Knights Bannerets

Knights Bannerets the ceremony of their creation is thus. The King, or his general, at the head of his army, drawin up in order of battle after a victory, under the royal standard display’d, attended by all the officers and the nobility of the court, receives the knight, led by two knights of note or other men renowned in arms, carrying his pennon or guidon of arms in his hand; being preceeded by the heralds, who proclaim his valiant achievements, for which he has merited to be made a knight banneret, and to display his banner in the field; then the King or the General says, Advances toy Banneret, and causes the point of his pennon to be rent off, and the new knight is sent back to his tent, the trumpets sounding before him and the nobility and officers attending him, where they are nobly entertained. This order is certainly most honourable, because never conferr’d but upon the performance of some heroick action in the field; whereas all other orders are bestow’d by favour, or other meaner motives. But there have been none of these knights made for many years past.

Definition taken from The Universal Etymological English Dictionary, edited by Nathan Bailey (1736)

Knight * Knights Baronets