_518 WHM100: Victorian "The perception of the Highlands changed radically during the Victorian era. Queen Victoria popularised Highland culture and the growth of the road and rail networks made the Highlands more accessible to visitors. At the same time the expansion of the British Empire encouraged Highland folk to emigrate and explore the world.\r\nOur Victorian collection includes important artefacts directly associated with Queen Victoria. Some of our most interesting 19th century objects are featured in the gallery. Highlights include the elaborate Highland outfit gifted by Queen Victoria to her Highland servant, John Brown and a fabulous beetle wing dress owned by a crofter\u2019s daughter who travelled to India with the British Army." museums@eu-lac.org English Collection TEXT "The perception of the Highlands changed radically during the Victorian era. Queen Victoria popularised Highland culture and the growth of the road and rail networks made the Highlands more accessible to visitors. At the same time the expansion of the British Empire encouraged Highland folk to emigrate and explore the world.\r\nOur Victorian collection includes important artefacts directly associated with Queen Victoria. Some of our most interesting 19th century objects are featured in the gallery. Highlights include the elaborate Highland outfit gifted by Queen Victoria to her Highland servant, John Brown and a fabulous beetle wing dress owned by a crofter\u2019s daughter who travelled to India with the British Army." "This gorgeous dress was made in India, but has connections with the Highlands. It belonged to Barbara Morrison, who had been born in Inverness. She married a William FitzHenry in Jersey in December 1856, a Colour Sergeant with the 60th Regiment of Foot. They travelled to India together where the Regiment was stationed at Bellary Fort between 1867 and 1872. The dress is made from a lightweight cotton fabric and is beautifully embellished with silk embroidery and beetle wings. These wings from the elytra of the jewel beetle have been used for centuries in the highly elaborate embroideries of the far east. The soldiers wives would have commissioned dresses be made in the western fashion as this one is." Physical Object "" image/jpeg Alex Gillespie Still Image "" image/jpeg Alex Gillespie Still Image "" image/jpeg Fin Macrae Still Image "This is a typical example of a 19th century Highland outfit made for a child. It comprises of a kilt, jacket, sash, sporran, and Glengarry. It belonged to Donald McNaughton (1854 - 1937) and he wore it when he was about 5 years old in living on the Isle of Skye." Physical Object "" Still Image "" Still Image "Queen Victoria (1819 - 1901) certainly had a love of horse riding and was an accomplished equestrienne. This gold mounted riding whip belonged to the Queen and was gifted to the museum through the Hepburn Bequest in 1973." Physical Object "Silver quaichs are used by Scots to take a wee dram of whisky. This silver quaich has a fascinating story to tell and is said to have been drunk from by royalty on four occasions. Tradition says Prince Charles Edward Stuart drank from the quaich during the 1745 Rising. Prince Albert drank from it in 1847, followed by Queen Victoria in 1873 and the Prince of Wales in the 1930s. The quaich is mentioned in Queen Victoria's Highland Journals. Queen Victoria's Highland Journal for 13th September 1873 reads: "As we came through Ballachulish the post boy suddenly stopped, and a very respectable, stout looking old Highlander stepped up to the carriage with a silver quaich, out of which he said Prince Charles had drunk, and also my dearest Albert in 1847, and begged that I would do the same. A table, covered with a cloth and with a bottle on it, was on the other side of the road. I felt I could hardly refuse, and therefore tasted some whisky out of it, which delighted the people who were standing around."" Physical Object "" image/jpeg Alex Gillespie 2019 Still Image "This hard-tartan box pleated Stuart kilt in the Duke of Rothesay tartan and is said to have been worn by the Sobieski brothers. The tartan is their own design. It is unusual as it is a very early example of a sewn box pleated kilt and it is the earlies example of this pattern which first made its appearance in 1842. The Sobieski brothers modelled themselves as scholars of Highland dress, weaponry and Gaelic culture. They claimed to be the grandchildren of Prince Charles Edward Stuart. From the 1820s the Sobieski - Stuart brothers were responsible for many of the tartans now accepted as being the \u201cold and true tartans\u201d of many clans. John Sobieski Stolberg Stuart and his brother Charles Edward Stuart claimed to be the legitimate grandsons of King Charles III. They claimed that Queen Louise and King Charles III had a son who was handed over to the captain of an English warship to protect him from assassination attempts. The Sobieski brothers claimed to be sons of this child. They fooled many in society. In reality, the Sobieski \u2013 Stuarts were born in Wales to English parents as John Carter Allen (1795\u20131872) and Charles Manning Allen (1802\u20131880). From 1847 they lost favour after their reputations were damaged by the press." Physical Object "" Still Image "" Still Image "" Still Image "" Still Image "" Still Image "This is the Highland outfit Queen Victoria (1819 \u2013 1901) presented to her trusted Scottish servant, John Brown (1826 - 1883), on the occasion of her daughter, Princess Louise\u2019s marriage. John Brown was the Queen\u2019s personal servant at Balmoral and their special relationship is well documented. He once saved her life by stopping a runaway pony and cart. The pieces are all traditional dress accoutrements, but show the influence of Victorian taste in their elaborate design. They are inscribed \u201cV.R. to J.B. 21st March 1871\u201d. On that date the Princess Louise was married at Windsor to the Marquis of Lorne, later the 9th Duke of Argyll. The outfit includes a silver mounted sporran, dirk in a scabbard, sword in a scabbard, Sgian\/Sgean dubh in sheath, two black leather belts (one with silver buckle), a powder horn, plaid brooch. Images in the gallery show Brown possibly wearing this Highland outfit." Physical Object "This rare and exquisite memorial tie pin was commissioned by Queen Victoria (1819 \u2013 1901) on the death of John Brown (1826 \u2013 1883). The Queen gifted it to Brown\u2019s relations. The Queen had a close relationship with Brown, her favourite servant. After the death of her husband in 1861, the monarch turned to Brown, her trusted Highland ghillie, and it was even rumoured that they were romantically involved, although there is no evidence to support this. The statues and private memorials that Victoria had created for Brown during her life time were destroyed in the early 20th century at the order of her son, Edward VII (1841 \u2013 1910), with whom Brown had often clashed because he resented Brown\u2019s influence." Physical Object "This is a beautiful example of a 19th century child\u2019s tartan dress. The full skirt with flared sleeves is hand stitched. The tartan sett is Murray Mansfield (a variation of the Murray of Atholl) tartan with trimming of red Murray of Tullibardine tartan. The family who donated this piece tell the story that the piece of material used for the dress came from a soldier family member who took part in the Jacobite risings of 1745. While retreating from Derby, the soldier started to fear that he may be killed in battle. He took a piece of his Highland outfit, had it blessed, and handed it to a courier, who was given instructions to deliver it to the family. "The soldier told the courier that if all future children of the family were swathed in this material, it would keep them safe and bring them long and successful lives." It is not known exactly when the decision was made to make the material into a dress, but it is recorded that a young male member of the family was the first to wear it." Physical Object 56.81762005887159 -5.111020356416703