[jason taylor]

Blackwatch the Great

Alternate name for the Principality of Caledonia. According to legend the British Black Watch infantry was adopted into the Terran Marines and grew into a division. Along the Main Line of Advance it formed towns at every depot formed when a new base was secured. It was surrounded by civilians as fleet followers joined them both from the previous depot, and from local natives, and by merchants selling to the fleet. Many of whom were culturally assimilated. Each town was named "Blackwatch" with a designation of "second", "third" etc (much like Alexander naming a series of Alexandrias). finally ending up at the border of the Second Imperium named Blackwatch the Last. History is vague and contradictory at this point, arguably more tale than history. But it seems that for some reason or other a group of clans attached to the last Marine town, migrated to Caledon for some reason. The new colony was named Blackwatch the Great. Each clan settled on it's own territory and lived in a decentralized state (with no more than a nominal paramount chief who sometimes was overthrown of even his meager authority). Finally the Clans became united and the Principality formed under the name of "Caledonia".

The effect of this is still remembered. The national tartan is that of the original regiment. The Prince's Own in alternative to their individual regimental garb often wear ceremonial dress copied from a romanticized version of the ancient Black Watch when it served the Hanover dynasty. And of course nobility and chieftains claim to trace their ancestry to the original marine division, or even the original regiment on Terra.