Middletown transcript., 1886-09-16
THE HISTORY OF THE BRITISH
FLAG.

FLAG.
| We are all familiar with the white,
blue and red ensigns, and with the
Union Jack which occupies the upper
quarter nearest the flagstaff. The
white ensign has the red cross of st.
George in addition to the Union Jack.
Without the Jack this white ensign
with red cross represents our old
national flag as it existed from the
time of Richard I until the death Of
Elizabeth. This red.cross fag,. the
banner of st. George, appears to have
been chosen by the Soldier King in
honor Of the saint who was the pstron
of soldiers. It remained for moxs
than 400 years the flag under wbisa
the English warriors fought on land
and on sea. When James VI Of Scot
land succeeded Elizabeth the Scotch
had national flag. That also was
cross, butt was shaped differently
from that Of st. Georgs and was
known as the cross of St Andrew.
The ground of the Scotch fig was blue,
and its cross was white. To mark the
union of the two Kingdoms under one
Sovereign the national banner under
went Q change, although Scotland still
retained its separate Parliament. In
the new flag the two banners of Scot
land and England were united. There
appeared in it the oblique white of st.
Andrew on blue ground, and the red
cross of st. George on white margin,
worked in the blue field. The King
was accustomed to sign his name in
the French form of james, Jacques. :
He was, in fact, the Union jacques, or,
as we improperly pronounce it Jack.
For local purposes the Scotch still con-
tinued to use the white st. Andrew :
cross on the blue field, and the Eng
lish the red-cross on the white field.
It was stated by royal proclamation in
1f Athat whereas some difference
hat4 arisen between our subjects of,
South and North Britain, travelling by
seas, about the bearing.o their flags,
for the avoiding of all such conten.
tions hereafter, we have, with the
advice of our Council, ordered that
from henceforth all our subjects of this
isle and the Kingdom of Great Britain,
and the members thereof, shall bear
in their maintop the Red Cross. COM
monty called St. Georges Cross, and
the White Cross, commonly called st.
Andrews Cross, Joined together and
in their foretop our subjects of South
Britain shall wear. the Red Cross only,
as they were wont and our subjects
of North Britain in their foretop the
White Cross only, as they were accus-
toned" In 1907 when the Scotch
and English Legislatures were united,
the distinctive fags ceased to be used,
and the united flags as arranged in.
1906 became the single ensign Of the
United Kingdom. Itwas the sovereign
that made the union and established
the national flag, and an establish
ment of distinct Legislatures again
would not alter the asg Ireland
would take presumably for its local
ensign the red-cross of St. Patrick.
This Irish banner ought to have ap-
peared IN the Union flag of 1906, but
it did not. Ireland had no distinct
recognition in the United flag until
1901, when the Irish and British Leg.
islatures were united. As that date
the Union Jack underwent further
change, and the red diagonal cross Of
St. Patrick on awhile field was intro
duced. Since that date the Union
Jack has shown the. red-cross and
white margin, recalling the. banner Of
st. George; the white diagonal and
blue field of st. Andrews banner
and the red diagonal cross of St..
Patrick, showing over the white
diagonal cross of the Scotch banner.
The blue ground of the Jack is there
fore due to Scotland, and the red and
white as crosses and margins to Eng
land and to Ireland.-London Daily
News.