Cornish kilts and tartans

Cornish kilts and tartans are thought to be a modern tradition started in the early to mid 20th century. The first modern kilt was plain black, and other patterns followed. It is documented that a garment known as a bracca (a reddish checkered tunic) was worn by Celtic people who inhabited the British Isles, the term indicating its appearance.[1] The Welsh word brech means 'checkered' (compare the cognate Scottish Gaelic breac, 'variegated, freckled'), and the word bracca is derived from the Welsh or Cornish word brythen which in English translates as 'striped' or 'checkered'.[2]

Cornwall's national tartan

Cornish historian L. C. R. Duncombe-Jewell attempted to prove that plain kilts were in use in Cornwall. He discovered carvings of minstrels dressed in what he interpreted as kilts and playing bagpipes on bench ends at Altarnun church, which dated from circa 1510.[3][4] The earliest historical reference to the Cornish kilt is from 1903, when the aforementioned Duncombe-Jewell appeared in a woad-blue kilt as the Cornish delegate to the Celtic Congress, convening at Caernarvon. John T. Koch in his work Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia mentions a black kilt worn by the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in combat; however, no historical reference is provided to support this claim.

National tartans
Cornish tartan shop in St Austell

First created in 1963, the Cornish National tartan was designed by the poet E. E. Morton Nance, nephew of Robert Morton Nance. Each colour of tartan has a special significance or meaning. The white cross on a black background is from the banner of Saint Piran, the patron saint of tinners, which is also used as the flag of Cornwall;[5] Black and gold were the colours of the ancient Kings of Dumnonia; red for legs and beak of the national bird, the Cornish chough, and blue for the blue of the sea surrounding Cornwall.[6] A prototype of the Cornish national tartan was first worn by Morton-Nance in the 1963 Celtic Congress held at Carbis Bay attached to a Clan Douglas kilt that he was wearing for the occasion. The Cornish Hunting Tartan was registered in 1984.[7]

The following Cornish tartans have been registered with the Scottish Tartans Authority (reference numbers shown below), and thus are also included in the newer database of the Scottish Register of Tartans.

National tartans
Image Name Notes
Cornish National tartan STA no. 1567[8]
Cornish Hunting tartan STA no. 1568[8]
Cornish Flag tartan STA no. 1618[8]
St Piran's Dress tartan STA no. 1685[8]
Cornish National Day tartan STA no. 1262[8]

Family tartans

Several tartans for Cornish families have been created and registered in modern times, e.g. for family get-togethers and weddings. Most of the following have been registered with the Scottish Tartans Authority or with Scottish Tartans World Register (reference numbers shown below, where applicable), and thus are also included in the newer database of the Scottish Register of Tartans.

Cornish family tartans
Image Family Notes
Christopher STA no. 2809[8]
Curnow STA no. 4084[8]
Jewell STA no. 7478[8]
Pascoe
Pengelly STWR no. 3145[9]
Rosevear STA no. 2541[8]
Southcott

References
  1. James, Logan (1976) [1876]. The Scottish Gael or Celtic Manners. John Donald Publishers. pp. 249–250. ISBN 0-85976-021-9.
  2. "History of the Kilt". Caffrey.no. Self-published. Archived from the original on 13 September 2008. Retrieved 27 July 2008.
  3. Marcus, Tanner (2006). The Last of the Celts. Yale University Press. p. 241. ISBN 0-300-11535-0.
  4. "Sackpfeifen selbstgemacht". Sackpfeifen.de (in German).
  5. "Tartan Details – Kernbrownek (Personal)". TartanRegister.gov.uk. The Scottish Register of Tartans. 16 April 2010. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
  6. "Cornish Tartan" from the tartan database of Kilts.com.
  7. "Tartan Details - Cornish Hunting". TartanRegister.gov.uk. The Scottish Register of Tartans. 16 April 2010. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  8. These tartans were checked in the Scottish Tartans Authority online database.
  9. "Tartan Details – the Scottish Register of Tartans". Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
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