The Ensign/Colours

English Colours Each company in a civil war foot regiment had its own colour carried by an Ensign who was a junior officer within the company. The Colour was normally 6 1/2 foot square and made of silk and painted, usually, with a number of symbols to denote the company.

The most common system was that where the Colonels Colour was a plain coloured flag without any embellishment. The Lieutenant-Colonels was the same but with the addition of the St. George's cross in the canton with the Majors being the same with a 'pile wavy' emanating from the cross. The Captains Colours had the St. George's cross in the canton, with a number of devices on the field of the Colour to denoted the dignity of the Captains company. This is known as the Venn system after Thomas Venn who described it. A variation on this system was reasonably common, that of having the Major's Colour with 1 device, the 1st Captains with 2 devices, 2nd captains with 3 devices and so on.

Several Royalist regiments used a system made use of a system in which 2 colours alternated in triangular sections joining at the centre of the flag. Known regiments of this style include: the Duke of York's, Sir Allen Aspley's and Sir Charles Gerard's.

Cavalry units (horse and dragoons) usually carried standards or guidons that varied widely in design, many displaying the heraldic devices of their commanders, religious mottos, or political slogans. The standard of the "life guard" (mounted escort) of an army commander often doubled as his personal position color

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Scottish Colours

Most Scottish foot regiments employed a simple system for their colors. The Colonel's Company bore a white flag, often plain but sometimes adorned with national symbols and with his heraldic badge or crest. The companies of the Lieutenant-Colonel and the Major bore the saltire Cross of St. Andrew with a field in the color of the regiment, while the companies of the captains had the same flags with numerals or devices added to indicate seniority. A few regiments, however, used a system similar to that of the English armies, with the Cross of St. Andrew in the canton for all companies but that of the Colonel. Scottish foot colors were about six feet square and made of silk or taffeta. The saltire crosses were usually sewn on; other devices were usually painted. The motto, "Covenant for Religion, King and Kingdomes," began to appear in 1648 and in 1650 the Scottish Parliament ordered it to be placed on all foot colors.