Essex county flag

Design and symbolism

Three white seaxes with golden hilts are arranged horizontally on red. A seax is a type of knife or short sword associated with the Saxons.

History and use

The emblem is documented in early-seventeenth-century accounts and cartography. It later appeared in council heraldry, but that use did not create the county symbol. The historic attribution to the East Saxons should not be mistaken for surviving contemporary evidence of an Anglo-Saxon flag.

The design is listed in the UK Flag Registry. A separate, securely established registration date is not given here; design dates, public unveilings and heraldic grants are different milestones.

Sources and acknowledgements

• Flag Institute: Essex
• British County Flags: Essex
• Historic Counties Trust: county flags

County geography follows the Historic Counties Standard, published by the Historic Counties Trust, as used by RealCounties. Read our source and status guidance.

Flag-profile text: Historic Counties Institute, CC BY-SA 3.0, drawing on the credited research. Artwork has its own credit above.