A letter in the Edinburgh Magazine, which caused some debate, says that the modern kilt was created by a Quaker from Lancashire named Thomas Rawlinson. English Ironmaster Rawlinson, a “man of genius and quick parts,” hired Highlanders near Inverness to work in his kilns.
John Rawlinson
At first, the great kilt was worn by his staff. But Rawlinson thought the belted plaid was too “heavy and awkward” to wear while melting iron ore and making charcoal. Because he wanted to be efficient and valuable, he made a kilt out of the bottom half of the belted plaid so that it could be worn independently and already had the pleats put in. It was the start of the small kilt or walking kilt. Ian MacDonnell, Rawlinson’s business partner and chief of the MacDonnells of Glengarry, wore the kilt, and the clan’s men followed his lead.
The plaid piece that looked like a skirt quickly became popular.
In particular, Rawlinson’s kilt is the first known example of a small kilt with sewn-in creases, which make modern kilts unique.
Before John Rawlinson
Of course, many Scots don’t believe an Englishman invented the kilt. There is some proof that the kilt was worn before Rawlinson. One example is the picture of Kenneth Sutherland, 3rd Lord Duffus, which shows that the walking kilt was worn before. However, there are disagreements within the field of history about this idea. For example, some experts have differing views on where the modern kilt came from.
A famous Scottish historian named Michael Fry said that Lord Dacre’s comments about the kilt “prove absolutely nothing.” According to Fry, there is proof that Tartan was worn in the Middle Ages. He also said Lord Dacre was “not a reliable guide to Scottish history.”
As with all historical events, different stories exist about who created the famous Scottish flag.
Which story makes the most sense? In any case, the argument about this controversial and deeply patriotic problem goes on.
The Dress Act of 1746
In 1746, not long after the kilt was created, the Dress Act (or Diskilting Act) made all Highland Dress illegal. This included the kilt.
After the Jacobite Uprising, the act was made to try to control Highland culture and bring warrior groups under government control so that there would not be another bloody battle like the ones in the past. There was one exception for the British Army’s Highland Regiments. Each one was given a different plaid to make them easy to spot.
People who broke the rule were given six months in jail for their first offense. As for their second, they were to be taken to one of His Majesty’s farms across the sea and stay there for seven years. The ban made it cool for Scottish romantics to wear kilts to protest.
The Act of 1782
The Highland Society of London worked hard to get rid of the Diskilting Act in 1782. At that time, kilts and tartans were not common Highland clothes. This made room for new ideas about what Highland dress meant. In this way, a new Highlander character was born. They went from being dangerous, bare-legged barbarians to admirable, kilted forms of the “noble savage.”