Trinity House flags, United Kingdom

Last modified: 2008-07-26 by rob raeside
Keywords: lighthouse | trinity house |
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Trinity House Ensign

by André Coutanche, 31 August 2001

• Trinity House Ensign
• Trinity House Jack
• Master of Trinity House
• Deputy Master of Trinity House
• Burgee
• Historical Trinity House Flags
• Old style Trinity House Jack
• Old Style Trinity House Master's Flag
• Old Style Burgee
• Ceremonial Occasions

See also:

• United Kingdom
• British ensigns

Trinity House Ensign

On 1 December 1953 the proportions were changed to 2 : 1, with a one quarter Union. The jack design in the centre of the fly is one third of the length, and seven sixteenths of the height of the ensign. In 1974 it was made in four sizes from 10 feet to 3 feet 6 inches long. (3m to 1.1m)
David Prothero, 22 March 2008

As with the Union Jack, opinions differ as to whether this should be called the Trinity House Jack or the Trinity House Flag. It is an almost square banner of the Trinity House Arms, and is flown at the mainmast of a ship carrying a member of the Board of Trinity House, who are known as Elder Bretheren. It is then considered to have the status of a command flag and is not hauled down at night. It is also flown as a jack, and occasionally at Trinity House, Tower Hill, London. Its proportions are 5 : 4 and the width of the arms of the cross is one twelfth the length of the flag. In 1974 it was made in five sizes from 6 feet 3 inches down to 2 feet 6 inches long, and as a car flag five and five eighths inches long. (1.9m to 0.66m and 14cm)
David Prothero, 20 March 2008

It was noted that Trinity House jack was flying from the Royal Yacht Britannia, when the Prince of Wales was aboard (or nearby) during the handover of Hong Kong in 1997.  The question was raised why such a flag should be flying from the Royal Yacht on this occasion or at any other time? In any case, both the Master (in the person of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh) and the deputy master both have their own flags.
Christopher Southworth, 8 April 2003

According to the Deputy Master of Trinity House, the Prince of Wales was entitled to fly the Trinity House Jack when on duty. It had been flown when the ship conveying him on his tour of Canada and Australia, entered and left harbour.
    Admiral Sir Lionel Halsey, who was Comptroller to the Prince of Wales, wrote to the Admiralty on 11 October 1921 asking if this procedure was correct. The reply dated 24 October stated that, "It is the view of Their Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty that the Trinity House jack or burgee should be flown only in the waters of the United Kingdom where Trinity House has jurisdiction. It is not a flag authorised to be flown on His Majesty's Ships." [National Archives (PRO) ADM 1/8614/191]
    Presumably an exception was made in the case of HMY Britannia.
David Prothero, 9 April 2003

I came across the reason why HRH The Prince of Wales felt justified (as an Elder Brother of Trinity House) to fly their jack from the masthead of Britannia:
From "The Trinity House from Within" (1929) by Captain Thomas Goulding:
"Board Order [the Board of Trinity House, not of the Admiralty] 26 June 1928 - An Elder Brother of Trinity House is entitled when afloat to fly the Trinity House Jack at the Masthead of the Vessel he is aboard, when he is on official duty in the service of the State or of the Corporation of Trinity House".
Christopher Southworth, 21 April 2003

Master of Trinity House

by Miles Li

This is an honorary rank, currently held by HRH the Duke of Edinburgh.
Source: Barraclough and Crampton (1978); the emblems were taken from the official Trinity House website, with minimal touch-ups.
Miles Li, 30 June 2004

Both the master and deputy-master of Trinity House do have their own flags separate from the jack. The master's flag in proportions of 1:2 consists of a Cross of St George on a white field with an 'antique' ship in each canton and a full achievement of arms in the centre. The deputy master's flag is in proportions of 2:3 and instead of the full achievement or arms has a roundel with lion. The jack is in proportions of 4:5 without either arms or roundel. There is also a Red Ensign defaced what is in essence the jack, and a burgee (or cornet).
Christopher Southworth, 28 March 2003

The Master's Flag is the Trinity House Jack lengthened to proportions of 2 : 1, with the Trinity House Arms in the centre. It is flown at the mainmast of a ship when the Master is aboard, and at Trinity House when he is there. The width of the arms of the cross is one twelfth the length of the flag, and the overall size of the Arms is two fifths the length of the flag in height, and one third in width. In 1974 it was either 15 or 12 feet long, and as a car flag was 9 inches long. (4.6m, 3.7m, 23cm) .
David Prothero, 21 March 2008

