Plate IX.
Fig. 775.Fig. 775.
Fig. 775.
The two crosses ofSt. GeorgeandSt. Andrewwere—as the Treaty of Union had agreed should be—"conjoyned in such a manner as we should think fit"; and what that manner was is "described on the margent" in the shape of a sketch. But further, in place of theSt. Georgebeing placed on the canton of theRed Ensignof Charles II. (itself theCommonwealth Ensign, minusthe harp) the Proclamation ordered the "Union" as a canton, and finally this new Red Ensign was confined to the merchant ships, whilst "Our Jack" was reserved for the use of the Navy, unless by particular warrant. Thus things continued until the union of Ireland with England and Scotland. The Proclamation referring to this Act of Union closes with the Herald's verbal blazon of the full Union Flag:—"The Union Flag shall be Azure, the Crosses Saltire of St. Andrew and St. Patrick, Quarterly per saltire, countercharged Argent and Gules, the latter fimbriated of the second, surmounted by the Cross of St. George of the third, fimbriated as the Saltire." Thus the Union, as displayed in bunting, was perfected.
OurUnion Flagis very remarkable, even amongst the flags of Christendom, both as a blending of crosses, and crosses only, and also as an emblem of the union of two or more countries. Yet it is not unique, for the flags of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway have a somewhat similar story to tell. The last two countries separated atdifferent dates from Denmark, and then together formed a United Scandinavian Kingdom. In separating, they each took to themselves a separate flag, and again, in uniting, they called into being a Union Banner. How they treated these changes Fig. 775 will illustrate. Notwithstanding these acts of union both Scandinavians and Britons have had, and we still have, differences over these Union Flags. Whilst, however, they based their protests on the sentiment of independence, we ground our grumblings on questions of heraldic precedence, and of the interpretation of verbal blazons. Leaving our neighbours to settle their differences, let us examine our own. Take the subject of precedence. Very early in the flag's history, Scotsmen were indignant because the St. Andrew was not placed over the St. George. All kinds of variations have been suggested to lessen this crux of precedence, but such attempts must plainly be in vain. Do what you will, some kind of precedence is unavoidable. TheSt. George, then, as representing the paramount partner, occupies the centre of the flag, whilst theSt. Andrew, as senior in partnership to theSt. Patrick, is placedabove the St. Patrick, in the first quarter, although throughout it is counterchanged. The words in italic are important, for when the order is reversed, then that particular flag is flying upside down.
Fig. 776.Fig. 776.—The Union Flag of 1707.
Fig. 776.—The Union Flag of 1707.
The mode of procedure in creating flags has been much the same from one reign to another. Briefly it is this: The Sovereign seeks the advice of, and receives a report from, the Lords of the Privy Council. These councillors are "attended by the King of Arms and Heralds, with diverse drafts prepared by them." A decision being arrived at, an Order in Council, followed by a Royal Proclamation, makes known the character of the flag. In both Order and Proclamation it is usual to make reference to the verbal blazon, and to "the form made by our heralds." Thus there are three agents recognised—(1) the Sovereign, the fountain of all honours; (2) the heralds, who authoritatively blazon, outline, and register all achievements; and (3) the naval authority, as that in which are vested the duty and the power of seeing the actual bunting properly made up and properly flown.
Fig. 777.Fig. 777.—The Union Flag of 1801.
Fig. 777.—The Union Flag of 1801.
In keeping with this, the general mode of procedure, the Proclamations demand our attention. The Proclamation of James (1606). A high official of the College of Arms informs us that neither verbal blazon nor drawing of the first Union Flag is extant. On the other hand, in the Proclamations of 1707 and 1801 we have both blazon and drawing. The blazon has already been given of the 1801 flag (which is the one most needing a verbal blazon), and the drawings of both flags we here produce (Figs. 776 and 777). These drawings—though slightly reduced in these pages—are most careful copies of thesignedcopies supplied to us by the official already alluded to. In forwarding them he writes: "They are not drawn to scale;" and he adds, further on, "they are exactly the same size as recorded in our books." So then we have, in these two drawings, the heralds' interpretation,at the time, of their own verbal blazon. Now comes the Admiralty part of the work. In the Admiralty Regulations we have a "Memorandum relative to the origin of the Union Flag in its present form." In this there is a brief history of the changes made in the flag from time to time, with quotations from the warrants, together with the verbal blazonANDtwo coloured drawings (Figs. 778 and 779). The Admiralty has also appended to the Memorandum the following interesting and ingeniously worked outTable of Proportions, adapted for a flag 15 feet by 7½ feet. Presumably this table forms the basis upon which all Union Flags are made up under Admiralty supervision:—
Fig. 778.Fig. 778.—Admiralty Pattern of 1707 Flag.
