Welcome

 This page is dedicated to our friend

Brayn (Sir Big B 1) 

A Scottsman.

 The plaid background you see here is know as a tartan. It is the tartan for the sir name Paton, which is Sir Big's last name. This name is steeped in the Scottish culture.

 The Paton Tartan

 Discovered in 1993 at P and J Haggart, weavers in Aberfeldy.
It was possibly designed by the late Mr John Robertson around the 1930's,
but the sample appears to have been woven in 1952.
The Paton family associated with the tartan come from Aberdeenshire.
Apart from the red stripe this sett resembles the Gordon of Abergeldy
previously known as Ancient Gordon. 

The source of tartan 2128 was: P and J Haggart, Aberfeldy 

Brief History of the Tartan

The Highlander of old (pre-1746) would often have worn the feileadh mhor, Gaelic for a large piece of woollen tartan material wrapped round the body, belted at the waist and pinned over the shoulder. It no doubt also served as a blanket while campaigning -

 the word 'plaid' is the Gaelic plaide meaning blanket. A sensible garment which could give warmth or be worn lose with sword arm free. Origins may lie with the ancient Roman or Celtic tunic. In fact both recent Highlanders and ancient Celts also worn tight 
trousers - truis. These were particularly popular on horseback! 

Exactly when the fealeadh beg (filibeg), the tailored version worn from waist to knee, came into existence is open to debate. One suggestion is that an Englishman in charge of an iron smelter at Invergarry around 1730, Thomas Rawlinson, suggested that his workforce would fare better at their work if the dispensed with the upper part of their garment and worn what we would describe as a kilt. The word 'kilt' itself, although not Gaelic, is probably older. A Scandinavian or old English root from a verb meaning 'to hitch up and fold a garment' seems most likely. 

Today's kilt can be worn, particularly by pipers, with a plaid - a long piece of tartan wrapped round the upper body which, along with the kilt, are a modern version of the full feileadh mor of past times. Worn with jacket or doublet, sporran, Scottish brogue shoes, hose and sgian dubh. 

After the battle of Culloden in 1746, traditional Highland Dress was banned along with tartan from 1746-82. However Highland regiments were being formed in the Government army and most of these adopted the kilt and a tartan as part of their uniform. From this martial background comes the style of today's Highland Dress. 

When George IV visited Edinburgh in 1822, Full Highland Dress was worn by almost everybody including King George himself thanks to the efforts of Sir Walter Scott. The kilt became quite definitely the distinctive national dress of Scotland

Tarnan Weaving in Highlands Life

Originally the only recording activity would be similar to those in
other cultural activities such as musicians and storytellers. 
Patterns would spread by diffusion according to interest and popularity. 

Recording would be through memory, cloth samples and possibly threads tied to sticks (used warp beams). Types of tartan would not exist, and the local wool and dyes available would limit the ambition of a weaver and wearer to certain colors. 

Rescuing Tartan from Extinction

After the rebellion of Charles Edward Stuart, Highland expression 
and the Tartan in particular was prohibited by law. The growing Highland Regiments were amongst the few allowed to wear it, largely in new patterns. 

Weaving became commercial at Wilson's of Bannockburn where fortunately many older designs survived on their books. As tartan became legal, the gentry responded to the impending loss of Highland traditions and sponsored a number of institutions, fashions and research activities that coincided with a burgeoning Romantic movement which was driven on by Sir Walter Scott's writing. 

Not only were many traditional tartan designs "saved" through these recordings but also many invented patterns, new colorings and new concepts such as Clan Tartans arose. Most traditional tartan patterns became fixed and named at this time.

 The Paton Coat of Arms

Inspiration by Beverly  Graphics by Grandville