Non-Blond, er, Non-White Cockades?

[freep]

Yes, yes, white cockades were worn by Jacobites.

But. I would suspect other colored cockades were worn also. I wonder what those might have meant. Did various Clans wear cockades? Were alliances denoted by cockades? Religions affiliations?

Or were cockades worn because a lad decided he needed a bit of color on his hat and was partial to puce?

[Tarheel]

Thanks to Lady Grey for pointing out that (with her special balmoral and friend) that invited guests can wear any color cockade they want, if it makes them happy. I don't organize safari for the "Elephant in the room".

[Jock Scot]

As uniforms were hardly standard issue in days past, particularly for Highlanders, the colour of your cockade, or your plant badge was a matter of life or death in battle and getting nobbled by your own side in the heat of battle would be very upsetting to say the very least! Even with modern armies with all that electronic wizardry buzzing away, they still manage to get "blue on blue" incidents.

[freep]

So then it would be fitting for my broad bonnet to have a bit of say, red grosgrain wadded up under my Juniper for Gunn?
Or should I find myself in a fit of contrariness maybe even some dark red AND blue?

Is there any historical precedence for cockades beyond Jacobites in original sources?

[Dughlas mor]

Search "cockade," then look for threads with the term "Livery Cockade." You should find some nice examples.

[Pleater]

There is a song

My love he has enlisted, he wears a green cockade.
He is a lively young man, likewise a roving blade.

I have read that the green cockade was issued to troops recruited for service in Ireland.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[freep]

As uniforms were hardly standard issue in days past, particularly for Highlanders, the colour of your cockade, or your plant badge was a matter of life or death in battle and getting nobbled by your own side in the heat of battle would be very upsetting to say the very least! Even with modern armies with all that electronic wizardry buzzing away, they still manage to get "blue on blue" incidents.

Not to say that cockades and plant badges weren't used but 'pon consideration a cap emblem either colored or plant seems to me to be a slender branch upon which to hang identification in battle. Aside from the obvious problem with losing the cap, there's the issue of said cap being faced away from the attacker. I would suspect that the age-honored practice of a scrap of colored cloth tied 'round the arm or elsewhere was used as an adjunct to cap displays if not the main form of identification.

But, all that aside, and to focus my query, are there cockade colors that are specific to clans, in my case, Gunn or Cunningham?

[Jock Scot]

Slender identification indeed, but it certainly saved one man's life. There is an account, written at the time I believe, of a wounded Highlander lying upon the field of Culloden immediately after the battle who was about to be bayoneted by the redcoats(not the British Army"s finest hour), who told the soldiers that he was a Campbell and was on their side-----there was indeed a unit of Campbell men on the Government side at the battle. The soldiers asked where his bonnet was and whether by quick thinking or in fact , the Highlander said he had lost it in the battle, however and whatever, it saved his life. The plant badge and/or the colour of ones cockade was the way opposing units with no regular uniform identified themselves in the Highlands.

Generally the colours of the cockade were the livery colours of your Clan Chief. Although at a battle like Culloden where both sides had members of the various Clans on fighting on opposing sides, things must have been a bit tricky. Hence the white cockade, which seems to have got around that problem i suppose

[figheadair]

I think we need to separate cockades and plate badges; there's evidence of the former being used, none, so far as I'm aware, for the latter. Think about the practicalities of using plant badges as a form of identification in battle. Apart from the problem of losing one's bonnet, there's the difficulty of identification and of course the minor difficulty that many of the alleged badges are tiny plants or are deciduous. As an attribute of Highland Dress I suspect that plant badges were a Highland Revival invention.

[freep]

<snip>

Generally the colours of the cockade were the livery colours of your Clan Chief. Although at a battle like Culloden where both sides had members of the various Clans on fighting on opposing sides, things must have been a bit tricky. Hence the white cockade, which seems to have got around that problem i suppose

Ah! That's exactly what I was looking for, thank you.