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Virgil Finlay - The Plaid. “Weird Tales”, Vol. 44, #5, 1952.

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HISTORICAL OUTLANDER: So how was the former Jacobite Jamie Fraser able to openly wear his kilt in North Carolina given the Act of Proscription of 1747?

I admit to having been confused for a while during Outlander Episode 5x01, when Jamie Fraser, resplendent in his plaid, called on settlers of the back country to stand by his side in the militia he was assembling.

After all, the Act of Proscription of 1747 banned the wearing of the plaid by Scottish men or boys:

"no man or boy, within that part of Great Britain called Scotland, other than shall be employed as officers and soldiers in his Majesty's forces, shall on any pretence whatsoever, wear or put on the clothes commonly called Highland Clothes (that is to say) the plaid, philibeg, or little kilt, trowse, shoulder belts, or any part whatsoever of what peculiarly belongs to the highland garb; and that no tartan, or party-coloured plaid or stuff shall be used for great coats, or for upper coats . . . ." [emphasis added]

It also banned the possession of weapons by anyone in the Highlands and was a renewal (with greater penalties) of the Disarming Act of 1716 which stated:

“...it should not be lawful for any person or persons ... to have in his or their custody... broad sword or target, poignard, whinger, or durk, side pistol, gun, or other warlike weapon.”

Given that the Act of Proscription was in effect until 1782, I found myself being confused that Jamie wasn’t arrested as he walked out in front of the assembled crowd wearing the plaid. After all, the Redcoats were there and they had to know the plaid was banned.

And Lord John Grey, the former governor of Ardsmuir Prison was there, and he knew that his former prisoners could face dire consequences if they wore the plaid.

But no one spoke up against Jamie’s wearing his kilt. In fact everyone (including the Redcoats and Lord John) looked in awe of Jamie Fraser as he spoke.

So what was going on?

Well, it turns out, according to Robbie MacNiven in After Culloden: from rebels to Redcoats:

“Highlanders who took the King’s shilling and donned the red coat could again carry their swords and muskets and wear the plaid and bonnet, recapturing the essence of their warlike traditions.”

So, once Jamie took his commission from Governor Tryon, he was able to wear the plaid and to carry arms legally.

Being a warrior was important to many Highlanders and so it isn’t surprising that many chose to wear the red coat to continue that way of life (and to feed themselves and their families after the decimation of the Highlands after Culloden). In fact it turns out that the real life Simon Fraser (son of Lord Lovat and Jamie’s half-uncle in the Outlander universe) is a well known example of a Jacobite who survived the battle of Culloden but who later fought for the Crown.

According to Robbie MacNiven:

“When the British government authorised a recruitment drive amongst the clans that had once defied it, Simon Fraser was the first to answer the call. Disaffected, destitute Highlander youths rallied to their clansman’s banner – 800 in all. These men were quickly organised into the 78th Highland Regiment, also known as Fraser’s Highlanders.

“Simon Fraser and his regiment, along with its twin, the 77th or Montgomery’s Highlanders, served at the forefront of the war in America, and were present at James Wolfe’s defining victory on the Plains of Abraham in 1759.

“Nor did their service end with Britain’s triumph. When war again flared in the colonies in 1775, the regiment was reinstated, and went on to serve again with distinction. By this point, Fraser had gone full circle, from rebel to government soldier serving to suppress rebels.”

In many ways, the real Simon Fraser was in a similar position (a former Jacobite rebel attempting to “suppress” American rebels) to the one we find Jamie in at the beginning of Season 5.

However, for Jamie, the conflict of wearing the red coat is far greater than it was for his half-uncle. We shall see how that conflict unfolds as Season 5 continues.

Posted 02.24.20 at 12:22 pm EST; updated 02.24.20 at 10:25 pm EST

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Jamie in kilt photo source (before edits); Scottish Redcoat warrior illustration source; gifs made directly from Starz Outlander episode 5x01

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