Dress Act 1746 on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The Dress Act 1746 was part of the
''Abolition and Proscription of the Highland Dress 19 George II, Chap. 39, Sec. 17, 1746:''
Act Against the Highland Dress
{{UK legislation History of the Scottish Highlands Political history of Scotland Acts of the Parliament of Great Britain concerning Scotland 1746 in law 1746 in Great Britain 1746 in Scotland Clothing controversies
Act of Proscription
The Act of Proscription (19 Geo. 2, c. 39), also called the Act of Proscription 1746, was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, which came into effect in Scotland on 1 August 1746. It was part of a series of efforts to assimilate the Scot ...
which came into force on 1 August 1746 and made wearing "the Highland Dress
Highland dress is the traditional, regional dress of the Highlands and Isles of Scotland. It is often characterised by tartan (''plaid'' in North America). Specific designs of shirt, jacket, bodice and headwear may also be worn along with clan ...
" — including the kilt
A kilt ( gd, fèileadh ; Irish: ''féileadh'') is a garment resembling a wrap-around knee-length skirt, made of twill woven worsted wool with heavy pleats at the sides and back and traditionally a tartan pattern. Originating in the Scottish Hi ...
— illegal in Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
as well as reiterating the Disarming Act
The Disarming Act (1 George 1 session 2 C.26) was an 18th-century Act of Parliament of Great Britain that was enacted to curtail Jacobitism among the Scottish clans in the Scottish Highlands after the Jacobite rising of 1715. The new law, which ca ...
. The Jacobite Risings
, war =
, image = Prince James Francis Edward Stuart by Louis Gabriel Blanchet.jpg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = James Francis Edward Stuart, Jacobite claimant between 1701 and 1766
, active ...
between 1689 and 1746 found their most effective support amongst the Scottish clan
A Scottish clan (from Goidelic languages, Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared identity and descent to members, and in modern times have an official ...
s, and this act was part of a series of measures attempting to bring the clans under government control. An exemption allowed the kilt to be worn in the army along with its veterans who have served in the military , continuing the tradition established by the Black Watch
The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The regiment was created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881, when the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment ...
regiment.
The law was repealed in 1782. By that time kilts and tartans were no longer ordinary Highland wear, ended by enforcement of the law and by the circumstances of the Highland clearances
The Highland Clearances ( gd, Fuadaichean nan Gàidheal , the "eviction of the Gaels") were the evictions of a significant number of tenants in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, mostly in two phases from 1750 to 1860.
The first phase resulte ...
, but within two years Highland aristocrats set up the Highland Society of Edinburgh and soon other clubs followed with aims including promoting "the general use of the ancient Highland dress". This would lead to the Highland pageant of the visit of King George IV to Scotland
The visit of George IV to Scotland in 1822 was the first visit of a reigning monarch to Scotland in nearly two centuries, the last being by King Charles II for his Scottish coronation in 1651. Government ministers had pressed the King to bring ...
.
The act
''Abolition and Proscription of the Highland Dress 19 George II, Chap. 39, Sec. 17, 1746:''
Repeal
On 1 July 1782 royal assent was given to ''Repeal of the Act Proscribing the Wearing of Highland Dress 22 George III, Chap. 63, 1782'' and a proclamation issued inGaelic
Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...
and English announced:
See also
*Jacobite rising of 1745
The Jacobite rising of 1745, also known as the Forty-five Rebellion or simply the '45 ( gd, Bliadhna Theàrlaich, , ), was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the Monarchy of Great Britain, British throne for his father, James Franci ...
* Highland Clearances
The Highland Clearances ( gd, Fuadaichean nan Gàidheal , the "eviction of the Gaels") were the evictions of a significant number of tenants in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, mostly in two phases from 1750 to 1860.
The first phase resulte ...
* Highland Potato Famine
* Scottish patriotism
Scottish national identity is a term referring to the sense of national identity, as embodied in the shared and characteristic culture, languages and traditions, of the Scottish people.
Although the various dialects of Gaelic, the Scots lan ...
* Scottish Wars
The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.
The First War (1296–1328) began with the English invasion of ...
References
External links
Act Against the Highland Dress
{{UK legislation History of the Scottish Highlands Political history of Scotland Acts of the Parliament of Great Britain concerning Scotland 1746 in law 1746 in Great Britain 1746 in Scotland Clothing controversies