Cap

Cap

Cap: the principal caps in use as charges, parts of crests, or accessories to coats of arms, are the following:

The Lord Mayor's cap usually placed over the insignia of the city of London, or arms of a lord mayor, is thus represented. It is worn by the sword-bearer, and is of brown fur.

The caps borne by MAUNDEFELD are of a peculiar form, similar to that of the 'Doge's' cap. Those borne by DROKENSFORD, and called pilia pastoralia(if caps at all), were possibly similar.

Quarterly, azure and or four caps counterchanged--DROKENSFORD.

The family of CAPPER bear caps, like the figure annexed.

Argent, three caps sable bended or--CAPPER, Cheshire.

A Cardinal's cap or hat is always red, and has tassels pendent from its labels in five rows, instituted by Innocent IV., at the Council of Lyons, 1245. The continental archbishops and bishops(especially those of France) bear green hats of the same form over their mitres, the former with five rows of tassels, and the latter with four. A black caps of the same shape, with three rows of tassels, belongs to abbats. Prothonotaries use a similar hat with two rows of tassels. A black hat or cap, with one tassel on each side, belongs to all other clergymen.

Cap of Dignity or maintenance, called also Chapeau, is a cap generally of red velvet turned up with ermine, formerly peculiar to dukes(whence it is sometimes called a duciper), but now often used to place crests upon instead of a wreath.

Argent, three chapeaus sable(or cap of maintenance)--HALWORTH.

The cap of maintenance occurs as a charge in the insignia of the city of GLOUCESTER, and on the seals of Towns of WALLINGFORD and STAINES.

The term chapeau, however, is variously used for a cap or hat of any kind. In the arms of COPE it is probably a cap of maintenance; it that of KINGESTON it is probably a hat of some kind.

Quarterly ermine and azure, a chapeau gules turned up of the first between two greyhounds courant in pale or--COPE, Osbaston, Leicester.

Argent, a chapeau azure[elsewhere a steel cap proper], with a plume of ostrich feathers in front gules--John KINGESTON, 1390.

The doctor's cap in the arms of SUGAR refers probably to the University degree.

Sable, three sugar-loaves argent, in chief a doctor's cap proper--SUGAR, Somerset.

The long Cap, of a peculiar shape, which occurs in the crests of WALPOLE and BRYDGES, is shewn in the margin, and a cap somewhat similar is termed an Albanian bonnet, probably that worn by the peasantry.

Azure, trois bonnets Albanois d'or--VAUX, France.

The Abacot, a mere corruption of bycocket, is said in Spelman's Glossary to have been given to a cap worn by ancient kings of England, and is so copied into heraldic books.

The Infula is used in one case in the sense of a cap.

Argent, an infula embowed at the end gules, turned up in form of a hat, and engrailed with a button and tassel at the top or--BRUNT.

Caps of Steel: of these there are various kinds, and they cannot properly be included under the term helmet. The first in the Basinet(fr.), or Basnet, properly a plain circular helmet resembling a basin, though sometimes they are drawn(improperly) like squires' helmets. The Burgonet is a steel cap, worn chiefly by foot-soldiers, and of the shape shewn in the margin.

There is also the Morion(fr. chapeau de fer), which was worn by foot-soldiers, and is usually of the plain shape annexed, but it may be ornamented. In many ancient examples the points of these morions are turned to the dexter.

A somewhat different morion is given on the crest of CECIL, Marquis of Salisbury.

Argent, a chevron gules between three basnets proper--BASNET.

Argent, a fesse azure between three burgonettes[elsewhere morions] of the second garnished and nailed or--EVINGTON, Enfield, 1614.

Argent, a chevron gules between three morions proper--BRUDENEL, Earl of Cardigan.

Caps(fr. chaperons) are also used for Falcons, q.v.