E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Cockade.
The men-servants of the military wear a small black cockade on their hat, the Hanoverian badge. The Stuart cockade was white. At the battle of Sherra-Muir, in the reign of George I., the English soldiers wore a black rosette in their hats. In the song of Sherra-Muir the English soldiers are called “the red-coat lads wi’ black cockades.” (French, cocarde; German, kokarde.)
1
In the British Army and Navy the cockade, since the Hanoverian accession, has been black.
2
AUSTRIAN cockade is black and yellow. All sentry boxes and boundary posts are so painted. Ein schwarz-gelber was the nickname of an Austrian Imperialist in 1848.
3
BAVARIA, light blue and white are the royal colours.
4
BELGIUM, black, yellow, and red.
5
FRANCE (regal), the royal colour was white.
6
HANOVER, the cockade was black. Black enters into all the German cockades.
7
PRUSSIA, black and white are the royal colours.
8
RUSSIA, green and white are the royal colours.
9
To mount the cockade. To become a soldier. From time immemorial the partisans of different leaders have adopted some emblem to show their party; in 1767 an authoritative regulation determined that every French soldier should wear a white cockade, and in 1782 the badge was restricted to the military. The phrase given above is common both to England and France.
