Last modified: 2017-09-09 by ivan sache
Keywords: saint-malo |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
See also:
Naval flag
Naval flag of Saint-Malo, 18th century - Image by Ivan Sache, 16 January 2005
In the 18th century, the naval flag of Saint-Malo was ermine plain with a red canton charged with a black cross voided throughout. The red colour was probably borrowed from the municipal arms of Saint-Malo.
Merchant flag
Merchant flags of Saint-Malo, 18th century - Images by Ivan Sache, 16 January 2005
The merchant ships used two closely related flags, both quartered by a black cross voided througout and with a plain red canton. The first flag, shown on Joseph Roux' flag chart (1766), has five ermine spots placed 2-1-2 in each white quarter, whereas the second flag has only one ermine spot in each white quarter.
Another merchant flag of Saint-Malo, 18th century - Image by Ivan Sache, 16 January 2005
Roux's chart shows yet another merchant flag for Saint-Malo, blue, quartered by a black cross voided througout, with a plain red canton and five yellow fleurs-de-lis placed 3-2 in each blue quarter. There seems to be a progressive change from a pure Breton design (white with a black cross) to a French design (blue with a white cross).
Municipal flag
Municipal flags of Saint-Malo, 18th century - Images by Ivan Sache, 16 January 2005
At the same time, the city of Saint-Malo used a flag quartered by a
white cross, with the first and fourth quarters red and the second and
third quarters blue; the canton bears a white shield charged with a
yellow portcullis and surmounted by a white ermine passant.
A variant of the flag shows the four quarters blue and only the ermine in the canton.
Source: Philippe Rault (Les drapeaux bretons de 1188 à nos jours [rau98]). Rault's study is mostly based on his personal research and material published by G. Pasch in the magazine Neptunia in 1961-62.
Ivan Sache, 16 January 2005
Saint-Malo corsairs' flags, 18th century - Images by Ivan Sache, 16 January 2005
During the French Revolution and the First Empire, the corsairs'
vessels used blue flags quartered by a white cross, with a red canton
charged with a white ermine.
Sometimes, the canton had a blue border.
Source: Philippe Rault (Les drapeaux bretons de 1188 à nos jours [rau98]). Rault's study is mostly based on his personal research and material published by G. Pasch in the magazine Neptunia in 1961-62.
Ivan Sache, 16 January 2005