Manchester Regiment (Jacobite)

The Manchester Regiment was a unit recruited by the Jacobites from Manchester during the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion. They supported Charles Edward Stuart in his attempt to regain the British throne from George II.

Charles landed in Scotland in July 1745 during the War of the Austrian Succession and by the end of October had succeeded in capturing the Scottish capital of Edinburgh and defeating government forces at Battle of Prestonpans. On 8 November the Jacobite army crossed into England, where Charles believed there was strong support for a Stuart restoration.

When the Jacobites reached Manchester on 28 November, 300 volunteers were formed into the Manchester Regiment commanded by Colonel Francis Towneley a former officer in the French army. These were the only significant numbers of English recruits; threatened by three separate armies, each individually larger than theirs the Jacobites turned back at Derby on 4 November.[1]

Charles had only reluctantly agreed to turn back from Derby and to maintain his claim to the British throne ordered the Manchester Regiment to remain and garrison Carlisle, captured in early November. When the town was re-captured by government forces in December, the garrison was imprisoned and several of its officers later executed, including Colonel Towneley. A small detachment from the Manchester Regiment who served the Jacobite artillery continued into Scotland with Charles's main force; they were subsequently defeated at the Battle of Culloden and the rebellion collapsed.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Riding, Jacqueline (2016). Jacobites; A New History of the 45 Rebellion. Bloomsbury. pp. 299–302. ISBN 1408819120.
  2. ↑ Pollard, Tony. Culloden: The History and Archaeology of the last Clan Battle. Page 41–42. 2009. ISBN 1-84884-020-9

Bibliography

  • Baker-Smith, Veronica. Royal Discord: The Family of George II. Athena Press, 2008.
  • Duffy, Christopher. The '45: Bonnie Prince Charlies and the Untold Story of the Jacobite Rising. Cassell, 2003.
  • Longmate, Norman. Island Fortress: The Defence of Great Britain, 1603-1945. Pimlico, 2001.
  • Holcroft, Fred. The Jacobites in Lancashire. 1995 ISBN 09524311014
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