Researcher Hilary Calvert of Cambridge, England has been travelling Canada to locate a series of historic banners linked to Governor General of Canada – Earl Grey.
Albert Grey, 4th Earl Grey was Canada’s Governor General from 1904 to 1911. During that time, he sought to promote national unity and cohesion within the British Empire. As part of his efforts, Earl Grey spearheaded a program that connected youth between the two nations by asking his contemporaries in England to create and send him banners embroidered with the figure of St. George. These banners were presented to select Canadian post-secondary schools to be hung where students would see them everyday.
The Northumberland County Archives and Museum (NCAM) Archivist Abigail Miller tells us they were happy to help in this team effort that’s been decades in the making.
Cobourg Collegiate Institute was presented a St. George banner in May 1910 by Tynemouth High School in Northumberland, England. The banner hung in the school until 2015 when it was donated to NCAM.
“Previous research on Earl Grey’s banners has never explored the banners shared with schools,” Calvert explained. “With the help of the Cobourg District Historical Society and the Northumberland County Archives & Museum, I’m able to understand the full scope of Earl Grey’s ambitious vision. Pictures just cannot replace the value of seeing the skillful embroidery and craftsmanship in person.”
Miller says the Cobourg District Historical Society helped to connect the dots with NCAM to help with Calvert’s project.
“We were thrilled to support Hilary’s research at NCAM,” states Miller. “It is the core work of archives and museums to preserve materials to provide an enriched understanding of our past and our connections with one another.”
Despite already finding 13 other banners in communities across the country, Calvert suspects there’s still many that have gone unattributed.
(Written by: Noah Lorusso with files from Joseph Goden)