783 



STUART FAMILY. 



STUART FAMILY. 



784 



other places. Their next attempt was to march to Edinburgh, where 

 they expected to be joined by the people; but the Duke of Argylo 

 sending a detachment to prevent their entrance into the capital, the 

 rebels changed their course, and marched into Leith. They then 

 retreated to Seaton House, an old castle about seven miles from Edin- 

 burgh, whence the Eurl of Rothes, with a company of dragoons and 

 volunteers, finding it impossible to dislodge them without artillery, 

 was obliged to retire. 



On the 27th of October the Highlanders at Seaton House marched 

 southwards to Kelso, where they were joined by the English and 

 Scottit-h horse from Nithsdale and Northumberland. Mr. James 

 Murray had arrived in Edinburgh, authorised to make liberal promises 

 of assistance from France, and to declare that he came in the capacity 

 of secretary to the Pretender. It was now expected that all commu- 

 nication would soon be cut off between the Duke of Argyle and 

 London ; and the Earl of Mar was strongly advised to attack Argyle 

 before the arrival of a reinforcement of dragoons from Ireland, which 

 were expected. 



It was now that the 6000 men guaranteed by the Dutch to be sent 

 over to England were demanded by the British ministry, and granted 

 by the States. Orders were issued to all the governors of seaports to 

 examine all British subjects who might attempt to pass from the Con- 

 tinent into England ; for it was thought that the Pretender, with the 

 Duke of Ormond and Viscount Bolingbroke, intended to come into the 

 country. On the 25th of October General Carpenter set out from 

 Newcastle for Kelso, where the Jacobite army lay. The Jacobite 

 commanders proposed to pass the Tweed and attack Carpenter's 

 troops, which were tired with marching; but ultimately the Pre- 

 tender's forces marched to Jedburgh, and thence towards Dumfries, 

 which they thought of investing. The Duke of Argyle was at Stir- 

 ling with so small a force, that unless he was soon joined by the 

 Dutch or Irish troops, he could not save Dumfries. Everything 

 seemed to favour the enterprise of the Pretender, but divisions in the 

 Jacobite council of war frustrated their plans. The Earl of Wiutoun, 

 one of the insurgent leaders, opposed the siege of Dumfries, and the 

 English officers urged a march into their own country. Confidence 

 was thus lost, and the men daily deserted. After some loss of time 

 the rebels marched to Brampton in Cumberland, where the Pretender 

 was proclaimed. They then proceeded to Penrith, and thence on the 

 5th of November to Appleby ; next to Kendal and Kirby Lonsdale, 

 and on the 7th to Lancaster, which they entered without opposition. 

 They left Lancaster on the 9th day of the month, for Preston, where 

 they were joined by a number of gentlemen and others of the Roman 

 Catholic persuasion, a circumstance which did not satisfy the Scotti.-h 

 chieftains and Highlanders, who had been led to expect that their 

 forces would be augmented by the high church party. 



General Carpenter was now pursuing the Jacobites, but with his 

 dragoons only, in order to save time. He had communicated with 

 General Willes, at Chester ; and both generals advanced in concert, to 

 unite their strength and attack the rebels at Preston. General Willes 

 reached Preston first, and found the town strongly barricaded. On 

 the 12th of November Willes attacked the barricade below the church, 

 which was gained ; but the other barricades, which were flanked with 

 Highlanders, were not carried, and the king's troops were obliged to 

 retire that evening. On the following morning General Carpenter and 

 his troops arrived, and the town was completely invested. The 

 Highlanders were indeed eager to make a sally, but they were not 

 allowed to move. A capitulation was determined on, and Colonel 

 Oxburgh went out with a trumpet to propose terms to General Willes. 

 All however that he could gain was a promise that, if the rebels would 

 lay down their arms, he would not allow the soldiers to cut them to 

 pieces, and he would give them an hour to consider of it. No terms 

 were finally made for the Jacobites. General Carpenter entered the 

 town on one side, and General Willes on the other; and they met the 

 rebel troops in the middle of the town. The noblemen and chieftains 

 were put first under guard, and then their followers. The number of 

 the English aud Scottish prisoners of all classes amounted to 1489. 

 On the same day that Preston surrendered, the battle of Dumblane 

 was fought between the Duke of Argyle and the P^arl of Mar. The 

 left wing of the rebels, though they fought bravely, was routed ; and 

 the Duke of Argyle, after pursuing them to the river Allan, returned 

 to the field, where both armies stood looking at each other; towards 

 evening the duke drew off to Dumblane, and the enemy to Ardouh. 

 On the same day news arrived that the pass of Inverness was gained. 

 This important advantage was the result of treachery. Lord Lovat 

 had delivered it to the king's troops. 



The principal persons among the rebels were sent to London. On 

 reaching Highgate they were pinioned with cords, and not allowed to 

 hold the reina of their horses, which were led by a foot-soldier. The 

 prisoners were conducted from Highgate to London, amid crowds of 

 spectators, the drums playiug a triumphal march. They were distri- 

 buted in different prisons ; the noblemen were lodged in the Tower. 



On the 22nd of December the Pretender landed at Peterhead in 

 Scotland, with a train of six gentlemen, among whom was the ijarquis 

 of Tym mouth, son of the Duke of Berwick. From Peterhead James 

 proceeded to Newburgh, a seat of the Earl Marischal's ; and passing 

 through Aberdeen in disguise to Fetterope, he was met there by the Earl 

 of Mar, who had left Perth with a troop of horse. James now assumed 



the state of royalty : he formed a court, and made several peers and 

 created knights. He was also proclaimed with great ceremony before 

 the house where he was lodging. 



