The earliest historical reference to the Cornish kilt is is from 1903 when the Cornish delegate to the Celtic Congress, convening at Caernarvon, L Duncome Jewell appeared in a in a wode blue kilt. 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., this may be similar to the saffron kilt worn by Irish regiments - as a result of the higland dress craze of the early 19th century.

(A black Cornish Kilt worn by the creator of this website in 2007, and EE Morton Nance designer of the Cornish National Tartan)

First creasted in 1963, the Cornish National tartan was designed by the poet E.E. Morton Nance. Each colour of tartan has a special significance or meaning. The White Cross on a black background is from the Cornish flag , the Patron Saint of tinners; Black and gold were the colours of the ancient Cornish Kings red for legs and beak of the national bird, the chough, and blue for the blue of the sea surrounding Cornwall. . A prototype of the Cornish national tartan was first worn by Morton-Nance in the 1963 Celtic held at Carbis bay attached to a Clan Douglas kilt that he was wearing for the occasion. The Cornish Hunting Tartan was registered in the 1980's

The following Cornish tartans have been registered or have been previously registered. Some of theses are Cornish family tartans which are worn at family get togethers and weddings.

• Cornish National Tartan (registry #1567)
• Cornish Hunting Tartan (registry #1568)
• St Piran Cornish Flag Tartan (registry #1618)
• St Piran Cornish Dress Tartan (registry #1685)
• Cornish National Day (registry #1262)
• Christopher family Tartan (registry #2809)
• Rosevear Tartan (registry #2541)
• Curnow of Kernow Tartan (registry #4084)

(Cornish National , Cornish Hunting and Cornish National Day Tartans )

(St Piran Dress Tartan, Rosevear Family Tartan, St Piran Flag Tartan)

Types of Cornish Kilt - From the descriptions above there are several types of Cornish Kilt in popular use.

1. The black plain Cornish kilt
2. The various National tartan kilts
3. Increasingly modern family tartan kilts