Jacobities
Loyalism to the Stuarts
Damnation to King George! - Charles Vane upon making a toast
The first Stuart to be monarch of both Scotland and England was James VI and I, who claimed his authority was divinely inspired, a concept known as divine right. He considered his decisions were not subject to 'interference' by either Parliament or the Church, a political view that would remain remarkably consistent among his Stuart successors.
There were Jacobite risings in 1689, 1715, and 1719. There were also planned French invasions of Britain in support with or in support of the Jacobites in 1708.
Public Agenda
History
After James II and VII went into exile after the 1688 Glorious Revolution, the English Parliament argued he had 'abandoned' the throne of England and offered it to his Protestant daughter Mary II and son-in-law and nephew William III as joint monarchs. In Scotland, the Convention did the same but claimed he had 'forfeited' the throne of Scotland by his actions, listed in the Articles of Grievances.
This was a fundamental change capturing a key ideological difference between Jacobites and their opponents; if Parliament could decide James had forfeited his throne, monarchs derived their legitimacy from Parliament, not God, ending the principle of Divine Right of Kings. However, Jacobitism was a complex mix of ideas; in Ireland, it was associated with tolerance for Catholicism and the reversal of the land settlements of the 17th century. After 1707, many Scottish Jacobites wanted to undo the Acts of Union that created Great Britain but opposed the idea of Divine right.
Military
Main Forces
Ireland 700 supporters Scotland 4,000 highlanders France 12,000 soildersSupporters
- Kingdom of France
- Tories (traditional Brittish traditionalism and conservatism)
- Mercenaries (William Boyd)
- Charels Vane and other pirates (sometimes used as excuse to plunder English ships)
Notable Battles and Risings
- Jacobite rising of 1689 (Victory for Scottish Government)
- Williamite War in Ireland 1689-1691 (Williamite Victory)
- Jacobite assassination plot 1696 (failed)
- Planned French invasion of Britain 1708 (Decisicve British Government Victory)
- Jacobite rising of 1715 - Lord Mar's Revolt (Hanoverian- British Victory)
- Jacobite rising of 1719 - The 19 (British Government Victory)
Religion
Mostly Catholicism was practiced by Jacobites, especially Scottish and French origin. Religion played an important part in the movement, however, there were many more motivations outside of Religious practice and creed.
Irish
Irish Jacobites looked for religious toleration, allowing Catholics to hold official office and join the military. The superior Protestant church held a monopoly over the majority Catholic Irish people, and they wished to worship as they chose, whether it is Catholic or otherwise.
England
Some support towards the Jacobite cause came primarily from Anglicans, which started with the Church of England refusing to swear loyalties to the Non-Stuart monarchs on the throne.Scotland
Catholics in Scotland formed the most ideologically committed supporters. Many clans were practicing Catholics, but some of the more powerful clans such as the Camerons were Episcopalian. Episcopalians made up nearly half of all the Scottish Jacobite forces. Lowlanders were generally supporters because of religion, while Highlanders were supporters because of inter-clan politics. Scottish bishops presided over Presbyterian structures and were doctrinal Calvinists who viewed many Church of England practices as little better than Catholicism.
Nice work! I like how you indicate how the Jacobites may be relevant to pirates.
Thank you!