Deputy Master of Trinity House

by Miles Li

This is the Chief Executive Officer of Trinity House. This flag was created on June 10, 1952.
Source: Barraclough and Crampton (1978); the emblems were taken from the official Trinity House website, with minimal touch-ups.
Miles Li, 30 June 2004

This flag was not introduced until 1952 and thus has been made only in the modern style. It is a slightly elongated Trinity House Jack with the crest of the Arms on a yellow-edged red disc in the centre. It is flown at the mainmast when the Deputy Master is aboard, but goes to the foremast when the Master, or a member of the Royal Family is aboard and flying their personal standard at the mainmast. It is also flown at district depots when he is present, and at Trinity House on Trinity Monday, if the Master is not there.

The proportions are 3 : 2, the width of the arms of the cross are one fourteenth the length of the flag, and the diameter of the central disc is one third the length of the flag. In 1974 it was made in four sizes from 7 feet 6 inches to 3 feet long. The car flag was 7 inches long. (2.3m to 0.9m, and 18cm).
David Prothero, 21 March 2008

Burgee

by Martin Grieve, 23 March 2008

Burgee or Cornet.
The burgee is a triangular red flag bearing the Trinity House jack design. It is flown at the masthead on tenders in port, and at sea if a Trinity House Captain or Marine Superintendent is on board.

The proportions are 3 : 2, and the rectangular badge is 5 : 4, its height being two fifths of the hoist. In 1974 it was made in four lengths from 7 feet 6 inches to 2 feet 7.5 inches. (2.3m to 0.6m)
David Prothero, 23 March 2008

Historical Trinity House Flags 

The Corporation of Trinity House, which was granted its first charter by Henry VIII in 1514, is the lighthouse authority for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar. It was originally responsible for pilotage throughout the United Kingdom, but in 1988 district pilotage was transferred to port and harbour authorities.

The five flags of Trinity House all include, or are variations of, a banner of the Arms granted to Trinity House in 1573; the cross of St George with an Elizabethan ship in each quarter. The general design has been copied twice; once by the Commissioners of Irish Lights, who had a lighthouse in each quarter of a St. George's flag, and also by the Trustees of the Port of Bombay who had nautical scenes in each quarter of a flag with a blue St George's cross.
David Prothero, 20 March 2008

Originally the ships had brown hulls and sailed upon a green sea under a cloudy sky, but in about 1937 the flags were simplified to conform to contemporary heraldic practice and now have stylized black and white ships on a blue sea against a white background.

The illustrations of the original design of Trinity House flags in the early Admiralty Flag Books all show the ships sailing towards the fly, instead of towards the hoist. This was corrected in the 1916 edition by putting the flag staff on the right of each illustration. In the earlier books the proportions of some flags were inaccurate, the worst example being the 5 : 4 jack which is shown in the 1889 edition as 2 : 1.
David Prothero, 20 March 2008

A Red Ensign with the Trinity House jack in its fly was introduced at some time in the 18th century; perhaps 1771, but possibly early in the 18th century. The colour of the ensign was not altered in 1864 when other defaced Red Ensigns became defaced Blue Ensigns. It also retained its proportions of 3 : 2, with a two fifths Union canton. The jack design in the fly had the same proportions as the ensign.
David Prothero, 22 March 2008

Old Style Burgee

by Martin Grieve, 23 March 2008

Ceremonial Occasions

When the Trinity House ship 'Patricia' is under way on ceremonial occasions the jack is flown in the bows, a White Ensign at the foremast, the appropriate personal flag at the main mast, and the Trinity House Ensign at the stern. This arrangement is sometimes varied. At the naval review in 1911, when the Duke of Connaught was Master, his personal standard was at the main and the Master's Flag at the fore, while on one occasion in 1954, when both Master and Deputy Master were aboard a one masted ship, the Master's flag was flown at the masthead and the Deputy's at the yard arm. The long standing tradition of flying a White Ensign was formalised by an Admiralty Warrant of 21 June 1894.

Material compiled from :
'Sea Flags' by H.P.Mead.
'Flags for the Ship Modeller' by A.C.Purves in December 1974 issue of Model Shipwright
Notes based on Operational Instruction No.5 - Flag Etiquette, Trinity House Ships' Manual.

David Prothero, 23 March 2008