Last modified: 2009-06-13 by rob raeside
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Photographs of the jacks and ensigns of British ships captured during the War of 1812 can be seen in H.C. Washburn's "Catalogue of the Trophy Flags of the United States Navy" and C.H.J. Snider's "The Glorious Shannon's Old Blue Duster". They show a distinct lack of uniformity and differ in many respects from the official design. In "Nelson's Navy" Brian Lavery wrote, "Flags were made in the royal dockyards or by contract; on occasion the ship's sail maker could put one together when required." This collection of flags all appear to have been made by ships' sail makers. Perhaps ships were issued with a set of flags when commissioned, but had to make their own arrangements when replacements were needed? Flags from ships on the North American Lakes have not been included in the comparison as a possible local shortage of bunting may have influenced their design.
Shown below is a variety flags that display variations from the official
design.
David
Prothero, 30 March 2009
image by Martin Grieve, 30 March 2009
A few are 2:1, some are considerably less than 2:1, but most are
just slightly less than 2:1. Snider wrote that bunting was nine inches wide, and
that the ensign of the frigate 'Macedonian', which was 16'4" x 9'6", was made
from thirteen strips of bunting. Thus slightly less that one quarter of an inch
was 'lost' from each strip in sewing the bunting together. If the flags had been
made to the 18th century formula of eighteen inches of length for each strip of
bunting they would have been slightly longer than 2:1.
David
Prothero, 30 March 2009
image by Martin Grieve, 30 March 2009
Most cantons are one quarter of the ensign, but three are too long, or too
short, in one dimension or the other.
David
Prothero, 30 March 2009
image by Martin Grieve, 30 March 2009
Four flags are fairly accurate, but the rest are too wide or too narrow in
one respect or another.
David
Prothero, 30 March 2009
image by Martin Grieve, 30 March 2009
Considering the general lack of accuracy, the counter changing is
better than might be expected. Eleven flags are fairly good and only five flags
have diagonals that are either symmetrical, upside-down (above), or one half
upside-down.
David
Prothero, 30 March 2009
image by Martin Grieve, 31 March 2009
image by Martin Grieve, 31 March 2009
image by Martin Grieve, 31 March 2009
This is the
most consistent error. Less than half the flags have diagonals that run from the
corner of the flag or canton to the angle between the arms of the St. George's
cross. On the majority the diagonals are off-set, and run from the hoist/fly
edge to the vertical arm above or below the angle of the cross. All the errors
are the same. None run from the horizontal edge to the horizontal arm.
David
Prothero, 31 March 2009
image by Martin Grieve, 31 March 2009
It seems almost to have been an accepted variation. The command flag of Lord
Howe, flown on 'Queen
Charlotte' at the Battle of the First of June, 1794, is illustrated in William Crampton's "Flag" with the comment that badly aligned diagonals were a common
mistake in flag making. Pictures almost invariably depict jacks and ensigns with
diagonals correctly aligned, but a watercolour "Entrance of Port St.George,
Lissa" by Lieutenant W.I. Pocock, National Maritime Museum ref PAF0041, has a
Union Jack with off-set diagonals flying from a flag pole on land. See
photograph.
David
Prothero, 31 March 2009