NavList:

I visited the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Portsmouth, England recently. In their collection they have a Frock Coat and Cocked hat that were owned by Admiral Sir Martin Nasmith. This cocked hat however was a bicorne rather than a tricorne that we usually, quite reasonably, associate with the term in navigation. While a cocked hat is any hat with a permanently turned up brim, it begs the question as to when and where the use of term first originated in a navigational context. Although the bicorne hat is only roughly triangular when seen side on if the term arose in the Royal Navy then it might be a reference the officers’ uniforms. Any insight to offer?

Robin Stuart