+
-
Post Office Blue Ensign (before 1864)
The Blue Ensign used by mail packets from about 1833. The ensign is made of hand-sewn wool bunting. The hoist is linen with a sewn eyelet and the top and bottom. A painted badge depicting a postboy at full gallop, blowing his horn, is sewn in the fly. The postboy badge was allocated to the General Post Office in 1694. It was placed in a Red Ensign or flown by itself as a masthead flag until about 1833 when the Post Office Red Ensign was replaced by this blue version. This ensign went out of use after mail shipping contracts were allocated to new shipping companies and the original packet services went out of business. The most famous of these, based in Falmouth, closed in 1850.
For more information about using images from our Collection, please contact RMG Images.
Object Details
| ID: | AAA3687 |
|---|---|
| Collection: | Flags; Textiles |
| Type: | State ensign |
| Display location: | Not on display |
| Date made: | After 1833 |
| People: | Post Office |
| Credit: | National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London |
| Measurements: | 1430 x 2480 mm |
Your Request
If an item is shown as “offsite”, please allow eight days for your order to be processed. For further information, please contact Archive staff:
Email: library@rmg.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 8312 6516 (during Library opening hours)
Click “Continue” below to continue processing your order with the Library team.