BANNERET, a noble with the right to lead his vassals under his own banner. Ultimately bannerets obtained a place between barons and knights bachelor, which has given rise to the idea that they are the origin of King James I.'s order of baronets. Selden, indeed, points out that "the old stories" often have baronetti for bannereti, but he is careful to say that banneret "hath no relation to this later title." The title of knight banneret, with the right to display the private banner, came to be granted for distinguished service in the field.
"No knight banneret," says Selden, of the English custom, "can be created but in the field, and that, when either the king is present, or at least his royal standard is displayed. But the creation is almost the self-same with that in the old French cere monies by the solemn delivery of a banner charged with the arms of him that is to be created, and the cutting of the end of the pennon or streamer to make it a square or into the shape of a banner in case that he which is to be created had in the field his arms on a streamer before the creation." The creation of ban nerets is traceable, according to Selden, to the time of Edward I. BIBLIOGRAPHY.--See Selden, Titles of Honour (3rd ed., London, 1672), p. 656; Du Cange, Glossarium (Niort, 2883), s.v. "Bannereti."