UNION JACK. The combination of the national flags of England. Scotland, and Ire land into a union flag, dating from April 12, 1605. when James I. ordered that the red cross of Saint George on a white field of England should he combined with the white saltire, or Saint Andrew's cross, of Scotland and flown by all British ships. Charles 1. restricted the Union flag to royal ships, and on July 28, 1707, a 'red jack (flag) with a union jack' at the upper corner next to the staff was duly pre scribed as a merchant ensign. In 1801 the red diagonal cross of Saint Patrick was added for Ireland, being placed with the Saint Andrew's cross, the red and white alternately above. The union jack was originally carried in the main top, and the separate flags of Scotland and England at the foretop, but it came to be a fundamental part of the national ensign, which in the navy differed in color for the different divisions of the fleet. In 1864 it was deter mined to use the white ensign for the royal navy, the blue ensign for naval reserve, royal yacht clubs, and various official ships, and the red ensign and the union jack with a white border for the merchant marine, the latter flag being used as a signal for a pilot or as a jack at the bowsprit. The union jack proper
is flown at the bowsprit on a jackstaff by British naval vessels, and also occasionally as a personal flag, as at the main-topgallant mast head for an admiral, or at the mizzen-topgal lant masthead for the sovereign when abroad, or with the addition of emblems by various other officials. The union jack is also carried as one of the two regimental colors by British regiments. (See Counts.) In the United Stales the term 'union jack' is applied to a blue flag used by the navy, with white stars similar to the field of the national ensign and flown at a jackstaff at the bow when in port. (See .TACT; also FLAG, and Colored Plates of FLAGS.) For an interesting and detailed history of the 'union jack,' see Green. Archeological Journal (Lon don, December, 1891) also Duthie, The Flags of the World (London, 1S97).