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If you go back to 1715, you must be Marty McFly or Doctor Who. However, if you go back to 1715 on our calendar page, you will see that we told of James Edward Francis Stuart, the son of James II. He led a rebellion, very badly, of people who wanted to put him on the throne of Britain. We called him the old pretender and now you will find out why.
His son, Charles, and therefore the grandson of James II, had been living with his dad in Rome, where the Pope had given them a house. Charles became known as Bonnie Prince Charlie and when I tell you his full name you will know what a blessing that was. He had been christened as Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Sylvester Severino Maria Stuart after he was born, in Rome, on the last day of 1720. Casimir and Severino are a bit odd but I am truly worried about the Maria bit. He also became known as the Young Pretender to distinguish him from his father.
Anyway, as his dad still claimed to be King of England, Charlie thought he should do something about it. In December 1743 his father named Charlie as Prince Regent, meaning he could now act in the name of the disputed King. He decided to lead a rebellion which would put his father back on the thrones of England and Scotland. The French, being a bit sneaky and not liking the German English kings and also still being at war with England said they would help. Charlie bought two old ships and landed on the Isle of Eriskay, in the Outer Hebrides (find a map), off the north west coast of Scotland on 23 July 1745. The helpful French fleet supporting him was damaged in a storm so Charlie was on his own.
He crossed to the mainland, raised his father's flag, gathered together some of the northern tribes of Scotland, still quite a wild country, and marched on Edinburgh. So far, so good. Edinburgh quickly surrendered. So far, even better. On 21 September 1745 he then defeated the only government army in Scotland at the Battle of Prestonpans. So far, pretty fantastic.
Charlie then marched south with an army of about 6,000 men. He captured Carlisle and headed down as far as Derbyshire (map again). So far, amazing. Then his advisors said they had heard government troops were coming north and they returned to Scotland. So far, back home again. Sadly his advisors had been correct and a government army, led by the Duke of Cumberland who was George II's son, caught up with them at a place called Culloden on 16 April 1745. In the battle, despite some strong fighting, the Jacobites and Charlie were defeated and Charlie had to run away to avoid capture and certain death.
He hid in the wild moorland of northern Scotland and although a reward of £30,000 was offered, no one revealed where he was. Eventually he was taken in a small boat across to the Isle of Skye. He was disguised as the Irish maid to a woman called Flora McDonald, he used the name “Betty Burke”, and then made his way back to France in a French warship. He could have used his own name Maria I guess. By the way there is a famous Scottish song about this event. Listen to it here.
He spent the rest of his life in Europe and died in 1788. It is said that he so wanted the throne that he secretly came to England in 1750 and was confirmed into the protestant faith but it didn't help him much, possibly because not many people knew it and, secondly, it would not have gone down well with his Jacobite followers.
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