Livery Cockade and Rosette

[Harold Cannon]

Two more for you.

[tulloch]

Nice stuff! I love all the ideas I get here on xmarks. Thank you.

[longhuntr74]

What is a Livery Cockade/Rosette...I mean I know what a rosette is...you find them on kilts (mostly military, but not exclusively), Scottish bonnets, 18th century hats (cocked hats, etc). But what's the livery part of it? What are these for? Who would wear them?

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

What is a Livery Cockade/Rosette...I mean I know what a rosette is...you find them on kilts (mostly military, but not exclusively), Scottish bonnets, 18th century hats (cocked hats, etc). But what's the livery part of it? What are these for? Who would wear them?

The chief of each clan has, as part of his coat of arms, what are known as "livery colours". These colours, which are composed of the first named metal (gold or silver) and the first named "colour" (red, blue, black, green, etc.) in the blazon of the chief's coat of arms, are his livery colours and they are often worn as a cockade in the bonnet of his clansmen. Armigers follow the same rule and their livery colours would also be used as cockades in their bonnets, as well as the bonnets of any of their adherents.

Livery colours are most often depicted in a coat of arms on top of the helmet as the twisted ribbon (usually called a wreath or torse) immediately below the crest.

Using the arms of the Chief of Clan MacMillan, the blazon reads: Or, a lion rampant Sable, in chief three mullets Azure. The first mentioned metal is "Or" (heraldic gold) and the first named colour is "Sable" (heraldic black); following the conventions of heraldry the livery colours are gold and black, and it is not uncommon for clanfolk to adopt these colours to show membership in Clan MacMillan.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Two more for you.

Harold-- this is ACE! Could I persuade you to post a photo of this with your MacMillan clan badge on it?

[Harold Cannon]

MoR,

Of course I will. I just put the one cockade on a bonnet but I will work on another one for the picture.

[Joe Gondek]

"Livery" refers to the nightly ration of bread, wine, and candles that would be portioned out to the family, guests, and servants of a household.

I assume if you got your ration from a Laird on a regular basis you wore his livey colors showing that relationship

[Joe Gondek]

"Livery" refers to the nightly ration of bread, wine, and candles that would be portioned out to the family, guests, and servants of a household.

if you got your ration from a Laird on a regular basis, or lived on his land, you wore his livery colors showing your allegiance to him