ZFC Item Section - U.S. 15 Star Union Jack

Exhibits Title information is available upon specific request. Additional information available upon request to researchers, writers and others demonstrating special circumstances. In some situations, information may not be available.
Exhibition Copy	First Presidio Exhibit (ZFC0418) United States Navy Fifteen Star Jack Date: About 1810-1815 Media: Wool bunting field with white cotton stars; all hand sewn Comment: Following English naval traditions, sailing ships commissioned in national service raise a jack when in port or at anchor. In the British Navy, the jack consisted of a duplicate of the canton of the ensign, the combined crosses of St. George, St. Andrew, and (after 1803) St. Patrick on a dark blue field. After the adoption of the Stars and Stripes, the U.S. Navy followed suit, but the jack consisted of a dark blue field bearing the same number of stars as US flag. The size of the jack was to be the same as the canton in the U.S. ensign. As the traditional dimension of the fly (length) of the canton on a U.S. ensign was 4/10ths of the overall fly, the complimenting ensign flown from the ship that bore this jack would have been 24 feet long on the fly. Correspondingly (assuming that the ensign bore fifteen stripes), its height on the hoist would have been 15 feet. This flag was flown on the ship "Vineyard" during the first two decades of 1800. There is evidence the flag once had a 16th, likely 17th and possibly an 18th star, which would make it an unofficial Jack. However, due to wear and use on the ship, the flag was re-hemmed, discarding evidence of the other star or stars of that vertical row, and therefore making it an official Jack at 15 stars till the Third Flag Act of 1818. Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC0418) in 1997, ex. N. Flayderman Collection.

Exhibits

Title information is available upon specific request. Additional information available upon request to researchers, writers and others demonstrating special circumstances. In some situations, information may not be available.

Exhibition Copy

First Presidio Exhibit
(ZFC0418)
United States Navy Fifteen Star Jack
Date: About 1810-1815
Media: Wool bunting field with white cotton stars; all hand sewn
Comment: Following English naval traditions, sailing ships commissioned in national service raise a jack when in port or at anchor. In the British Navy, the jack consisted of a duplicate of the canton of the ensign, the combined crosses of St. George, St. Andrew, and (after 1803) St. Patrick on a dark blue field. After the adoption of the Stars and Stripes, the U.S. Navy followed suit, but the jack consisted of a dark blue field bearing the same number of stars as US flag. The size of the jack was to be the same as the canton in the U.S. ensign. As the traditional dimension of the fly (length) of the canton on a U.S. ensign was 4/10ths of the overall fly, the complimenting ensign flown from the ship that bore this jack would have been 24 feet long on the fly. Correspondingly (assuming that the ensign bore fifteen stripes), its height on the hoist would have been 15 feet.
This flag was flown on the ship "Vineyard" during the first two decades of 1800. There is evidence the flag once had a 16th, likely 17th and possibly an 18th star, which would make it an unofficial Jack. However, due to wear and use on the ship, the flag was re-hemmed, discarding evidence of the other star or stars of that vertical row, and therefore making it an official Jack at 15 stars till the Third Flag Act of 1818.
Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC0418) in 1997, ex. N. Flayderman Collection.

Publications Title information is available upon specific request. Additional information available upon request to researchers, writers and others demonstrating special circumstances. In some situations, information may not be available.
Publication Copy	Madaus, Howard M., Dr, Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006, p. 32. 15-Star United States Flag (Jack) Flag traditions of the United States Navy and of the U.S. merchant fleet are largely influenced by the practices of the Royal Navy and Merchant Marine of Great Britain. In the late 18th century, the British Union Jack, a combination of the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew, flew on the jack staff at the prow of British ships, while its design appeared in the canton of various ensigns hoisted at the stern of those vessels. The U.S. ensign bore a field of stripes with a canton of blue bearing white stars. The design and size of the jack corresponded to the canton of that ensign. This flag now bears 15 stars in three horizontal rows of 5 stars each, corresponding to the official U.S. jack for 1795 - 1818. At some point it may have borne two or three additional stars. Only the tip of one of those stars still remains, hidden in the (shortened) fly hem. The linen heading of this flag bears the inscription "Ship Vineyard." This may be a reference to a sailing schooner of that name that plied between New York and Baltimore in the employ of the Regular Line, a shipping company in business in the first half of the 19th century.

Publications

Publication Copy

Madaus, Howard M., Dr, Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006, p. 32.

15-Star United States Flag (Jack)
Flag traditions of the United States Navy and of the U.S. merchant fleet are largely influenced by the practices of the Royal Navy and Merchant Marine of Great Britain. In the late 18th century, the British Union Jack, a combination of the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew, flew on the jack staff at the prow of British ships, while its design appeared in the canton of various ensigns hoisted at the stern of those vessels. The U.S. ensign bore a field of stripes with a canton of blue bearing white stars. The design and size of the jack corresponded to the canton of that ensign.
This flag now bears 15 stars in three horizontal rows of 5 stars each, corresponding to the official U.S. jack for 1795 - 1818. At some point it may have borne two or three additional stars. Only the tip of one of those stars still remains, hidden in the (shortened) fly hem. The linen heading of this flag bears the inscription "Ship Vineyard." This may be a reference to a sailing schooner of that name that plied between New York and Baltimore in the employ of the Regular Line, a shipping company in business in the first half of the 19th century.