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
"We taking into our Royal Consideration it is Meete for the honour
of Oure Shipps in our Navie Royall and of such other shipps as are
or shall be employed in Our immediate service that the same bee, by
their flags distinguished from the shipps of any other of Our Subjects
doe herebye straitly prohibite and forbid that none of our Subjects
of any of our Nations and Kingdoms shall from henceforth presume to
carry the Union Flagge in the maintoppe or other part of any of their
shipps that is the St. George's Crosse and the St. Andrew's Crosse
joyned together upon pain of Our High displeasure; but that the same
Union Flagge be still reserved as an ornament proper for _Our Owne
Shipps_ and shipps in our immediate service and pay and none other.
And likewise Our further will and pleasure is that all the other
shipps of Our subjects of England or South Britaine bearing flags,
shall from henceforth Carry the _Red Crosse_ commonly called _St.
George his Crosse_ as of olde time hath been used; and also that
all the other shipps of Our Subjects of Scotland or North Britaine
shall from Henceforth carry the _White Crosse_ commonly called _St.
Andrew's Crosse_. Whereby the several shippes may be distinguished,
and wee thereby better discerne the number and goodness of the same;
Wherefore wee will and straitly command all Our Subjects foorthwith to
be conformable and obedient to this Our Order, as they will answer the
contrary at their perill.
"Given at our Court at Greenwich this 5th day of May in the tenth
yeare of Oure Reigne of England, Scotland, France and Ireland,
Defender of the Faith, etc. God Save the King."
Imprinted at London by Robert Barker, printer to the King's Most
Excellent Majestie, and by the Assignee's of John Bill, 1634.
This proclamation of Charles I. made a very great change in the
position of the "Union Flagge" of James, by restricting its use to
one class of ships. That it had never been intended at that time to
serve as a "national" flag is again clearly evidenced by the renewed
declaration that it was the special signal of the Sovereign, to be
used exclusively on the ships of the Royal Navy. Further, the merchant
vessels owned by "subjects of any of our Nations and Kingdoms," which
had thus lost the "additional" Jack, were ordered to continue to use,
as of "olde time hath been used," their distinctive national flags.
For the continued preservation of the peace, it was again required
that each ship should display only the flag of the nation to which it
belonged, namely, the St. George's crosse, or old English Jack, on
English merchant ships, and St. Andrew's crosse, or Scotch Jack, on the
Scotch merchant ships.
The position of the three flags at this time was thus clearly
distinguished:
A.D. 1634.
_The Royal Navy_ The two-crossed Jack.
_English Merchantmen_ The St. George crosse.
_Scotch Merchantmen_ The St. Andrew crosse.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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