A fuller understanding is afforded of the character of this "parell," as also of the early adoption of its name by references to it given in 1415:
"At those days the yoemen had their lymmes at lybertie, and their jackes were longe and easy to shote in."[13]
The sailors of the "Cinque Ports" of Hastings, Sandwich, Hythe, Romney and Dover, on the east of England, to which Winchelsea and Rye were subsequently added, and by whose municipalities, in consideration of certain privileges granted them, the royal navies were in early days principally manned, are recorded to have worn as their uniform, in 1513, "a cote of whyte cotyn, with a red crosse and the armes of ye Ports underneathe."
In the time of Queen Mary the continuation of the custom is further evidenced by entries in a contemporary diary of 1588:
"... The x day of January hevy news came to London that the French had won Cales (Calais), the whyche was the hevest tydings to England that ever was herd of.
"The xj day of January the Cete of London took up a thousand men and made them whytt cotes and red crosses and every ward of London found men.
"The xviij day of May there was sent to the shyppes men in whytt cotes and red crosses, and gones to the Queen's shyppes."[14]
These "surcoats" or "Jacques" came in time to be known as the "Jacks" of the various nationalities they represented, and it was from the raising of one of these upon a lance or staff at the bow of a ship, in order that the nationality of those on board might be made known, that a single flag bearing on it only the cross of St. George, or the cross of St. Andrew, came to be known as a "Jack." From this origin, too, the small flag-pole at the bow of a ship is still called the "Jack-staff," and similarly the short flag-pole at the stern of vessels, upon which the distinguishing Ensign of the nationality of the ship is displayed, is called the "Ensign-staff."
This custom of wearing the national Jack at the bow had not only been early established by usage, but had also been officially recognized. On the great seal of the first Lord Admiral of England, in 1409, under Henry IV., a one-masted galley is shown.[15] At the stern of the ship is the Royal Standard of the King, and at the bow a staff bearing on it the square banner or Jack of St. George, the sign of England.