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![[Flag of Montgomery County, Maryland]](../images/u/us-md-mc.gif)
by Chris Gleason, 1 June 2000
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In heraldic terms, Montgomery County's flag is quartered, azure and gules, and the fess-wise division is embattled (but not the vertical or pale-wise division). The first and fourth quarters contain a fleur-de-lys or; the second and third, a ring or, presented with its stone to chief. The ring's stone is azure. Said to be based on the arms of General Richard Montgomery who was the first high ranking American officer to be killed in the American Revolution. Montgomery Co. was founded in 1776, soon after Gen. Montgomery's death. I know that Penn. and Va. also have counties named after the General. I remember the General being referred to as the first "hero" of the Revolution. Many years ago when I happened to visit the office of the county executive I saw a highly decorative warrant from the Royal College of Arms in London granting the arms to the County. It was very nicely framed under glass and most likely still there.
John C.E. Christensen and Steve Kramer, 6 September 1998
The flag uses some elements of the family arms of General Richard Montgomery
for whom the County was named. It is based on the shield of the official coat of
arms of Montgomery County which was designed and approved by The College of Arms
in London, England and officially adopted by Bill 38-76 (now Section 1-402 of
the County Code) enacted by the County Council on October 5, 1976 at the request
of the County Executive.
The gold fleur-de-lis in two quarters of the flag are reminders of the French
ancestry of the Montgomery family. The gold rings with blue gemstones in two
quarters of the flag proclaim royal favor and protection and are found in the
family coat of arms of General Montgomery's family. The indented line which
separates the upper quarters of the flag from the lower quarters of the flag
represents the borders of a local government.
The following specifications are used to produce the County flag:
Height to length, 2 to 3. The flag will be quartered by a crenelated line,
separating the top two quarters from the two bottom quarters, and a straight
vertical line, separating the left two quarters from the two right quarters. The
upper left and lower right quarters shall consist of a gold fleur-de-lis on a
blue background. The upper right and lower left quarters shall consist of a gold
ring with a blue gem on a red background. Crenelated line formed of 11 squares,
1/11 of flag length, with center block split in middle with left side red and
right side blue. Rings and fleur-de-lys to be three times as high as a block in
the crenelated line with width proportional. Rings and fleur-de-lises centered
horizontally on their quarters and spaced vertically so that upper and lower
edge of rings and fleur-de-lys are equal distance from horizontal outside edge
of quarter and nearest part of crenelated line. Red and blue should be the same
shade as is used in the United States flag and gold should be same shade as is
used in the Maryland State flag.
Source: Montgomery County: Our History and Government
Phil Nelson, 5 April 2002