The Jacobite Risings: 1715–1745 Explained

Jacobite Works of Art

The Jacobite Uprising: 1715 - 1745

26 November 2024

Colin Fraser

The failure of the Jacobite Rising of 1715 did not end attempts to restore the Stuart dynasty. Over the next thirty years, Jacobite activity continued in Britain and across Europe, culminating in the arrival of Prince Charles Edward Stuart, Bonnie Prince Charlie, in Scotland in 1745.

These years saw another armed rising in 1719, the establishment of the exiled Stuart court in Rome and repeated attempts to secure foreign support. They also saw a new generation emerge. Born in 1720, Charles Edward Stuart would eventually take responsibility for pursuing his family's claim to the British throne.

Quick Answer: What Happened Between the 1715 and 1745 Jacobite Risings?

After the failure of the 1715 Rising, James Francis Edward Stuart returned to continental Europe and continued to claim the British throne. A Spanish-backed Jacobite Rising followed in 1719 but was defeated at the Battle of Glen Shiel. During the following decades, Jacobite hopes increasingly turned towards James's eldest son, Charles Edward Stuart, who launched a new campaign in 1745.

The Jacobite Uprising: 1688 - 1715

The Jacobite Uprising - or Rebellion, depending on perspective - is often associated solely with the dramatic events of 1745 and the final defeat at Culloden in 1746. However, this was merely the culmination of a broader movement that spanned decades, with roots reaching back to the Glorious Revolution of 1688.

What Happened After the Jacobite Rising of 1715?

The 1715 Rising had ended badly for the Jacobites. The Battle of Sheriffmuir on 13 November had failed to produce the decisive victory the Jacobites needed, while another Jacobite force surrendered to Government troops at Preston the following day.

James Francis Edward Stuart, son of the deposed James VII and II, arrived in Scotland in December 1715, but the campaign was already losing momentum. By February 1716, James and the Earl of Mar had left Scotland for continental Europe. Many other prominent Jacobites also went into exile. But defeat did not mean that the Stuart claim had been abandoned.

From abroad, James continued to present himself as the rightful king, while Jacobite supporters maintained networks in Scotland, England and elsewhere.

The Jacobite Court in Exile

After leaving Scotland, James Francis Edward Stuart eventually established his court in Rome, where he received papal support and continued to live as a king in exile.

The court provided a focal point for the Jacobite movement. Supporters visited from Britain and elsewhere in Europe, while portraits, medals and other objects helped present the Stuarts as a continuing royal dynasty rather than a defeated political cause.

Jacobitism was also closely connected to European politics. France and Spain periodically saw advantages in supporting the Stuarts when they were at war with Britain. That international dimension led directly to another attempt to challenge the Hanoverian government.

What Was the Jacobite Rising of 1719?

The Jacobite Rising of 1719 was backed by Spain and formed part of a much larger plan to invade Britain. Spain was then at war with Britain and supported a scheme involving Jacobite exiles. The main invasion force intended for England was dispersed by storms, but a smaller expedition reached the west coast of Scotland.

Several hundred Spanish troops landed and were joined by Jacobite Highlanders. Unlike the much larger Rising of 1715, the campaign never gained sufficient momentum to threaten the Government seriously. The opposing forces met in the Highlands in June.

What Happened at the Battle of Glen Shiel?

The Battle of Glen Shiel was fought on 10 June 1719. Jacobite and Spanish forces occupied defensive positions in the glen, where they were attacked by a Government army. After several hours of fighting, the Jacobite position collapsed. The Spanish troops surrendered the following day, while many of their Highland allies dispersed. The defeat brought the Rising of 1719 to an end.

Although considerably smaller than the campaigns of 1715 and 1745, the '19 is an important part of the Jacobite story. It demonstrates both the continuing determination of Jacobite supporters and the extent to which hopes of a Stuart restoration depended upon international politics.

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The Birth of Charles Edward Stuart

The following year, on 31 December 1720, James Francis Edward Stuart and his wife, Maria Clementina Sobieska, welcomed their first son in Rome. He was named Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Sylvester Severino Maria Stuart. To later generations he would become much better known as Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Charles was raised at the Stuart court in Rome with an acute awareness of his family's claim to the British throne. To Jacobites, his father was James VIII and III. Charles therefore grew up not simply as the son of an exiled claimant, but as the expected heir to a royal dynasty. His younger brother, Henry Benedict Stuart, was born in 1725.

Who Was Bonnie Prince Charlie?

Charles Edward Stuart was the grandson of the deposed James VII and II and the eldest son of James Francis Edward Stuart.

He spent his childhood and early adulthood in Italy and received an education intended to prepare him for a possible future as king. By the 1740s, Charles was increasingly becoming the active face of the Stuart cause. His opportunity came not from events in Scotland alone, but from another European war.

Why Did France Support the Jacobites?

The outbreak of the War of the Austrian Succession in 1740 changed the political landscape. Britain and France once again found themselves on opposing sides, giving France a strategic reason to consider supporting the Jacobites. A successful Stuart restoration, or even a serious rebellion within Britain, could divert British troops and resources away from the conflict in Europe. In 1743 and 1744, plans developed for a French-backed invasion involving Charles Edward Stuart.

A substantial force was assembled, but bad weather intervened. Storms damaged and dispersed the French fleet in early 1744 and the planned invasion was abandoned. For Charles, however, the failure did not end the matter.

The Jacobite Story

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The Jacobite Risings: 1688 - 1715

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The Battle of Culloden: 1746

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A Personal Relic of Charles Edward Stuart

An object previously offered by Lyon & Turnbull provides a personal connection to this period in Charles's life.

