flag
flag

flag

Object

Accession Number
2009.013
Description
A late 19th or early 20th Century Canadian Red Ensign flag showing repairs.
Narrative
This early Canadian Red Ensign flag might have once flown on the 135’ high pole at Craigdarroch Castle. The donor acquired it from a gentleman who told him it had once flown “at a castle in Victoria”.

The flag was exhibited at the Port Hardy Museum (BC) in 1993 and described in the exhibition catalogue as being probably from Craigdarroch. The flag’s design is what Alistair B. Fraser refers to in his book, The Flags of Canada, as an "aberrant seven province design". It was in common use after 1873 and into the late 1890’s.

If the story that the flag once flew “at a castle in Victoria” is true, then there are probably only two possible places where it once flew – Government House (also known as Cary Castle until that building was destroyed by fire in 1899) or Craigdarroch (popularly known until 1908 as Dunsmuir Castle). The reason for this conclusion is that Victoria’s Hatley Castle (built 1908) and Spencer Castle (built 1912) did not exist when the aberrant seven province design was in use. By the time they were standing, the Canadian Red Ensign design had changed to incorporate nine provinces. Armadale, the large James Bay (Victoria) home of Senator Macdonald had distinct castle-like turrets and other elements (see: https://collection.thecastle.ca/Detail/objects/107). It was also old enough to have flown this particular flag (2009.13). But it was never called a “castle” by local residents, and no photographs of a flag flying there are known to exist. Also, Armadale was not a very large house, and this flag would be out of scale to the house. It should also be noted that a flag of these dimensions requires an exceedingly tall flagpole.

The Craigdarroch flagpole was erected in 1898. A “Large Canadian Flag, 17 X 27 feet” is described in the Victoria Daily Colonist newspaper's June 18, 1909 advertisement for the Craigdarroch auction. This flag is not listed in the catalogue for the sale, and so it is not known how it was disposed of by Joan Olive Dunsmuir’s executors. The 2009.013 flag is considerably smaller – 8’4” X 16’9”. The variance is too great to reasonably argue that the measurements are for the same flag. It is highly probable that Mrs. Dunsmuir owned more than one flag in her lifetime owing to the very strong winds prevalent at Craigdarroch's hilltop site. Perhaps she once owned the 2009.013 flag and gave it away when she found herself dissatisfied with its relatively small size, its quality, or physical condition.

In conclusion, there is no hard proof that the Metcalf flag flew “at a castle in Victoria”. But if it is true, there is a 50% chance that it flew at Craigdarroch, and a 50% chance that it flew at Cary Castle. Hopefully one day the truth will be known.
Date
1890 – 1903
Dimensions
254 x 510.54 cm
Material
Fabric

Related Objects

postcard, 2015.013.001 (is related to)