History of the Union Jack and Flags of the EmpireCumberland, Barlow
History
History of the Union Jack and Flags of the Empire
Cumberland, Barlow
Emblems -- Great Britain; Flags -- Great Britain
The union of the two flags resulted in the Scotsman getting a good
share of all that was going. It is true the crosses of the two flags
were given equal display, but the white ground of the St. George's
English Jack had entirely disappeared, while the blue ground of the St.
Andrew's had been left in occupation of all the remaining space. No
wonder that an English admiral of the "narrow seas," hankering after
his old St. George Jack, says, a few years afterwards, of this new
flag: "Though it may be more honour to both the kingdoms to be thus
linked and united together, yet, in view of the spectators, it makes
not so fair a show, if it would please His Majesty."[41]
[41] Sir William Monson.
The Scotsmen also raised objection to the cross of St. George having
been placed over and in front of that of St. Andrew.[42] With, what
appears to us now, much quaintness of language, the Scottish Privy
Council made its formal complaint to His Majesty in a letter of 7th
August, 1606, saying that,
"the forme and patrone of the flagges of schippis sent down heir and
commandit to be ressavit and used be the subjectis of both kingdomes
is vereie prejudicial to the fredome and dignitie of this Estate,
and wil gif occasion to reprotche--becaus as your Sacred Majestie
may persave, the Scottis Croce, callit Sanctandrois Croce, is troyse
dividit, and the English Croce, called Sanct George, drawne through
the Scottis Croce, which is thereby obscurit."
[42] Hulme: "Flags of the World."
Either one or the other of the crosses had to be in front, but as the
whole of their blue ground had been retained, while the Englishman
had lost all the white ground of his flag, the objection was not
entertained.
This two-crossed Jack of James I., 1606, continued in use in the
Royal Navy for over a century, with the exception of its retirement
during the changes which, as we shall hereafter note, were made under
Cromwell. During its term the British kingdom, which had already under
the English Jack colonized the mainland of America from Massachusetts
to Virginia, became more than ever an American power; for, under
this new Jack, the islands which surrounded the coast, namely, the
West Indies, Barbadoes, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Antigua and Jamaica,
were added to the British Crown. On the continent of Europe as well,
the victorious movements of the flag did not slacken, for under it
Gibraltar was pounced upon and taken by Admiral Rooke, and Blenheim,
the master victory of the great Marlborough, was won. This was a record
and "glory roll" on both the continents worthy of the two races, whose
forces had been joined at its creation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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