Plaid hose

Spent part of Tuesday in Richmond in the Virginia Historical Society, which is a fantastic place and very good to go back there as it was one of the first places I visited at the start of the trip which was only a few weeks ago, but seems like much longer. Loads more to be found there - including the account book of William Dabney - who ran his business next to Page's or Hanover Town. There is a Dabney's Mill just over the river from there.
Robert Donald had a huge account with him - the first entry I noticed from him was for two beavers - which was obviously not the real life thing - but I presume beaver skin hats. Then found pages and pages of what Robert Donald was buying in the 1750s in America to make his stay in the colonies more comfortable - loads of silk hankies, nutmeg, ink powder, buttons of all descriptions, yards and yards of cloth - and in 1753 what any Scot abroad should not be seen without, some plaid hose. From a quick google, I see that George Washington, visitor to Robert Donald's house at this exactly time, that he ordered plaid hose in 1765. Can we claim responsibility for that? Actually, disappointingly, I see that plaid hose, despite their name, may not have been patterned.
However, here is the portrait of Robert Donald again - obviously quite a dandy - and this is backed up by all his shopping requirements.

You can see why he needed to order buttons all the time.
When Robert left America in 1758 with Dinwiddie and his family, he went back to Glasgow and threw himself into local affairs - rising to Provost of Glasgow. Here are some Victorian reports on Robert Donald:
“Robert Donald of Mountblow was Lord Provost in the disastrous years of 1776 and 1777, when the revolt of the American colonies brought so much misery and ruin on the trade of Glasgow. By the promptitude and forethought of the worthy Provost and his associates in office, much was done to alleviate the general distress. He was unwearied in his endeavours at the time times to procure some mitigation of the crisis, the pressure of which was greatly intensified by the restrictions of the Corn Laws.”
However, the Victorians also made the point that it wasn't all work, work, work - there was time for the jolly fellows to head out for some punch etc:

“Glasgow, 26 January, 1778 - A procession was made by the magistrates, in their formalities, with the city colours, drums, fifes and pipes – young gentlemen of the city acting as drummers, fifers etc, followed by the town clerks, the council, and the deacons of the trades and closed with the Cap Club – their sovereign in his regalia on his head. The company dined at the Saracen Head [an inn in the city’s Gallowgate]; and in the evening (after a good libation of punch) made a second procession with flambeaux, bonfires, illuminations and ringing of bells etc. What a set of jolly fellows in those days our magistrates and other officials have been – their names ought to be handed down to posterity. Here they are: Provost Robert Donald….etc”

As we now know, it wasn't to end well for Robert. His debtors all met in a vintners in Glasgow in 1787 to discuss the fact that Robert was bankrupt. However, they very kindly made sure that he wasn't left out in the cold - and he was given a job overseeing the dredging of the Clyde. 

History does not relate what happened to his beaver hats. They would have cut a dash in Glasgow.