Astley's Flag a Dance from 1816

In the collection of dances 'Treasures of Terpsichore" published in 1816 by the London dancing master Thomas Wilson appears a dance called Astley's Flag

Philip Astley, who had died in 1814, was an English equestrian, circus owner, and inventor regarded as the "father of the modern circus". The circus industry, as a presenter of an integrated entertainment experience that includes music, domesticated animals, acrobats, and clowns, traces its heritage to Astley's Amphitheatre, a riding school that Astley founded in London following the success of his invention of the circus ring in 1768.

The flag may be the flag shown flying over the Amphitheatre in some contemporary illustrations or possibly refers to a bet won by Astley when he floated down the Thames on his back, a flag in each hand, from Westminster to Blackfriars Bridge.