Madaleine Campbell-Jewett

March 1999

1. Introduction

The more I have investigated 18th century women's clothing in the northern half of Scotland the more complicated a business it becomes. Portraits are few and with the exception of 'The Laird of Grant's Hen Wife' tend to be of the wealthy women who could afford big city fashions. Sketches lack sufficient details for re-enactment purposes. Worst of all, most illustrations are either thirty years before 1745- or twenty or more years later.

The ordinary woman of the '45 is well nigh invisible.

It is perhaps often forgotten that even before the proscription, lowland fashions were being increasingly adopted by the more affluent, so there is a definite socio-economic factor to be considered here. It was noted by Martin Martin that men on Skye/Raasay were adopting trews/breeches well before the '45. How then, can we know the rate of change from arisaid (earasaid) to lowland fashions for women - especially those living within striking distance of Inverness - such as Frasers. I am currently trying to get access to some original clothing but the only example I've seen 'in the flesh' so far is Christina Young's arisaid in the Scottish Tartans Museum in Scotch House, Edinburgh. This arisaid is pale in colour and dated 1726.

2. General dress

The arisaid was the clothing of women of the more 'vulgar' (in the sense of poor) women in society. From what I can ascertain pale colours were preferred. Martin Martin refers to women wearing a white plaid, (1695), in his Description of the Western Isles.' The antient Dress wore by the Women, and which is yet wore by some of the Vulgar, called Arisad, is a white Plaid, having a few small Stripes of black, blue and red; it reach'd from the Neck to the Heels, and was tied before on the Breast with a Buckle of Silver, or Brass, according to the Quality of the Person. I have seen some of the former of an hundred Marks value; it was broad as any ordinary Pewter Plate, the whole curiously engraven with various Animals, etc. There was a lesser Buckle, which was wore in the middle of the larger, and above two Ounces weight; it had in the Centre a large piece of Crystal, or some finer stone, and this was set all round with several finer Stones of a lesser size. The Plaid being pleated all round, was tied with a Belt below the Breast; the Belt was of Leather, and several Pieces of Silver intermix'd with the Leather like a Chain. The Lower end of the Belt has a Piece of Plate about eight Inches long, and three in breadth, curiously engraven; the end of which was adorned with fine stones, or Pieces of Red Coral. They wore sleeves of Scarlet Cloth, clos'd at the end as Men’s Vests, with Gold Lace round 'em, having Plate Buttons set with fine Stones.’

On his voyage to St.Kilda 1697 he noted: ‘Their Plad, which is the upper Garment, is fastened upon their Breasts with a large round Buckle of Brass in the form of a Circle; the Buckles anciently worn by the Stewards Wives were of Silver, but the present Steward's Wife makes no use of either the Dress or the Buckle.'

This buckle is probably the annular brooch - worn by women only (see The Laird of Grant's Hen Wife). The penannular brooch appears to belong to an earlier time period.

The headdress worn by ordinary women may have depended on whether they had adopted Lowland fashions. If they were wearing the earasaid/Arisad what you wore might depend on whether you were a young, unmarried girl or a wife.

Alexander Nicolson, in his History of Skye, (section 1700-1750), comments ' while around the head was still worn a kerchief of fine linen, closely fitting, with its loose ends tapering down the back. The women of this class went barefoot during the greater part of the year.'

In describing headdress 1746 - 1800, ' the maiden was still distinguished by the snood, while the badge of matrimony, the curch, was then, as previously, worn.'

Martin Martin comments (Western Isles 1695) 'The Headdress was a fine Kerchief of Linen strait about the Head, hanging down the Back taper-wise. A large Lock of Hair hangs down their cheeks above their Breast, the lower end tied with a Knot of Ribbands.'

and in his voyage to St.Kilda 1697 ‘the Women wear upon their heads a Linen Dress, straight before, and drawing to a small point behind the Shoulders, a Foot and a half in length, and a Lock of about sixty Hairs hanging down each Cheek, to the Breasts, the lower end tied with a Knot;’

This is very similar to the headdress shown in the portrait of The Laird of Grant's Henwife.

Thomas Pennant's Tour in Scotland 1769 is also worth noting as he describes a Highland Fair at Inverness. ‘The women's dress is the kirch, or a white piece of linnen, pinned over the foreheads of those that are married, and round the hind part of the head, falling behind over their necks. The single women wear only a ribband round their head, which they call a snood.’

The Gaelic word for this headdress is "am breid" (Dwelly's), which translates as a napkin or kerchief. ‘Woman's head-dress, consisting of a square of fine linen pinned around the head, and fastened with cords of silk or pins of silver or gold, donned by a woman the morning after her marriage, and regarded as the badge of wifehood.’

Edmund Burt, in his Letters from the North of Scotland 1725-6 mentions the head covering of single women; " The ordinary girls wear nothing upon their heads until they are married or get a child, except sometimes a fillet of red or blue coarse cloth of which they are very proud; but often their hair hangs down over the forehead, like that of a wild colt."