Fig. 778.—Admiralty Pattern of 1707 Flag.
Fig. 779.Fig. 779.—Admiralty Pattern of 1801 Flag.
Fig. 779.—Admiralty Pattern of 1801 Flag.
The student of heraldry will observe that this table is based on the proportions of the Ordinaries and Sub-Ordinaries figuring on the flag, as those proportions are regulated by English Rules of Armory. These rules give a cross as ⅓, a saltire as1⁄5, a fimbriation about1⁄20, ofthe flag's width. By the way, we notice here, yet only to dismiss it as hypercritical, the objection taken to the employment (in the verbal blazon of 1801) of the term "fimbriated." To our mind this objection seems a storm in a teacup. Further, it is always admissible in armory to lessen the size of charges when these crowd a field, and although we are fully aware that the laws of armory are not always nor all of them applied to flags, yet there is sufficient evidence to show that the heralds and the Admiralty did recognise the cases of shields and flags to be somewhat analogous. But there are two features inThe Admiralty patternwhich cannot but arrest the attention of all those who have made a study of armory. The one is that the sub-ordinaries,i.e.the fimbriations, have different proportions given to them, although they are repetitions of the same sub-ordinary, and also seem guarded against such treatment by the very wording of the blazon, and by the practice usual in such cases. And the other is that, after counterchanging the saltires, the St. Patrick is attenuated by having its fimbriation taken off its own field, instead (as the common custom is) off the field of the flag.
All Warrants dealing with flags provide for their being flownat sea(Queen Anne's Proclamation is apparently the first that adds "and land"), and gradually reserve for the Royal Navy—or fighting ships—the honour of alone bearing the Union Jack. The accompanying diagram shows at a glance the changes made by the several Proclamations. The latest word on this subject is "The Merchant Shipping (Colours) Act of Queen Victoria, 1894." This Acts sets forth among other things that—(1) "The red ensign usually worn by merchant ships, without any defacement or modification whatsoever, is hereby declared to be the proper national colours for all ships and boats belonging to any British subject, except in the case of Her Majesty's ships or boats, or in the case of any other ship or boat for the time being allowed to wear any other national colours inpursuance of a warrant from Her Majesty or from the Admiralty.(2)If any distinctive national colours except such red ensign, or except the Union Jack with a white border, or if any colours usually worn by Her Majesty's ships, &c. ... are or is hoisted on board any ship ... without warrant ... for each offence ... a fine not exceeding five hundred pounds."
If any heraldic term has been misunderstood in this country, "Seize-Quartiers" is that term. One hears "Seize-Quartiers" claimed right and left, whereas in British armory it is only on the very rarest occasions that proof of it can be made. In England there is not, and never has been, for any purpose a real "test" of blood. By the statutes of various Orders of Knighthood, esquires of knights of those orders are required to show that their grandparents were of gentle birth and entitled to bear arms, and a popular belief exists that Knights of Justice of the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in England need to establish some test of birth. The wording of the statute, however, is very loose and vague, and in fact, judging from the names and arms of some of the knights, must be pretty generally ignored. But Peer, K.G., or C.B., alike need pass no test of birth. The present state of affairs in this country is the natural outcome of the custom of society, which always recognises the wife as of the husband's status, whatever may have been her antecedents, unless the discrepancy is too glaring to be overlooked. In England few indeed care or question whether this person or that person has even a coat of arms; and in the decision of Society upon a given question as to whether this person or the other has "married beneath himself," the judgment results solely from the circle in which the wife and her people move. By many this curious result is claimed as an example of, and as a telling instance to demonstrate, the broad-minded superiority of the English race, as evidenced by the equality which this country concedes between titled and untitled classes, between official and unofficial personages, between the land-owning and the mercantile communities. But such a conclusion is most superficial. We draw no distinction, and rightly so, between titled and untitled amongst the few remaining families who have held and owned their lands for many generations; but outside this class the confusion is great, and to a close observer it is plainly enough apparent that great distinctions are drawn. But they are often mistaken ones. That the rigid and definite dividingline between patrician and plebeian, which still exists so much more markedly upon the Continent, can only be traced most sketchily in this country is due to two causes—(1) the fact that in early days, when Society was slowly evolving itself, many younger sons of gentle families embarked upon commercial careers, natural family affection, because of such action, preventing a rigid exclusion from the ranks of Society of every one tainted by commerce; (2) the absence in this country of any equivalent of the patent distinguishing marks "de," "van," or "von," which exist among our neighbours in Europe.
