Siege of Carlisle (December 1745)
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Carlisle took place during the Jacobite rebellion of 1745–46 after Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie)
was forced to retreat north back into Scotland
. As the retreat was totally against his will, he left a small force of 400 men to garrison Carlisle mainly consisting of members of the English Jacobite regiment called the Manchester Regiment
, so that Charles could say that he at least held one town in England
for his hoped-for return. The Jacobite garrison left to hold Carlisle surrendered to overwhelming Hanoverian forces under the Duke of Cumberland.
The troops of the Duke of Cumberland reached Carlisle on 21 December 1745 and immediately began to besiege and bombard the town. The garrison resisted for nine days but on 30 December, requested terms from Cumberland who replied - "The only conditions he could grant to rebels were that they should not be put to the sword, but be reserved for the king's pleasure" .http://www.stevebulman.f9.co.uk/cumbria/ancientcarlisle_f.html
without food, water or sanitation facilities until they were brought out for execution. The so called "licking-stones" where desperate prisoners licked the walls to obtain some moisture can still be seen today http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.13665. The executions were staggered with some of the officers sent to London to be hanged, drawn and quartered
for high treason
.
Charles Edward Stuart
Prince Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Sylvester Severino Maria Stuart commonly known as Bonnie Prince Charlie or The Young Pretender was the second Jacobite pretender to the thrones of Great Britain , and Ireland...
was forced to retreat north back into Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. As the retreat was totally against his will, he left a small force of 400 men to garrison Carlisle mainly consisting of members of the English Jacobite regiment called the Manchester Regiment
Manchester Regiment (Jacobite)
The Manchester Regiment was a unit of English soldiers recruited by the Jacobites during the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion. They owed their allegiance to Charles Edward Stuart and the House of Stuart and were in rebellion against George II....
, so that Charles could say that he at least held one town in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
for his hoped-for return. The Jacobite garrison left to hold Carlisle surrendered to overwhelming Hanoverian forces under the Duke of Cumberland.
The troops of the Duke of Cumberland reached Carlisle on 21 December 1745 and immediately began to besiege and bombard the town. The garrison resisted for nine days but on 30 December, requested terms from Cumberland who replied - "The only conditions he could grant to rebels were that they should not be put to the sword, but be reserved for the king's pleasure" .http://www.stevebulman.f9.co.uk/cumbria/ancientcarlisle_f.html
Atrocities
The "King's pleasure" involved Jacobite prisoners being crammed into a dungeon in Carlisle CastleCarlisle Castle
Carlisle Castle is situated in Carlisle, in the English county of Cumbria, near the ruins of Hadrian's Wall. The castle is over 900 years old and has been the scene of many historical episodes in British history. Given the proximity of Carlisle to the border between England and Scotland, it...
without food, water or sanitation facilities until they were brought out for execution. The so called "licking-stones" where desperate prisoners licked the walls to obtain some moisture can still be seen today http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.13665. The executions were staggered with some of the officers sent to London to be hanged, drawn and quartered
Hanged, drawn and quartered
To be hanged, drawn and quartered was from 1351 a penalty in England for men convicted of high treason, although the ritual was first recorded during the reigns of King Henry III and his successor, Edward I...
for high treason
High treason
High treason is criminal disloyalty to one's government. Participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state are perhaps...
.
See also
- Jacobite RisingJacobite risingThe Jacobite Risings were a series of uprisings, rebellions, and wars in Great Britain and Ireland occurring between 1688 and 1746. The uprisings were aimed at returning James VII of Scotland and II of England, and later his descendants of the House of Stuart, to the throne after he was deposed by...
- Charles Edward StuartCharles Edward StuartPrince Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Sylvester Severino Maria Stuart commonly known as Bonnie Prince Charlie or The Young Pretender was the second Jacobite pretender to the thrones of Great Britain , and Ireland...
- Duke of Cumberland
- Siege of CarlisleSiege of CarlisleThe Siege of Carlisle may refer to:*Siege of Carlisle , Andrew Harclay, 1st Earl of Carlisle drove off Robert I of Scotland from a siege of Carlisle...