Trying to Start a Scottish Highlander/Jacobite Reenacting Unit in North Carolina

[Tacksman45]

Greetings to everyone here on the Muzzleloader Forum! I am writing to see if there if there is any interest in starting a Scottish Highlander living history group based in North Carolina focusing on the era of the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion. Myself and a few others have talked about forming a group here in southeastern NC and I am just looking around to see if there is anyone else around this area who may be interested. This group will, among other things, focus on the martial, social, and cultural aspects of Scottish Highland culture through the lens of the events leading up to and during the final Jacobite Uprising in 1745. The purpose of this group will be to research, and spread awareness of Scottish and Scots-Irish American history. In this group we will seek to progressively improve our historical accuracy, while at the same time having fun!
If anyone is interested, curious, or has any questions feel free to pm me. And for the record, men will not have to wear a kilt, there is plenty of documentation of highlanders wearing pants or "trews" as well as kilts. And we will of course welcome any ladies who would like to get involved!

Thanks for looking!

Sincerely,
Tacksman45

 

[Auldjin]

You are certainly opening a can of worms with highland dress, you may need to get some ground rules down about the appropriate kilt, modern ones certainly won't suit purists.

I know it is rather futile speculating about history (Quora?), but I do wonder if it might have been better for Scotland if the government troops had nipped the coup in the bud. I don't look back at the reigns of Charles I and James VII (II) and think we could have done with more of the same, although I have read that the Old Pretender might not have been as bad as his father and grandfather.

I'm surprised Mel Gibson has not re-interpreted this period of history in his usual imaginative way.

Good luck with your project!

 

[Tacksman45]

You are certainly opening a can of worms with highland dress, you may need to get some ground rules down about the appropriate kilt, modern ones certainly won't suit purists.

I know it is rather futile speculating about history (Quora?), but I do wonder if it might have been better for Scotland if the government troops had nipped the coup in the bud. I don't look back at the reigns of Charles I and James VII (II) and think we could have done with more of the same, although I have read that the Old Pretender might not have been as bad as his father and grandfather.

I'm surprised Mel Gibson has not re-interpreted this period of history in his usual imaginative way.

Good luck with your project!

Auldjin,

Thanks for your reply, always happy to hear from Scottish folks! We fully intend to draft rules and guidelines about kit and "uniforms" such as no modern dress or sport kilts, no "clan tartans," ect. We will also require weapons, kit, ect. to be approved before turning out at events.

Always interesting to look back and "what if" about history, I do not personally agree with it but I feel like there is some truth to the statement by Edward Gibbon that "History is indeed little more than the register of the crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind." One thing I personally intend to do is try to be more objective and not try to defend or vindicate one side or the other. To me it is more important to help dispel the misconceptions about Scottish culture which has been distorted by mythology, caricaturization, and popular culture. I always enjoy being at an event and having someone ask me if we are from "Braveheart's" time period. I like to respond by saying "Well actually we are 400 years after William Wallace, one of the the main differences between us and William Wallace's time period is (pick up musket or escopeta,) we have guns! I also like your description of Braveheart, ect. as "imaginative" I like making the analogy that if The Patriot (whole other can of worms) was as inaccurate as Braveheart, Gibson's men would have been wearing modern camo fatigues, and have on Native American war paint. However with that being said I do appreciate these films for what they are, since they are a big part of what got me interested in history.

 

[Auldjin]

A little late for the Jacobites (1759) but the right style.

 

[Tacksman45]

Very Nice!

 

[Artificer]

A little late for the Jacobites (1759) but the right style.View attachment 57854

Is that an "all Iron and Steel" Pistol?

Gus

 

[Auldjin]

All steel - made for the 2nd Battalion the Royal Highland Regiment which was raised in 1759 specifically for service in North America.