FROM THE ARCHIVES: Remembering the last fateful battle on British soil
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The Battle of Culloden in 1746 was the culmination of a religious civil war which had been raging on and off for nearly 60 years.
In 1688, the birth of James II and VII’s son to his second, Catholic, wife caused panic among the Protestant population. They feared that the child would be raised a Catholic and would later attempt to wield absolute power over his subjects. James’s older children (Mary and Anne) had been born to his first, Protestant, wife and posed no such danger. Because of this Mary and her husband, William of Orange, were invited by a group of noblemen to take the throne from James, who fled to the continent.
The ensuing years saw continued conflict across the length and breadth of Britain as supporters of James – Jacobites – attempted to recover the throne for the Catholic Stuarts, and supporters of the government fought for the continuation of the Protestant line.
There is a misconception that the Jacobite cause had a simple England/Scotland divide, but in fact there were English and Scottish on both sides. Many issues were at stake including religious tolerance and parliamentary reform.
The 1715 rising arguably had the greatest chance of Jacobite success. However, due to poor leadership in both Scotland and England the rising failed (not before Inverness had seen its share of fighting). The end had not yet come, however, and contemporary minutes from Dornoch Presbytery (the Church of Scotland predominantly supported the Hanoverians) contain a chilling warning that if the ongoing issues were not resolved the country would end up ‘a field of blood’. These prophetic words were to come true on the battlefield at Culloden.
By the time of the ’45 the Jacobite cause was being fought in the name of Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie). The government forces fighting for the Hanoverian line were led by King George II’s son, the Duke of Cumberland.
When the two sides faced each other on April 16, 1746 at Culloden the Jacobites were tired, ill-equipped and disheartened while the Hanoverian army comprised trained soldiers, rested and well-armed. The battle was a decisive victory for the government.
The treatment of Jacobites after the battle was ruthless and earned the Duke of Cumberland the nickname ‘Butcher Cumberland’. It was felt by the victors that the Highland clan system posed a continued threat as a breeding ground for Jacobitism. Steps were taken to end this feudal way of life and many aspects of Highland culture were outlawed or suppressed as a result.
The Battle of Culloden was the last battle to be fought on British soil and effectively ended the Jacobite cause – no further serious attempts were made to restore the Stuarts to the throne.
• Family History for Beginners classes will be returning in May. This set of four classes covers statutory, census and church records, memorial inscriptions, wills and testaments and archive records. The cost of the set of four classes is £40 (£32 concession) and they will be delivered online via Zoom. For more information, email genealogy@highlifehighland.com
