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Introduction
How liveries were displayed on standards, flags and livery coats during the Wars of the Roses is a thorny subject.
It can be hard to convert the available information into plausible (this is important - see below) livery flags and coats. Single colour liveries are easy but multi-colour liveries can be very confusing.
To help me remember how to do this I created this graphic as an aide memoire:
This illustrates how to convert a written livery or the colours of a standard (which are the most common & readily available sources) into a livery flag and a livery coat.
Convert colours to flags and coats
The conversion process is not based on detailed historical evidence as there's not a lot in existence. It is however based on what is available but be aware that any conversion starts as conjecture unless confirmed by further research.
The rules used are:
- The colours are always written in the order dexter (right) & sinister (left) in line with heraldic practice.
- Standards are per fess (split horizontally) with the dexter colour on top.
- Livery flags are per pale (split vertically) with the dexter colour at the hoist (centre) such that the two sides are mirror images of one another.
- Livery coats are split vertically in half with the dexter colour always on the right side of the wearer (the left as you look at the front of the wearer).
Closing remarks
For me the switching between horizontal and vertical splits starts the confusion. It is then compound by the mirroring of the livery flags and finally by the halving (not quartering) of the livery coats.
I hope this helps you? I know it will help me.
