Last modified: 2004-11-06 by rob raeside
Keywords: west africa settlements | elephant |
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One of the more attractive flag badges which was emblazoned in the fly of the
British Blue Ensign and centrally positioned within the laurel garland upon the
Union Flag would surely be that of the various former British Colonies situated
along the coast of West Africa. I refer here to The Gambia, Gold Coast, Lagos,
Sierra Leone and of course, The West Africa Settlements. All these badges
have/had one thing in common: they depict an Elephant (proper) standing before a
Palm tree with natural vegetation and a sunrise/sunset in the background. as
well as two pieces of vegetation upon sand in the foreground. It may perhaps be
easier to distinguish each one of them by the initial(s) of the colonies
inserted immediately below this scene which they bore and flew so gracefully
above. These are:
G. The Gambia
G.C. The Gold Coast
L. Lagos Colony
S.L. Sierra Leone
The exception to the rule is The West Africa Settlements, which spell the entire
name below the "Elephant and Palm" picture.
In the British publications, the Elephant is shown in a brown shading with some
natural shadowing effect in order that the animal is three-dimensionally
depicted. "De Grossen Flaggenbuch" [Flaggenbuch (1992)]
which is a re-print of the original 1939 edition, shows this Elephant with two
distinct differences:
i The Elephant is grey in colour as
opposed to brown
ii The trunk of the Elephant is more "sineous"
or "twisted" as opposed to a rather slenderly-curved form which appear in the
various British publications from and before this time.
The basic elements which constitute the "template badge" are of course what
matters the most here, and given the fact that it is probable that more than one
person painted this emblem on to the flags, we could expect to see many
"variations on the same theme".
I have used a "hybrid" or "compromise" version in drawing these images - the
Elephant from Flaggenbuch, but the shading in brown (confused yet?):-)
Martin Grieve, 4 September 2004
One more 'elephant and palm tree' flag badge that appeared on Blue Ensign and, surrounded by a garland, on Governor's Union Jack at sea. This one inscribed WEST AFRICA SETTLEMENTS.
The badges of Gambia, Gold Coast, Lagos, and Sierra Leone were the same with
[ G ], [ G C ], [ L ] and [ S L ] respectively, replacing the words.
1821. Gambia and Gold Coast administered from Freetown in Sierra Leone. All
three known collectively as "West Africa Settlements". This
reorganization occurred after the dissolution of the Royal African Company.
1866. Lagos, which in 1861 had been ceded to Britain for use as a base for
operations against the slave trade, became part of West Africa Settlements.
1868. Governor-in-Chief of W.A.S. appointed.
1870. W.A.S. flag badge approved. Based upon the Public Seal of the Gold Coast
Settlements although Government House was in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
1874. Gold Coast Settlements and Lagos Settlements together became the Gold
Coast Colony.
1877. Gold Coast flag badge with initials [ G C ].
1886. Lagos became a separate colony
1888. West Africa Settlements badge discontinued when badges approved for Lagos
[ L ] in 1888; and for Gambia [ G ] and Sierra Leone [ S L ] in 1889.
[ L ] ended 1906 when Lagos merged with Niger Coast Protectorate to form Colony
and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria.
[ S L ] ended 1916 when the arms granted to Sierra Leone 30 July 1914 became the
flag badge.
[ G C ] ended 1957 when Gold Coast became independent as Ghana.
[ G ] ended 1965 when Gambia became independent.
David Prothero, 24 January 2004
When colonial flags were introduced in 1869 few colonies had arms. Most flag
badges were based upon the Public Seal which every colony had to have. In 1905
the Colonial Office issued a Circular Dispatch (No14 of 1905) encouraging
colonies to apply for arms. However since the cost was not a Colonial Office
expense, but a charge on the budget of the colony, the decision to apply was the
choice of the Colonial Government. Many thought that arms were unnecessary, or
not worth the cost. The heralds at the College of Arms were not paid a salary,
and the only income they had as heralds were the fees they charged for designing
and registering arms. I don't know what was being charged in 1905 but in 1936
the Gilbert and Ellice Islands were charged 25
Pounds for their badge. This was considered very reasonable.
Aden and Northern Rhodesia
had each paid 50 Pounds for their badges and St Lucia had also paid 50Pounds for
a badge and new seal design. Gold Coast and
Gambia were granted arms in 1957 and 1964
respectively, in preparation for independence, and Sierra
Leone's arms were replaced by a new design in 1960 just before independence.
David Prothero