shirt 
Believe me there was no such thing, however if you go to Edinburgh there are planty of tourist shops that will sell you one. When I search on ebay I have to trawl through so many of them it's unreal.
Shirts in the 18th century were all pretty much the same. They didn't have big "Batwing" type collars like many of the supposed re-enactors over here wear. They were also a lot longer than many people think, coming almost to the knee in many cases. Mostly they were linen, and losse fitting. Although the Scottish Highland ones and those from the more rural areas (most of the population lived out of town in the 18th century) tended to have better fitting sleeves. I think this was because they were easier to work in.
If you want any more info. just ask.
Tod

It stands to reason that in close quarters, one would get rid of all that cloth...Now, I spend most of my time in boots, jeans and turtlenecks at home/work, so I have to practice with the court-width paniers before I go to an event or I will clear every table I encounter with the unexpected expansion of my hips (OK, I'm a klutz as well). Back in the days when "Duncan" wore a plaid and I had a small tent, I was continually running into stuff and knocking things over. It's not logical to wear the thing in tight situations where you don't really *need* to be dressed...no different than stripping down to waistcoat when you're wearing a suit of clothes because the coat just gets tangled in everything (and the stitching at the top of the back vent is REAL easy to tear, especially on silk, don't ask me how I know this  ).

I'm short, so I never had an issue with shirt length, but one time I had a manservant with me who is 6' 4" and I never even *thought* about shirts, just gave him one of our spares. Needless to say, when he was belting on the plaid, we had to throw ourselves in front of him to keep passers-by from getting a free show. I should also add that he said later that he was tempted to strip off his plaid while working in the tent/kitchen because he kept getting caught on things (given the length of his shirt, I'm glad he didn't!).

Is a Jacobite shirt one of those huge-collared things with the ugly yokes and laces up the front?

Tod...can you define "better-fitting sleeves?" Do you mean closer-fitting? Is the change in the cut of the sleeve or the fitting to the body of the shirt? Or both?

Tod wrote on 01/22/07 at 18:34:29:


do you mean this one.  That's a Blackhouse behind us.