English baroque architect, dramatist, and soldier. Although entirely untrained as an architect, he designed the huge mansions of Castle Howard (16991726), Blenheim (170516; completed by Nicholas Hawksmoor 172225), Seaton Delaval (172029), and many others, as well as much of Greenwich Hospital (1718 onwards). He also wrote the comic dramas The Relapse (1696) and The Provok'd Wife (1697).
The star depicts Liberia as a shining light. The blue canton symbolizes the dark continent of Africa. The stripes represent the 11 signatories to the Declaration of Independence. Effective date: 26 July 1847.