Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-08-02
UNION JACK HISTORY.
Curious Points About the Banner of Great
Britain and Ireland,

OIrlOub folntb ABOUT the Banner OF Great
Britain and Ireland,
Letter to the Editor of the London Daily News.
We are all familiar with the white,
blue and red eDsigns, and with the union
jack which occupies the upper quarter
nearest the flagstaff The white ensign
has the red cross of ST. George In addl-
ton to the union jack. Without the Jack
this white ensign with a red cross repre-.
sents our old national nag as It existed
from the time of Richard |. until the
death of Elizabeth. This red
cross flag, the banner of St.
George, appears to have been CHOSEN
by the soldier king in honor Of
the saint who was the patron of soldiers
1t remained for more than 400 years the
flag under which the English warriors
fought on land and on sea. When James
vi. of Scotland succeeded Elizabeth, the
Scotch had a national dag. That also
was cross, but il was shaped differently
from that of st. George, and WAS known
as the cross OF St. And.ew. The ground
OF the Scotch flag was blue, and its cross
was white. To mark the union of the
kingdoms under the sovereign the nation
al banner underwent change, although
Scotland still retained its separate parlia-
ment In the new flag the two banners
OF England and Scotland were united.
There appeared in 1t the oblique white
cross of ST. Andrew on a blue ground,
and the red cross of st. George on a
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
1t, Jack. For local purposes the Scotch
still continue to use the white ST. An
drew's cross on the blue field and the
English the red cross on the white field
IL was stated by royal proclamation in
1906 that "whereas somes difference hath
arisen between our subjects of South and
North Britain, travelling by seas, about
the bearing Of their flags For the avoid
| ing OF all such contentious hereafter we
have, with the advice of our council, or
dered that from henceforth all our sub
| jecis OF this isle and kingdom OF Great
Britain and the members thereof shall
bear in their maintop the Red Cross,
commonly 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
/ tuN1 Nflt hOubt anu OuF SUBJECTS Ol
North Britain in their foretop the White
Cross only, as they were accustomed. d"
In l507, when the Scotch and English
Legislatures were united, the distinctive
flags ceased TO be used, and the united
tags as arranged in 1906 became the single
ensign for the United Kingdom. 1t
was the sovereign that made the union
and established the national flag, and an
establishment of distinct legislatures
again would not alter the flag. Ireland
would take presumably It's local ensign
the red cross OF 81. Patrick. This Irish
banner ought to have appeared in the
union flag OF 1905, but It did not ireland
had no distinct recognition In the union
flag until 1901, when the Irish and British
legislatures were united, At that date
the union jack underwent 4 further
| change, and the red diagonal cross Of st.
Patrick ON Il white field was introduced.
Since that date the union jack has shown
the red cross and white margin recalling
the banner Of st. George; the white dag
onal and blue tleld OF st, Andrews ban
uer, and the red diagonal cross Of st. Pat
rick showing over the white diagonal
cross OF the Schtch banner. The blue
ground Of the jack is therefore due to
Scotland and the red and white as crosses
and margins to England and to Ireland.