The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-29
ORIGIN OF The COCKADE.
Once II Was Intended as n Fighting
Badge.

From the Philadelphia Record
One is frequently asked Why do some
families use cockades upon the hats of
their coachmen and footmen? The use and
abuse have grown so common In England
that some one has taken the time and
trouble to look The matter up and has
published in a weekly newspaper an inter.
estlng article describing the various forms
Of this ornament
THE Handbook Of Heraldry'' laws down
the law most emphatIcally as to who may
or may not use this badge of distinction.
The privilege is confined TO the Servants
of officers of her majestys service or those
VINO by courtesy may be regarded as such
the theory being that the servant Is a priv
ate soldier, who, when not wearing his
uniform, retains this badge as a mark of
his profession. The servants of doctors
or others, in fact, any others. except serv-
ant OF army or navy officers, have no
right 10 use cockade.
In England its legitimate use Is confined
IN addition TO those already named, 10
the servants of officers i'm the militia. vol
unteers, or lieutenants and deputy lieu
tenants of counties, and high sheriffs.
during their term Of Office. Even baro-
nets have no right TO use the cockade I'M
less they have q military or naval rank.
According to this. no American unless
connected with army, navay or diplomatic
corps should use the cockade even to be
smart in it's English sense Of stylish.
The cockade bears lbs origin in its name
II Is no older than the cockade hat. being.
| indeed, the rosette or brooch wherewith
the hat was cooked" It's practical util-
ity for this purpose of holding up the Zap
Of the hat has long ago expired, but the
/ Faar fs.s4 -.
nbficant survival. The ornament is said to
have originated az a fighting badge with
the house of Hanover, with whom il came
10 England. The earlier forms seem to
have been made of metal
AS regards the famous white cockade
of the Jacobites, the pretty fancy that IL
was representative of the Stewart white
rose has been called in question by Fox
Davies IN his "Armorial Families" He
bs inclined TO believe that it was assumed
in contradistinction 20 the black badge of
the Hanovians AS an alternative theory.
however, he suggests that the white cock
AIDE may have been adopted in Scotland
from the similar badge Of France, owing
to the Intimacy of these two countries.
He even goes 50 far as 10 doubt that the
white cockade had much existence out of
| song and romance. The same writer's
! Statement that the white cockade was
first mounted by "the English" at the bat
tie of Sherrifmuir, where "the Scots" wore
blue favor in their bonnets, must be
taken with caution from an authority
whose notion Of the parties engaged is so
hazy.
Parti-colored cockades are stnl worn on
the European continent. and are even sup
Piled to continental persons of quality by
London manufacturers. The black cock
ade is the invariable rule for English fans
! lily equipages. Germany claims the black
and white: France. the tricolor: Spain,
red: Belgium, black. yellow and red; the
Netherlands. orange; austria. black and
yellow. The eoachman of an ambassador.
of course wears the colors Of the country
which his master represents.