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The Jacobite rising of 1715

A map of the Battle of Preston, fought between 9 and 14 November 1715 between British forces, commanded by Major-General Charles (later, Sir Charles) Wills (1666-1741) and Lieutenant-General George Carpenter (1657-1732), and the Jacobite Rebels, commanded

Map of the Battle of Preston, 1715 (Preston, Lancashire, England, UK) 53°46'00"N 02°43'00"W ©

In early November 1715, a Jacobite army of around 1,400 men marched south across the English/Scottish border, meeting little resistance until they reached Preston in Lancashire. There, the Jacobite advance was stopped by an army led by Major-General Charles Wills. The Jacobite commander barricaded the town as Wills attacked. Government troops were soon reinforced by the cavalry which arrived under Lieutenant-General George Carpenter. The Jacobites surrendered on 14 November after the arrival of the cavalry shored up the government position. Although the ‘Old Pretender’ landed in Scotland in December, the rising had lost its momentum and was over by late January 1716.