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United Kingdom: history of the British ensigns

Last modified: 2005-07-23 by rob raeside
Keywords: united kingdom | union jack | civil ensign | naval ensign | red ensign | white ensign | blue ensign |
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The Red Ensign:

[UK civil ensign] by Martin Grieve

The White Ensign:

[UK naval ensign] by Martin Grieve

The Blue Ensign:

[UK naval reserve ensign] by Clay Moss

See also:

History of British ensigns

 A fleet of four English squadrons and one Dutch squadron were sent to Cadiz in 1596. Lord High Admiral, Howard of Effingham, was Joint Admiral of the Fleet, and led one squadron. Robert, Earl of Essex, was the other Joint Admiral, and led the second squadron. Lord Thomas Howard, Vice-Admiral, led the third squadron. Sir Walter Raleigh, Rear-Admiral, led the fourth squadron. Each squadron then had its own Vice-Admiral and Rear-Admiral.

Two flags (shown by Perrin, 1922) were flown by the following admirals:

[possible Elizabethan ensign] by Martin Grieve

St George canton and striped field:

  • Sir Robert Southwell, Vice-Admiral in Howard of Effingham's squadron, at the foremast of Lyon.
  • Alexander Clifford, Rear-Admiral in Effingham's squadron, at the mizzen of Dreadnought.
  • Lord Thomas Howard, Fleet Vice-Admiral, at the mainmast of Merhonour, plus St George at the foremast.
  • Sir Robert Dudley, Vice-Admiral in Thomas Howard's squadron, at the foremast of Nonpareil.
  • Rear-Admiral in Thomas Howard's squadron, at the mizzen of Crane(?)

[possible Elizabethan ensign] by Martin Grieve

Blue barred St George:

  • Sir Francis Vere, Vice-Admiral in the Earl of Essex's squadron, at the foremast of Rainbow.
  • Sir John Wingfeild, Rear-Admiral in Essex's squadron, at the mizzen of Vanguard.

[possible Elizabethan ensign] by Martin Grieve

From Sir William Slyngsby's "Relation of my Lord of Essex