History is usually written by the winners. That's why most people think the Jacobite Rising of 1715 was just a romantic, doomed footnote. It wasn't. It was a massive, terrifyingly close-run thing that almost toppled the British throne. Honestly, if a few things had gone differently in the autumn of 1715, we might be talking about a very different United Kingdom today.
The "Fifteen," as it's often called, wasn't just about kilts and claymores. It was a high-stakes political gamble. George I had just taken the throne, and frankly, he wasn't very popular. He was German, he spoke very little English, and he seemed more interested in Hanover than London. This created a massive opening for James Francis Edward Stuart—the "Old Pretender"—to reclaim what he believed was his birthright.
The Man Who Started It All (And Messed It Up)
John Erskine, the 6th Earl of Mar, is a name you need to know. He was nicknamed "Bobbing John" because he changed political sides more often than some people change their socks. He’d been a loyal servant to Queen Anne, but when George I snubbed him, Mar headed north to Scotland in a huff. Without any official commission from James Stuart, he raised the standard of rebellion at Braemar on September 6, 1715.
It was a bold move.
Actually, it was a reckless move.
Mar managed to gather a massive force—some estimates say around 10,000 men. At that moment, the government forces in Scotland under the Duke of Argyll had barely 4,000. Mar had the numbers. He had the momentum. He had the advantage. But Mar wasn't a soldier; he was a politician playing at being a general. Instead of smashing Argyll's smaller force, he sat in Perth for weeks. He waited. He hesitated. He let the government catch its breath.
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The Geography of Rebellion
While Mar was stalling in Perth, the rebellion was spreading. It wasn't just a Scottish thing. In Northumberland, Thomas Forster and the Earl of Derwentwater raised a force of English Jacobites. This is where the Jacobite Rising of 1715 gets complicated. The plan was for the Scots and the English to link up and march on Liverpool or even London.
The reality? The English Jacobites were fewer than expected. Many local squires liked the idea of a Stuart king over a drink in a pub, but they weren't exactly lining up to be hanged for treason. When the two forces finally met at Kelso, the tension was thick. The Highlanders didn't want to leave Scotland. The English didn't want to follow Scottish orders.
Sheriffmuir: The Battle Where Everyone Lost
On November 13, 1715, Mar finally moved. He met Argyll’s army at the Battle of Sheriffmuir. This battle is basically a comedy of errors if it weren't so bloody.
The terrain was a boggy, rolling upland. Because of the way the ground was shaped, neither general could see what the other was doing. Mar's right wing smashed Argyll’s left. Simultaneously, Argyll’s right wing smashed Mar’s left. Both sides thought they had won, and both sides retreated.
There’s an old Scottish folk song that sums it up perfectly: "There's some say that we wan, and some say that they wan, and some say that nane wan at a', man."
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Strategically, though? Mar lost. He had the bigger army and he failed to break through. In a rebellion, a stalemate is a death sentence. You need a decisive victory to keep the fire burning. Without it, people start looking for the exit.
The Disaster at Preston
While Mar was failing to win at Sheriffmuir, the southern Jacobite force was having an even worse time. They had marched into England, reaching Preston. They expected the masses to rise up and join them.
Nobody rose.
Instead, government troops under Generals Wills and Carpenter surrounded the town. The Jacobites put up a decent fight at first, barricading the streets, but they were trapped. On November 14—the day after Sheriffmuir—Thomas Forster surrendered. Over 1,500 Jacobites were taken prisoner. This was the effective end of the English wing of the Jacobite Rising of 1715.
James Stuart Arrives (Too Late)
The most tragic part of the whole affair? James Stuart didn't even show up until the rebellion was already dying. He landed at Peterhead in December, shivering with an ague (likely a fever or malaria) and finding his army demoralized.
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James wasn't the charismatic leader the Jacobites needed. He was somber, quiet, and honestly, a bit of a damp squib. He didn't bring the French troops or the money he had promised. By February 1716, James and Mar snuck onto a ship at Montrose and fled back to France, leaving their followers to face the music.
The abandonment left a bitter taste. The Highlanders felt betrayed. They had risked everything for a King who wouldn't even stay to see the end of the fight.
Why the 1715 Rising Actually Matters Today
You might wonder why we still care about a failed coup from 300 years ago. Well, the aftermath changed Britain forever.
- The Disarming Acts: The government realized they couldn't keep letting the clans have private armies. They started passing laws to strip Highlanders of their weapons.
- Infrastructure: General Wade began building a massive network of military roads and forts across the Highlands. If you've ever driven through the Great Glen, you're driving on the legacy of the 1715.
- The Union: The rebellion actually strengthened the 1707 Act of Union in the long run. The government spent the next few decades making sure Scotland was too integrated (and too policed) to rebel again easily.
Common Misconceptions
People often confuse the 1715 with the much more famous 1745 rising led by Bonnie Prince Charlie. But the 1715 was actually the bigger threat. In 1715, the Jacobites had more men and more domestic support within England. The 1745 was a desperate "Hail Mary" pass; the 1715 was a legitimate civil war that the government nearly lost.
Another myth is that this was a purely Catholic vs. Protestant war. It wasn't that simple. Many Jacobites were Episcopalians who hated the Presbyterian establishment in Scotland. Others were simply "Tories" who hated the "Whig" government. It was about power, taxes, and local autonomy just as much as it was about religion.
What You Should Do Next
If you want to truly understand the Jacobite Rising of 1715, stop reading generic history books and look at the primary sources.
- Visit the Sites: If you are ever in Scotland, go to Sheriffmuir. Stand on the "Gathering Stone." You can see exactly why the generals couldn't see each other. It makes the history visceral.
- Read the Memoirs: Look for the "Memoirs of the Rebellion" by the Master of Sinclair. He was there, he hated the Earl of Mar, and his writing is incredibly petty and insightful. It gives you the "real" version of the camp life and the failures of leadership.
- Research Your Ancestry: Many people in the US, Canada, and Australia are descendants of Jacobite prisoners transported after the 1715. Check the "Preston Prisoners" lists. You might find a direct link to the men who stood behind the barricades in 1715.
- Explore the Roads: Look at maps of General Wade’s military roads. Understanding how the British government used engineering to suppress future rebellions is a masterclass in colonial strategy.
The 1715 wasn't a romantic failure. It was a logistical nightmare fueled by bad leadership and missed opportunities. By studying it, we see how easily the course of an entire empire can be changed by a few days of hesitation on a foggy Scottish moor.