Introduction:
Each month a family, military or similar type patterns is shown and it's history described.
Sometimes a number of variations bearing the same name are considered together. The aim of this page is to introduce people to a wider range of historical designs. Many of these are extremely beautiful and unique but regrettably have disappeared from public use at some time in the past. The reason was often as simple as that there was a newer design available bearing the same name. It is only by being aware of these older and rarer designs that people can help to keep them alive. If one of these designs takes your fancy why not order some and use it. Help spread the word.
This Month's Tartan:
This is one of two Gallowater setts (alternatively spelt Galawater) that appeared in Wilsons' 1819 Key Pattern Book; the other, Old Gallowater, was probably obsolete by then having been recycled as Wellington following the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. The 1819 comment by Wilsons says 'Nothing can be learned with regards to this pattern. It is very ancient'. The technical details for both setts indicates that they were being woven as shawls at the end of the 18th century and a third setting appears in on of their Mss Bks date c1793. In development terms the 1793 sett is the Old Gallowater with the purple and black areas doubled in size and a red stripe centred on the latter. In the New Gallowater Wilsons added a fine white line between the green and purple blocks. This might have been nothing more than a bit of business acumen in order to sell something from the previous century as 'new' at a time when there was an insatiable thirst for all things tartan.
Updated 06/02/07