Trinidad was a Spanish colony for many years. In 1797 the island was occupied by United Kingdom and in 1802 it was officially ceded to United Kingdom by Spain, so that from that year on the flag of United Kingdom flew unchallenged over the island. On land, and until 1864 also at sea, the individual citizen and also the authorities represented their status as citizens or organs of the United Kingdom by the use of the Union Jack, called the "Union Flag".
United Kingdom had introduced a flag system in 1864 in which: • War ships use a so-called "White Ensign" (naval flag), a white flag often with a red St. George's cross throughout and with the Union Jack in the upper corner, • Merchant ships use a so-called "Red Ensign" (also called "Civil Ensign" → citizen flag, the actual merchant flag), a red flag with the Union Jack in the upper corner, and • Governmental ships use a "Blue Ensign" (flag of the government → the actual state flag), a blue flag with the Union Jack in the upper orner.
Since 1865, colonial government ships were permitted to use a Blue Ensign with a badge in the flying end. From this point on, only the British Union Jack was to be used for all other purposes on land and the usual red British merchant flag, the "Red Ensign", at sea. If the British Admiralty had granted the appropriate permission to one colony, merchant ships and private sailors from this colony were allowed to use a Red Ensign with the Bagde. This was not the case for Tobago. The respective governments should provide appropriate bagdes.
Such a badge was often a regional landscape representation placed on a disk, often showed ships, historical events or could just be a kind of logo. Very often a badge also showed the name of the country or a motto. However, some possessions had a coat of arms right from the start, or received their own coat of arms over the years and the badge was abolished. In order to ensure a largely uniform appearance in the flying end of the flags, coats of arms and other symbols were displayed on a white disk the same size as the earlier badges. But there were exceptions here, as some colonies did not use this white disk and placed their coat of arms or just the shield – sometimes enlarged – directly on the flag cloth. As early as the 1940s, the white discs were removed and the coat of arms was placed directly or enlarged. This transition process occurred gradually, never simultaneously and completely. In some British possessions flags with the white disc are still in use, in others they are no longer used and in some areas both variants exist side by side.
From 1875, the government of Trinidad, as a British colony, used the blue British official flag (Blue Ensign) with a badge in the waving part of the flag. The badge, introduced in 1875, showed a mountainous coastal landscape with a coastal fortification. A flag, a Blue Ensign, flies on the coastal fortifications. A British warship with reefed sails lies in the roadstead in the coastal waters. A rowing boat can be seen in the foreground. The lower part of the disc shows the island's motto on a white surface: "Miscerique probat populus et foedera jungle" → "It has proven successful to mix the peoples and unite them in unity". In 1889 Tobago was placed under the administration of Trinidad and the badge was retained unchanged.
The badge of Trinidad showed between 1875 and 1889 a mountainous coastal landscape with a coastal fortification. A flag, a Blue Ensign, flies on the coastal fortifications. A British warship with reefed sails lies in the roadstead in the coastal waters. A rowing boat can be seen in the foreground. The lower part of the disc shows the island's motto on a white surface: "Miscerique probat populus et foedera jungle" → "It has proven successful to mix the peoples and unite them in unity". In 1889 Tobago was placed under the administration of Trinidad and the badge was retained unchanged.
31st of July 1498 · the Spanish seafarer Christoph Columbus discovers the island, appropriates it for Spain and names it "Trinidad" because of the three characteristic mountain peaks in the silhouette of the island
1521 · Trinidad becomes a Spanish colony and is administered from Santo Domingo
1592 · Spanish settlement and colonization, part of the Spanish province of Guayana y Trinidad
1717 · Trinidad becomes incorporated to the Spanish Vice Kingdom of New Granada
1797 · peace of Amiens, British occupation
1802 · Spain cedes Trinidad to United Kingdom, the island becomes a British crown colony
1st of January in 1889 · Tobago becomes subordinated under the administration of Trinidad
1st of January 1899 · Trinidad becomes united with Tobago to the colony Trindad and Tobago
As the Spanish seafarer Christoph Columbus discovered the island in 1498 he named it "Trinidad", because of the three characteristic mountain peaks in the silhouette of the island. Trinidad means Trinity.