In January 1716 the Pretender made a progress through the country, 

 entering Dundee publicly, with the Earl of Mar on his right hand and 

 the Earl Marischal on his left. The people thronged into the market- 

 place to kiss his hand. Ou the 7th of January he arrived at Scone, 

 and on the 9th of January he made his public entry into Perth, and 

 reviewed some of the troops. He expressed great pleasure at the 

 sight of the Highland dress, which was new to him. lu the evening 

 he returned to Scone, where he formed a council and issued six pro- 

 clamations. On the 16th of the month James harangued his council, 

 having previously received addresses from the episcopal clergy of 

 Aberdeen. His council however, being convinced after the arrival of 

 the Dutch troopa that the army of the Pretender could no longer 

 resist that of Argyle, had resolved to abandon the enterprise and 

 disperse the forces. But wishing to keep their design secret, they 

 acted as if they meant to attack the English army. They bean to 

 raise batteries, plant guns, and even destroyed Auchterarder, Black- 

 ford, Denning, Muthell, and other places, to prevent their affording 

 quarter and provision to the enemy. The Duke of Argyle, having 

 received supplies, marched through Aucbterarder to Tullibardine, 

 whilst the Pretender and his followers retreated to Dundee. Sus- 

 picions now arose that the Pretender, together with the members of 

 his council, intended to escape, and to leave the army to their fate ; 

 and the report gained ground when the Jacobite army was ordered to 

 march to Montrose, near which several French ships lay at anchor. 

 The rebel troops, possessed with this idea, refused to move. The Earl 

 of Mar however succeeded in pacifying them by the assurance that 

 James was going to place himself at their head, and by declaring that 

 it was intended to make a stand at Aberdeen ; aud to add to the 

 deception, the horses and body-guard of the Pretender were drawn 

 out before the door of the house where he lodged. James, in the 

 meantime, slipping out by a back entrance, walked to the Earl of 

 Mar's lodgings, and proceeded to the sea-shore, where a boat con- 

 veyed him and Lord Mar on board a French ship which was then in 

 Montrose road. The boat returned, and fetched seventeen persons of 

 rank, who were acquainted with the Pretender's design. The Pre- 

 tender reached Gravelines in a few days. The vessel returned in 

 twelve days ; and in spite of the utmost vigilance on the part of 

 Argyle, a very considerable portion of the noblemen and others who 

 were engaged in this unfortunate affair escaped to France. 



In France at this time there was little comfort for the Pretender 

 and his friends. It was the interest of the Duke of Orleans, regent 

 during the minority of Louis XV., to maintain a good understanding 

 with the house of Hanover. Lord Stair, the English ambassador, was 

 urgent in his remonstrances to prevent the Pretender's return to 

 France. On his return from Scotland, James deemed it necessary to 

 dismiss Lord Bolingbroke, who had acted as his secretary, on suspicion 

 of treachery, and the place was filled by the Duke of Ormond. 



The earls of Wintoun, Keninure, and Derwentwater, of Carnwath 

 and of Nithsdale, with lords Widdrington and Nairn, were tried at 

 London. The prisoners of inferior rank were tried chiefly at Lancas- 

 ter, where many were executed : one thousand of them, upon their 

 petition, were transported to the Plantations in North America. 



The Countess of Nithsdale and Lady Nairn, waiting their oppor- 

 tunity behind a window-curtain, threw themselves on their knees 

 before the king, as he passed through the apartments of St. James's 

 Palace, to beg for their husbands' lives. The king heard their appeal, 

 but was not moved. Lady Derwentwater, with the duchesses of 

 Richmond and Bolton, were introduced by the dukes of Richmond 

 and St. Albans into the royal bed-chamber, where Lady Derwentwater 

 humbly besought mercy for her husband. On the 7th of March the 

 earls of Derwentwater and Kenmure were beheaded on Tower Hill; 

 lords Widdriugton, Carnwath, and Nairn were reprieved. The Earl 

 of Nithsdale escaped in woman's attire brought to him by his wife. 

 The Earl of Wintoun was condemned to death, but escaped from the 

 Tower. 



There were still however proofs of disaffection. On the 29th of May 

 the Jacobites wore oaken bough? ; and on the 10th of June, the Pre- 

 tender's birthday, they displayed white roses. At Oxford the spirit of 

 disaffection was shown more plainly than in any other place. Alarmed 

 by these and other manifestations, in 1716, King George succeeded in 

 forming an alliance with France and the States, the chief object of 

 which was to crush the Jacobite cause. By this treaty it was stipu- 

 lated that the Pretender was to leave France, and to go beyond the 

 Alps; nor was he to be permitted ever to set foot in France again on 

 any pretext whatever. A renewal of that promise which had been 

 made at the treaty of Utrecht was given ; and all protection was 

 withdrawn from James on the part of the French government. The 

 Pretender removed into Italy. 



In 1718 the Pretender became the instrument of Cardinal Alberoni's 

 ambitious intrigues. Upon war breaking out between France and 

 Spain, James left Urbino, where he had resided since his expulsion 

 from France, aud went to Rome. He was there advised by Pope 

 Clement XI. to go into Sp;-in, where a squadron had been for some 

 time fitting out against England. Jamea was received with regal 

 honours at Madrid; and the Duke of Ormond, one of his adherents, 