He also refers to girl-children going 'bare headed like the boys' and having a 'piece of blanket wrapped about their shoulders'.

Gaelic poetry also makes reference to the headdress of women.

"Bothan Airigh Am Braigh Raithneach" (The Sheiling in Brae Rannoch), an anonymous poem c.1700 is a song by a young girl to her sweetheart and mentions both the kertch and the fillet. Even earlier is the poem, "Dh'eirich Mise Moch Di-Domhnaich" (I rose early on Sunday morning), c.1600 - a tale of date rape, unwanted pregnancy and ostracization. The lines," Chuir e stiom mo chinn 'na h-ordan" (and my fillet disordered) and, " Cha dug, no'm breid,'s e bu choir dha.." (Not yet the kertch that he owed me.) are clear references to the girl's unmarried status.

Dwelly's gives the Gaelic for these head-dresses as follows; "Stiom, stioman; head-band, narrow white band of silk, satin, linen or wool worn round the head of maidens, snood, Hair-fillet, hair lace, tape, ribbon."

Both Martin Martin and Alexander Nicolson mention the dress of higher-ranking women being similar to that worn by those of the same station in life elsewhere in Scotland at the time. However, Edmund Burt's 'Letters from the North of Scotland 1725 -6' run as follows; ‘Highland women of fashion ... generally well-dressed in the English mode’. The ‘undress of the ladies’ was the plaid. ‘It is made of silk or fine worsted, chequered with various lively colours, two breadths wide, and three yards in length; it is brought over the head, and may hide or discover the face, according to the wearer's fancy or occasion; it reaches to the waist behind; one corner falls as low as the ankle on one side; and the other part, in folds, hangs down from the opposite arm’.

I am still looking for examples of shift patterns and details of bodice and skirt patters. Lowland skirts probably required panniers - easily made in the same manner as bum-rolls. Multiple petticoats are a good idea whatever your social standing.

3. Footwear

Burt is a useful source of information on this subject. He refers to the poorer women going barefoot and working with their feet at such tasks as laundry and grinding off hulls of barley. He also refers to many of them having dirty legs 'up to the calf' from the mud on the ground. Interestingly, although many of the poor 'hardly ever wear shoes' he notes that servant girls had an 'allowance for a pair of shoes'. These were for wearing on Sundays. He also notes that children were without shoes or stockings 'in the hardest of the seasons' and even of the children of the upper classes, (who wore shoes and stockings in winter), 'nothing is more common than to see them barefoot in the summer' (Letter V). Unless you really want to go barefoot or have the clothing to justify 18th century shoes, then leather brogues are necessary. Patterns for these are available from other members of Frasers. I recommend two pairs of insoles.

4. Women Dressing As Men

It may be well to remember that much of what Martin Martin says of dress applies to Skye and Raasay in particular at the start of the 18th century and that conditions applying here may not automatically apply elsewhere in the Highlands, even by 1745. There was a fair amount of coastal traffic calling at Skye; we do not have much information to tell us about the spread of Lowland fashions in the Central Highlands and we can only hope to generalise about Lowland styles of clothing in the very near proximity to a settlement such as Inverness or Perth.

Martin Martin speaks of the dress of men at the start of the 18th century in the Islands thus; ‘They now generally use the Coat, Wastcoat, and Breeches, as elsewhere; and on their Heads, wear Bonnets made of thick cloth, some blue, some black, and some grey.’

However, given the desire of the Prince to wear tartan, you will still require a plaid - no clan tartans please - they are an anachronism.

Unless you are wealthy enough to wear silk it's probably best to steer clear of very bright colours. Even if it started out light-coloured it wouldn't stay that way for long under winter campaign conditions. Anything that looks muddy-brown or cowpat coloured is a safe bet. You'll need a belt to secure it. Ring brooches seem to have been worn only by women, as far as I know. Martin Martin mentions the use of a bone or wooden pin. ‘The Plad is tied on the Breast with a Bodkin of Bone or Wood...’

You will definitely need a man's short coat/doublet (Cota gearr) to disguise your femininity - again speak to the chaps for patterns.

In speaking of men, Martin Martin also mentions footwear; "The Shoes antiently wore, were a piece of the Hide of a Deer, Cow or Horse, with the Hair on, being tied behind and before with a Point of Leather. The generality now wear Shoes, having one thin Sole only, and shaped after the right and left Foot; so that what is for one Foot, will not serve the other."

Underwear: this is your linen shirt.

With grateful thanks to Joyce Mains for her help in researching and collating this information.

Sources

The Art of Jewellery in Scotland (HMSO) Ed. Rosalind K. Marshall and George R.Dalgleish

History of Skye - Alexander Nicolson.

Voyage To St Kilda - Martin Martin.

A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland - Martin Martin.

Dwelly's Illustrated Gaelic to English Dictionary - first published 1901-1911.

An Anthology of Scottish Women Poets Ed. by Catherine Kerrigan - Edinburgh University Press.

Burt’s Letters from the North of Scotland - Birlin Press