WHAT is the origin of the American Stars and Stripes flag? Is it true that it originated in the North-East? I would also like to know if it once featured a rattlesnake? - David Wilson, Norton.

IF THE American flag is derived from George Washington's coat of arms, as may be the case, then it is possible the flag has a strong North-East connection.

The first member of the Washington family was William de Hartburn, of Hartburn, near Stockton. In 1180, de Hartburn bought the manor of Wessington (now Washington, Tyne and Wear) and changed his surname name to de Wessington. Both the surname and place name would later become Washington.

In the 13th Century, the Washington family adopted a coat of arms featuring three stars and three stripes. An example of this coat of arms can be seen in the cloisters of Durham Cathedral.

General George Washington seems to have instigated the unveiling of the first, unofficial, American flag on June 1, 1776, just over a month before the declaration of Independence on July 4. This flag was referred to as the Grand Union, Great Union or Cambridge Flag and featured the familiar seven red and six white stripes.

The top corner (or canton) of the flag featured the British Union flag of the time. The British flag did not at this time include the diagonal red cross of St Patrick.

The 13 stripes on the American flag represented the 13 states of the Union. The stripes also appear on another American flag of the time called the Navy Jack. This did not feature a canton but consisted of the 13 stripes overlaid with the image of a rattlesnake. At the foot of the flag was the motto 'Don't tread on me'.

However, the popularity of the new American Union flag would continue to grow. The incorporation of the British flag into the corner of the American design was replaced by white stars against a blue background. This new design appeared in June 1777 and featured 13 stars, which like the stripes represented the number of states.

The design was by no means fixed and at the Battle of Bennington in August 1777, the stars were accompanied by the number 76. In the Bennington flag, an arch of 11 stars frame the number 76 while two separate stars are placed in the two corners of the canton. The number 76 does not seem to have featured again in any of the later flags. The 13 stars were, however, an important feature. They were arranged in a circular or diamond fashion.

There were no major changes to the basic design until May 1, 1795 when two new stars and two new stripes were added. These represented the two new states of Vermont and Kentucky.

When five more states were admitted in 1818, Congress recognised that the addition of new stripes would become difficult and would spoil the design. So they reverted to the 13 stripes of the original states with a star added for each new state. The last (50th) star to be added to the flag represents the State of Hawaii and was added in 1960.