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Author Topic: Scots border wool cloaks of the 16 century  (Read 1467 times)

Offline Stuart

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Scots border wool cloaks of the 16 century
« on: December 18, 2021, 09:18:14 AM »
I hesitate to say tartan or plaid as that’s much later….

I’ve got some of the lovely Scot’s pike figures from Pete’s Flags, some of which have cloaks.

For want of a better word, what patterns would the wool have been for the Border region? Various natural drab colours in rough check patterns ?

My web searches are just resulting in tartan which I’m reluctant to use.

Offline Citizen Sade

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Re: Scots border wool cloaks of the 16 century
« Reply #1 on: December 18, 2021, 09:26:43 AM »
Hodden grey, perhaps, but it's rather dull.

Offline Citizen Sade

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Re: Scots border wool cloaks of the 16 century
« Reply #2 on: December 18, 2021, 09:46:48 AM »
https://www.cumbria-industries.org.uk/wool/

“During this period, working folk (95% of the population) had by law no option other than to wear the harsh, thick woollen cloths, all plain or single-coloured, in which this area specialised. By the end of Elizabeth I’s reign in 1603, however, there was a rising middle classable to afford better clothes and demanding more than single-colour garments.”

Would things be much different north of the border?

Offline whiskey priest

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Re: Scots border wool cloaks of the 16 century
« Reply #3 on: December 18, 2021, 09:48:10 AM »
Yeah, i'd have thought it'd have been plain woolen cloaks in various shades. As far as I'm aware there weren't many examples of patterned woolen cloth in the Lowlands during that period (your probably better looking for images of Border Reivers as they seem to be the most popular scoundrels of the period for people to research). If I remember my Pinkie history, the vast majority of the Scots army was Lowlanders but with contingents of Highlanders on the flanks.

Offline Emir of Askaristan

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Re: Scots border wool cloaks of the 16 century
« Reply #4 on: December 18, 2021, 10:17:26 AM »
Tweed of course!  ;)

Joking aside - Simple earthy colours what don't show up dirty marks and waterstains. Wool swells as it gets wet and if it still has the oils from the fleece can be reasonably waterproof. Fancier types could have a border or a lining in a different colour.
The Osprey Warrior on border reivers has some excellent reenactor pics - I think the group are on Facebook as the border reivers too.

Offline OB

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Re: Scots border wool cloaks of the 16 century
« Reply #5 on: December 18, 2021, 11:29:34 AM »
Hodden Grey is just a mixture of undyed wools as I understand it.  So greys and browns, even greenish or blueish greys.  Tweed is a useful suggestion I think.  Maybe have a look a Herring bone patterns.  Wealthier folk might have some brighter colours, trade wasn't unknown in the Borders.

Offline Codsticker

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Re: Scots border wool cloaks of the 16 century
« Reply #6 on: December 19, 2021, 05:21:15 AM »
Interesting from the Wikipedia page (link):

They were recognized among the Irish soldiers by the distinction of their arms and clothing ... for their exterior dress was mottled cloaks of many colours ..., their belts were over their loins outside their cloaks.

Apparently a quote from some one named Lughaidh referring to highanders in 1594.

Offline Terry37

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Re: Scots border wool cloaks of the 16 century
« Reply #7 on: December 21, 2021, 10:21:29 PM »
I would go with earthy muted tones, grays, taupe's, browns, dull reds and greens in basic checked patterns or with wide bands going one direction or crossing.

Terry
"My heart has joined the thousand for a friend stopped running today." - Richard Adams

Offline FierceKitty

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Re: Scots border wool cloaks of the 16 century
« Reply #8 on: December 22, 2021, 01:22:31 AM »
Tartans, albeit less complex than today's, have been part of the Celtic tradition for millennia, not centuries. Don't be too shy of checked patterns here and there.
The laws of probability do not apply to my dice in wargames or to my finesses in bridge.

Offline Radar

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Re: Scots border wool cloaks of the 16 century
« Reply #9 on: December 22, 2021, 03:19:42 PM »
Here's a link to some research I did on the Scots for the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. https://www.keepyourpowderdry.co.uk/2020/10/the-army-of-montrose-what-colours-to-use.html

You might find some of it useful, if not my rambling nonsense, the links to other sites.

TL;DR avoid 'tartan' except for very rich individuals (too expensive for the majority); plain earthy colours, in particular Hodden Grey (unbleached wool made from predominantly 'white' sheep with a few 'black' fleeces thrown into the mix to give browny grey) or some of the SADD colours. Not black either (again too expensive)
www.keepyourpowderdry.co.uk gaming the British Civil Wars in 15mm, and home of the ECW travelogue - dreadful painting, mediocre prose

Offline Stuart

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Re: Scots border wool cloaks of the 16 century
« Reply #10 on: December 22, 2021, 05:28:29 PM »
Thanks very much all, I’ve really enjoyed this particular rabbit hole and thanks radar that was a good read  :)

 

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