The result has been that in England there is no possible way (short of specific genealogical investigation) in which it can be ascertained whether any given person is of gentle birth, and the corollary of this last-mentioned fact is that any real test is ignored. There are few families in this country, outside the Roman Catholic aristocracy (whose marriages are not quite so haphazard as are those of other people), who can show that all their sixteen great-great-grandparents were in their own right entitled to bear arms. That is the true definition of the "Proof of Seize-Quartiers."
In other words, to prove Seize-Quartiers you must show this right to have existed for
It should be distinctly understood that there is no connection whatever between the list of quarterings which may have been inherited, which it is permissible to display, and "Seize-Quartiers," which should never be marshalled together or displayed as quarterings.
Few people indeed in this country can prove the more coveted distinction of "Trente Deux Quartiers," the only case that has ever come under my notice being that of the late Alfred Joseph, Baron Mowbray, Segrave, and Stourton, for whom an emblazonment of histhirty-two quarters was prepared under the direction of Stephen Tucker, Esq., Somerset Herald.
After many futile trials (in order to add an existing English example), which have only too surely confirmed my opinion as to the rarity of "Seize-Quartiers" in this country, it has been found possible in the case of the Duke of Leinster, and details of the "proof" follow:—
The following are the heraldic particulars of the shields which would occur were this proof of "Seize-Quartiers" emblazoned in the ordinary form adopted for such a display. The arms are numbered across from left to right in rows of 16, 8, 4, 2, and 1.
1.Duke's Coronet(Ribbon of St. Patrick): Argent, a saltire gules (Fitz Gerald).2.Lozenge: Argent, a chief azure, over all a lion rampant gules, ducally crowned or (St. George).3.Earl's Coronet(Ribbon of Hanoverian Guelphic Order): Quarterly ermine and gules, in the centre a crescent on a crescent for cadency (Stanhope).4.Lozenge: Argent, a chevron gules, a double tressure flory and counterflory of the last (Fleming).5.Duke's Coronet(Garter): Quarterly, 1 and 4, barry of eight or and gules, over all a cross flory sable; 2 and 3, azure, three laurel leaves or (Leveson-Gower).6.Lozenge(surmounted by Earl's coronet): Gules, three mullets or, on a bordure of the second a tressure flory counterflory of the first (Sutherland).7.Earl's Coronet(Garter): Quarterly of six, 1. gules, on a bend between six cross crosslets fitchée argent, an inescutcheon or, charged with a demi-lion rampant, pierced through the mouth with an arrow, within a double tressure flory counterflory of the first; 2. gules, three lions passant guardant in pale or, in chief a label of three points argent; 3. chequy or and azure; 4. Gules, a lion rampant argent; 5. gules, three escallops argent; 6. barry of six argent and azure, three chaplets gules, in the centre of the quarters a mullet for difference (Howard).8.Lozenge: Sable, three bucks' heads caboshed argent (Cavendish).9.Baron's Coronet: Per chevron engrailed gules and argent, three talbots' heads erased counterchanged (Duncombe).10.Lozenge: Azure, a buck's head caboshed argent (Legge).11.Earl's Coronet(Ribbon of Thistle): Or, a fess chequy argent and azure, surmounted of a bend engrailed gules, within a tressure flory counterflory of the last (Stewart).12.Lozenge: Sable, on a cross engrailed between four eagles displayed argent, five lions passant guardant of the field (Paget).13.Baronet's Badge: Or, on a chief sable, three escallops of the field (Graham).14.Lozenge: Arms as on No. 11 (Stewart).15.Shield: Quarterly, 1 and 4, sable, a bend chequy or and gules between six billets of the second; 2. azure, a stag's head caboshed or; 3. gules, three legs armed proper, conjoined in the fess point and flexed in triangle, garnished and spurred or (Callander).16.Lozenge: Quarterly, 1. or, a lion rampant gules; 2. or, a dexter arm issuant from the sinister fess point out of a cloud proper, the hand holding a cross crosslet fitchée erect azure; 3. argent, a ship with sails furled sable; 4. per fess azure and vert, a dolphin naiant in fess proper (Macdonell).17. As 1. but no ribbon of K.P.18.Lozenge: Arms as 3.19.Duke's Coronet(Garter): Quarterly, 1 and 4, as in 5; 2, as in 5; 3. as in No. 6.20.Lozenge: As No. 7.21.Baron's Coronet: As No. 9.22.Lozenge: As No. 14.23. As No. 13, but with ribbon of a G.C.B.24.Lozenge: As No. 15.25. As 17.26.Lozenge: As No. 19.27. As 21, but Earl's coronet.28.Lozenge: As No. 13, but no Baronet's Badge.29. As 17.30.Lozenge: As No. 9.31.Arms: Argent, a saltire gules. Crest: a monkey statant proper, environed about the middle with a plain collar, and chained or. Supporters: two monkeys (as the crest). Mantling gules and argent. Coronet of a duke. Motto: "Crom a boo."