A gold-mounted ring enclosing a lock of Prince Charles Edward Stuart's hair was traditionally associated with the period before his intended journey to Scotland from Dunkirk in 1744. Personal Stuart relics dating from the years between the '15 and the '45 are unusual. Objects such as this also show how physical connections to members of the Stuart family could become treasured possessions among supporters of the cause.

Jacobite Portraits, Medals and Propaganda

Maintaining support for a dynasty in exile required more than political correspondence. Portraits, prints, medals, documents and personal objects all helped communicate the Stuart claim.

Images of James Francis Edward Stuart and later Charles Edward Stuart presented them with the visual language of royalty. Medals could commemorate important events in the Stuart succession, while Jacobite symbols allowed supporters to express allegiance in ways that were sometimes understood only by those familiar with their meaning.

The Hanoverian side employed many of the same methods. Jacobitism was fought through images and words as well as military campaigns, and surviving objects offer an important record of that political contest.

Why Did the Jacobite Cause Survive?

The survival of Jacobitism between 1715 and 1745 cannot be attributed to one factor. For committed supporters, the Stuart claim itself remained legitimate despite military defeat. Family, political and religious connections helped maintain networks of support, while the exiled court provided the movement with a continuing centre.

International politics repeatedly created new opportunities. When Britain came into conflict with France or Spain, the possibility of foreign military assistance could revive Jacobite hopes.

But support was never uniform, even in Scotland. The decision to back another Rising carried enormous risks, and previous defeats had demonstrated what could happen to those who chose the losing side. That would become particularly important in 1745.

Why Did Bonnie Prince Charlie Come to Scotland in 1745?

After the collapse of the French invasion plans of 1744, Charles remained determined to pursue the Stuart cause. Unable to secure the substantial French military support originally envisaged, he decided to attempt the campaign with far fewer resources.

In July 1745, Charles sailed for Scotland. He arrived with only a small group of companions and without the army many Jacobite leaders had expected would accompany any serious attempt at restoration. Charles now had to persuade potential supporters that the Stuart cause could succeed. The three decades since Sheriffmuir had led to this moment and the Jacobite Rising of 1745 was about to begin.

The Jacobite Risings: Key Dates 1715 - 1745

Date	Event
November 1715	Jacobite campaign checked at Sheriffmuir and Preston
December 1715	James Francis Edward Stuart arrives in Scotland
February 1716	James and the Earl of Mar leave Scotland
1719	Spanish-backed Jacobite Rising
10 June 1719	Battle of Glen Shiel
31 December 1720	Charles Edward Stuart is born in Rome
1725	Henry Benedict Stuart is born
1740	War of the Austrian Succession begins
1743–44	Plans develop for a French-backed Jacobite invasion
1744	Planned French invasion is abandoned after storms damage the fleet
July 1745	Charles Edward Stuart sails for Scotland

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Frequently Asked Questions

Following the failure of the 1715 Rising, many leading Jacobites went into exile. James Francis Edward Stuart returned to continental Europe and eventually established his court in Rome, while supporters continued to work towards a Stuart restoration.

Yes. The 1719 Jacobite Rising received Spanish military support. A small Spanish force landed in Scotland and joined Jacobite Highlanders before being defeated at the Battle of Glen Shiel.

The Battle of Glen Shiel was fought on 10 June 1719 between Jacobite and Spanish forces and a Government army. The Jacobites were defeated and the Spanish troops surrendered the following day.

Charles Edward Stuart was born in Rome on 31 December 1720. He was the eldest son of James Francis Edward Stuart and Maria Clementina Sobieska.

Charles Edward Stuart became popularly known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, although this romantic name is more closely associated with his later reputation and memory than with the formal titles used during his lifetime.

His father was James Francis Edward Stuart, son of the deposed James VII and II. Jacobites recognised James Francis Edward as James VIII of Scotland and III of England.

French support for Jacobitism was partly strategic. During periods of conflict with Britain, supporting a Stuart restoration or rebellion offered France a potential means of weakening its British opponent and diverting military resources.

A French-backed invasion involving Charles was planned in 1744, but storms damaged and dispersed the fleet and the operation was abandoned. Charles travelled to Scotland the following year without the large French army originally envisaged.

Charles Edward Stuart sailed for Scotland in July 1745, beginning the campaign that developed into the final major Jacobite Rising.

Specialist

Colin Fraser

Consultant Specialist in Silver, Whisky and Arms & Armour

The Jacobite Uprising: 1715 - 1745

Quick Answer: What Happened Between the 1715 and 1745 Jacobite Risings?

The Jacobite Uprising: 1688 - 1715

What Happened After the Jacobite Rising of 1715?

The Jacobite Court in Exile

What Was the Jacobite Rising of 1719?

What Happened at the Battle of Glen Shiel?

The Secret Signs of the Jacobites

The Birth of Charles Edward Stuart

Who Was Bonnie Prince Charlie?

Why Did France Support the Jacobites?

The Jacobite Story

A Personal Relic of Charles Edward Stuart

Jacobite Portraits, Medals and Propaganda

Why Did the Jacobite Cause Survive?

Why Did Bonnie Prince Charlie Come to Scotland in 1745?

The Jacobite Risings: Key Dates 1715 - 1745

Jacobite & Scottish Works of Art

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened to the Jacobites after 1715?

Was there a Jacobite Rising in 1719?

What was the Battle of Glen Shiel?

Where was Bonnie Prince Charlie born?

Why was Bonnie Prince Charlie called Bonnie Prince Charlie?

Who was Bonnie Prince Charlie's father?

Why did France support the Jacobites?

Did France invade Britain with Bonnie Prince Charlie?

When did Bonnie Prince Charlie arrive in Scotland?

Colin Fraser