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Company of Watermen and Lightermen, United Kingdom

image located by Joe McMillan, 27 April 2008

Source: http://www.flags.net/

Description of the flag

See also:

United Kingdom

Description of the flag

I came across the Port of London Authority newsletter for Jan/Feb 2004 which has a report of an unfurling of the Red Ensign of the Company of Watermen and Lightermen. It's not quite 100% clear, but I read the report as implying that this was then a newly warranted flag. The newsletter which contains the report and a picture of the flag (with an odd shade of blue for the UJ) is at www.pla.co.uk/pdfs/pp/P8_JanFeb04.pdf.
André Coutanche, 27 April 2009

It is illustrated in Graham Bartram's book British Flags & Emblems on page 79.
Martin Grieve, 27 April 2009

Their defaced Red Ensign may (or may not) be comparatively recent, but the City Company of Watermen and Lightermen (and their livery banner of course) is over 400 years old. If I remember rightly the Company of Watermen and Lightermen is the only City Livery Company that was established by Act of Parliament (in the 16th Century?) and so may have had a defaced Red Ensign from quite an early date?
Christopher Southworth, 27 April 2009

I was aware that this is indeed an ancient organisation which operated on the river Thames for several hundred years, as you mention Chris, but I am not so sure that the red ensign is older than 2004. I think this may be a flag which was granted rather belatedly?
Martin Grieve, 27 April 2009