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Flags at half mast

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Origin of the Term "Half Mast" or "Half Staff"

When, where and why did the origin of placing the flag at half-mast come from?

When: First(?) recorded instance July 1612.
Where: In what is now Canada.
Why: Not definitely known.

If you consider the phrase used, and the practicalities of hoisting flags, it is likely to be of naval origin and probably not earlier than the 14th Century.

Although flag pole is a common phrase no one flies a flag at half-pole. In British English it is, I think without exception, half-mast, and in American English, although Webster lists half-staff, half-mast is the main entry. So, since a mast is on a ship it's of nautical origin.

Also, you can't easily half-mast a flag unless you have a fairly tall 'pole', and a halyard. I think that it's not unreasonable to assume that most land flags of the Middle Ages were carried around on hand-held staffs, and that most flags flown from the tops of buildings were probably the same staffs inserted into sockets. Flags on staffs are usually tied on, tacked on, or have a sleeve at the hoist into which the staff is inserted. Not easy to half-mast.

It's probable that at this time, tall poles with a suitable hoisting mechanism were found only on ships, and that ships with masts of this size did not become common until around the 1300's.

Some earlier accounts of half-masting, refer not only to the flags but also to the sails. In a book entitled "Naval Customs" written by Lt. Cdr. Leland P. Lovette USN and published by USN Institute in 1934:

"The half-masting of colors is in reality a survival of the days when a slovenly appearance (untidy, careless) characterized mourning. Even in the British Merchant Service today there are recent cases of trailing rope ends, 'slacking off' of rigging, and scandalizing yards as a sign of mourning."

He goes on to describe the last occasion on which Royal Navy ships 'cock-billed' their yards whilst lying off Lisbon after the murder of Don Carlos King of Portugal in 1908. When possible, it seems that the sails were deliberately set badly, not fully hoisted, yards scandalized or askew, "cock-billed as a sign of mourning". The idea was that an untidy, slovenly, careless appearance where one would normally expect to see everything 'ship-shape', indicated mourning. This concept goes back a long way. I seem to remember passages in the Bible that refer to people tearing their clothes and rubbing ashes into their hair when in mourning.

It has just occurred to me that a ship that had been in battle would have an disheveled appearance, so perhaps there was also the idea of simulating the aftermath of a battle with