The Tartans of Clan MacQuarrie
The tartans pictured below are all McQuarrie tartans as recorded by the Scottish Tartans Authority in the International Tartan Index. The one most often seen today and generally recognized by the clan, is No. 892. Click on any thumbnail for a larger image.
The tartans pictured below are all McQuarrie tartans as recorded by the Scottish Tartans Authority in the International Tartan Index. The one most often seen today and generally recognized by the clan, is No. 892. Click on any thumbnail for a larger image.
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453
This version of the MacQuarrie tartan appears in Authenticated Tartans of the Clans and Families of Scotland, published by W. and A. Smith in 1850, plate 51. They say in that reference that this is one of the few tartans whose "authenticity is unquestioned," and that they have their specimen "direct from the manufacturer." Many of the setts that they include come from Meyer & Mortimer, and many others from Wilsons of Bannockburn.
454
This tartan comes from the collection of the Highland Society of London, and is unusual in that it has two shades of red. The Highland Society of London was a club formed by Scottish ex-patriots. In 1815 they set about amassing a collection of tartans for the different Scottish clans. Many were supplied by the clan chiefs themselves. This was the first such collection to be made. STA notes indicate the original sample is "a rural type weave specimen showing considerable irregularity in the weaving."
553
This tartan comes from the collection of John McGregor Hastie, who collected tartans between the years of 1930 and 1950. His collection contained over 960 samples, many of his own weaving, and many collected from the scrap bins of tartan merchants. It was bought by the Scottish Tartans Society and formed the basis of their collection. Some of the samples, including this one, were unmarked. One can assume that the sample dates between 1930 and 1950.
858
This tartan comes from the collection of General Sir William Cockburn of Cockburn, and most likely dates to between 1810 and 1815. It was one of the earliest private collections of Scottish tartans to be made. STA notes indicate the original sample is "a rural type weave (coarse @ 44 epi) and with a herringbone selvage."
872
This tartan also comes from the collection of John McGregor Hastie, and so likely dates to 1930-50. It appears to be an incoorect rendering of No. 858.
892
This is the MacQuarrie tartan most often seen used today. It can first be documented as a MacQuarrie tartan in James Grants book, Tartans of the Clans of Scotland, published in 1886. This reference included seventy-two tartans that were supposedly in current use at the time. This tartan is obviously related to the red MacDonald of the Isles tartan, that was reconstructed in the early nineteenth century from a portrait in Armadale Castle of The MacDonald Boys (see below). This portrait was painted by Jeremiah Davidson in 1750 and shows two young boys wearing red tartan outfits. There are four different tartans pictured, all of which are similar in design. One of the tartans is identical to the above MacQuarrie tartan -- so we know this particular tartan design was in production as early as 1750, though not necessarily in use by the MacQuarrie clan.
1402
James Logan included this MacQuarrie tartan in The Scottish Gael, published in 1831. James Scarlett calls this reference "The first book with anything of consequence to say about tartan" (qtd. in Tartan: The Highland Habit). Logan was born in Aberdeen in 1794 and in 1826 traveled around Scotland collecting tartan specimens and talking with people who claimed to have first hand experience of past practices regarding Highland Dress. D. C. Stewart, in The Setts of the Scottish Tartans, says, "Logan's count is misleading, but reference to Smibert's version shows what was intended." (See below).
1511
This tartan was illustrated in Thomas Smibert's book, The Clans of the Highlands of Scotland, published in 1850. (See illustration). Smibert had access to the records of tartan weavers Wilsons of Bannockburn, who had been producing tartan since the mid-eighteenth century, as well as to the works of James Logan and the Sobieski-Stuart brothers.
This version of the MacQuarrie tartan appears in Authenticated Tartans of the Clans and Families of Scotland, published by W. and A. Smith in 1850, plate 51. They say in that reference that this is one of the few tartans whose "authenticity is unquestioned," and that they have their specimen "direct from the manufacturer." Many of the setts that they include come from Meyer & Mortimer, and many others from Wilsons of Bannockburn.
454
This tartan comes from the collection of the Highland Society of London, and is unusual in that it has two shades of red. The Highland Society of London was a club formed by Scottish ex-patriots. In 1815 they set about amassing a collection of tartans for the different Scottish clans. Many were supplied by the clan chiefs themselves. This was the first such collection to be made. STA notes indicate the original sample is "a rural type weave specimen showing considerable irregularity in the weaving."
553
This tartan comes from the collection of John McGregor Hastie, who collected tartans between the years of 1930 and 1950. His collection contained over 960 samples, many of his own weaving, and many collected from the scrap bins of tartan merchants. It was bought by the Scottish Tartans Society and formed the basis of their collection. Some of the samples, including this one, were unmarked. One can assume that the sample dates between 1930 and 1950.
858
This tartan comes from the collection of General Sir William Cockburn of Cockburn, and most likely dates to between 1810 and 1815. It was one of the earliest private collections of Scottish tartans to be made. STA notes indicate the original sample is "a rural type weave (coarse @ 44 epi) and with a herringbone selvage."
872
This tartan also comes from the collection of John McGregor Hastie, and so likely dates to 1930-50. It appears to be an incoorect rendering of No. 858.
892
This is the MacQuarrie tartan most often seen used today. It can first be documented as a MacQuarrie tartan in James Grants book, Tartans of the Clans of Scotland, published in 1886. This reference included seventy-two tartans that were supposedly in current use at the time. This tartan is obviously related to the red MacDonald of the Isles tartan, that was reconstructed in the early nineteenth century from a portrait in Armadale Castle of The MacDonald Boys (see below). This portrait was painted by Jeremiah Davidson in 1750 and shows two young boys wearing red tartan outfits. There are four different tartans pictured, all of which are similar in design. One of the tartans is identical to the above MacQuarrie tartan -- so we know this particular tartan design was in production as early as 1750, though not necessarily in use by the MacQuarrie clan.
1402
James Logan included this MacQuarrie tartan in The Scottish Gael, published in 1831. James Scarlett calls this reference "The first book with anything of consequence to say about tartan" (qtd. in Tartan: The Highland Habit). Logan was born in Aberdeen in 1794 and in 1826 traveled around Scotland collecting tartan specimens and talking with people who claimed to have first hand experience of past practices regarding Highland Dress. D. C. Stewart, in The Setts of the Scottish Tartans, says, "Logan's count is misleading, but reference to Smibert's version shows what was intended." (See below).
1511
This tartan was illustrated in Thomas Smibert's book, The Clans of the Highlands of Scotland, published in 1850. (See illustration). Smibert had access to the records of tartan weavers Wilsons of Bannockburn, who had been producing tartan since the mid-eighteenth century, as well as to the works of James Logan and the Sobieski-Stuart brothers.
This tartan was designed in 1989 by Dr. Phil Smith for the MacGuire family of Briantree, MA. He based the tartan on some of the older MacQuarrie setts. In personal correspondance with Matthew Newsome, Dr. Smith writes, "This was done completely in isolation with reference only to D. C. Stewart [The Setts of the Scottish Tartans]. I had two sashes woven by Dalgliesh. In 1995 Viv Sharp ([a tartan designer from] Spain) sent me a close-up color photo of a sash that had belonged to his wife's mother dating from the early 20th century labeled 'Maguire' . The counts are similar but differ in some colours and proportions."
The MacGuire Tartan