1.Duke's Coronet(Ribbon of St. Patrick): Argent, a saltire gules (Fitz Gerald).
2.Lozenge: Argent, a chief azure, over all a lion rampant gules, ducally crowned or (St. George).
3.Earl's Coronet(Ribbon of Hanoverian Guelphic Order): Quarterly ermine and gules, in the centre a crescent on a crescent for cadency (Stanhope).
4.Lozenge: Argent, a chevron gules, a double tressure flory and counterflory of the last (Fleming).
5.Duke's Coronet(Garter): Quarterly, 1 and 4, barry of eight or and gules, over all a cross flory sable; 2 and 3, azure, three laurel leaves or (Leveson-Gower).
6.Lozenge(surmounted by Earl's coronet): Gules, three mullets or, on a bordure of the second a tressure flory counterflory of the first (Sutherland).
7.Earl's Coronet(Garter): Quarterly of six, 1. gules, on a bend between six cross crosslets fitchée argent, an inescutcheon or, charged with a demi-lion rampant, pierced through the mouth with an arrow, within a double tressure flory counterflory of the first; 2. gules, three lions passant guardant in pale or, in chief a label of three points argent; 3. chequy or and azure; 4. Gules, a lion rampant argent; 5. gules, three escallops argent; 6. barry of six argent and azure, three chaplets gules, in the centre of the quarters a mullet for difference (Howard).
8.Lozenge: Sable, three bucks' heads caboshed argent (Cavendish).
9.Baron's Coronet: Per chevron engrailed gules and argent, three talbots' heads erased counterchanged (Duncombe).
10.Lozenge: Azure, a buck's head caboshed argent (Legge).
11.Earl's Coronet(Ribbon of Thistle): Or, a fess chequy argent and azure, surmounted of a bend engrailed gules, within a tressure flory counterflory of the last (Stewart).
12.Lozenge: Sable, on a cross engrailed between four eagles displayed argent, five lions passant guardant of the field (Paget).
13.Baronet's Badge: Or, on a chief sable, three escallops of the field (Graham).
14.Lozenge: Arms as on No. 11 (Stewart).
15.Shield: Quarterly, 1 and 4, sable, a bend chequy or and gules between six billets of the second; 2. azure, a stag's head caboshed or; 3. gules, three legs armed proper, conjoined in the fess point and flexed in triangle, garnished and spurred or (Callander).
16.Lozenge: Quarterly, 1. or, a lion rampant gules; 2. or, a dexter arm issuant from the sinister fess point out of a cloud proper, the hand holding a cross crosslet fitchée erect azure; 3. argent, a ship with sails furled sable; 4. per fess azure and vert, a dolphin naiant in fess proper (Macdonell).
17. As 1. but no ribbon of K.P.
18.Lozenge: Arms as 3.
19.Duke's Coronet(Garter): Quarterly, 1 and 4, as in 5; 2, as in 5; 3. as in No. 6.
20.Lozenge: As No. 7.
21.Baron's Coronet: As No. 9.
22.Lozenge: As No. 14.
23. As No. 13, but with ribbon of a G.C.B.
24.Lozenge: As No. 15.
25. As 17.
26.Lozenge: As No. 19.
27. As 21, but Earl's coronet.
28.Lozenge: As No. 13, but no Baronet's Badge.
29. As 17.
30.Lozenge: As No. 9.
31.Arms: Argent, a saltire gules. Crest: a monkey statant proper, environed about the middle with a plain collar, and chained or. Supporters: two monkeys (as the crest). Mantling gules and argent. Coronet of a duke. Motto: "Crom a boo."