Chid's tartan dress

Chid's tartan dress

Victorian

This is a beautiful example of a 19th century child’s 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.

Victorian

1860-80

eulac3d

Physical Object

88

16/12/2020

West Highland Museum

find,56.8435966,-5.7643566;

West Highlands Museum

TEXT

282

silk

3766