This work presents the first comprehensive collective biography of the Jacobites, focusing on the turbulent events of the rebellions of 1715 and 1745. The author addresses the widespread inadequacy of previous scattered accounts and ephemeral trial narratives, aiming instead for a strict and impartial scrutiny of the conduct and motives of the participants.
The narrative examines how the movement was composed of varied materials, ranging from pure and noble self-sacrifice to base and vacillating political opportunism. Through a meticulous use of newly discovered resources, including letters from the Earl of Mar and communications from the families of Derwentwater, Drummond, Kenmure, and Nithisdale, the text provides a near-diary of camp and council proceedings.
The historical overview traces the origins of the Jacobite party to the loyalists of James the Second, following their exiles, military exploits in France, and the deep-seated grievances of the Highland chieftains against the feudal system. The narrative details the complex preparations, the hesitation and diplomatic failures that plagued the uprisings, and the fateful outcomes for those who chose to take up arms.
Attention is given to key figures such as John Erskine, Earl of Mar, whose early political shifts and eventual leadership of the 1715 insurrection are laid bare through contemporary correspondence and memoirs. The text explores his negotiations, the divisions within his camp, and the tactical decisions that shaped the course of the rising, including the battle of Sherriff Muir.
The volume concludes by illuminating the personal tragedies, the destruction of hereditary memorials following the army of the Duke of Cumberland, and the enduring loyalty of the clans. While not shying away from the political realities of the constitutional settlement, the work seeks to do justice to the disinterested and the good among the ill-fated actors of these dramatic historical episodes.
