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JACOBITE
The name Jacobite comes from the Latin for James, Jacobus. It was given to a group supporting James VII of Scotland and II of England in the 17th and 18th Centuries. When James came to the throne in 1685, his belief in the divine right of kings made him unpopular amongst protestants who were known as Puritans.
James VII of Scotland and II was deposed in 1689 in favour of William of Orange (II of Scotland and III of England) and his Wife Mary II, which led to five Jacobite rebellions over the next 55 years.
John Graham, Earl of Claverhouse led the first rebellion in 1689. However, he was killed at Killikrankie (July 1689). Meanwhile James II raised an army in Ireland only to be defeated by William at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. In French exile, James II planned a second uprising which failed to occur. The Earl of Mar also led an unsuccessful uprising in 1715.
The fifth Jacobite uprising of 1745 was led by Charles Edward Stuart, the son of James VIII, or Bonnie Prince Charlie, defeated the English forces at The Battle of Prestonpans and marched southwards to Derby before in-fighting and a lack of support forced them into retreat.
At Culloden Moor, the Jacobites took on the army of the Duke of Cumberland. They were heavily defeated by the Duke, who proceeded into the Scottish highlands, suppressing the clans and banning the wearing of kilts. Though Bonnie Prince Charlie escaped to France, the Jacobites were no longer a force.
Family homepages:
An article about the Battle of Culloden from
ScottishWeb.
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