The Jacobite Rising of 1715 and the Murray Family: Brothers in Arms
The Jacobite Rising of 1715 is remembered, if at all, usually as the precursor of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s rising in 1745. However, it was a significant event in its own right, coming at a time when the Hanoverian dynasty was newly established and the ink was scarcely dry on the Union between England and Scotland.
The campaign included two full-scale battles, one in Scotland (Sheriffmuir) and the other in England (Preston) but never really gained momentum. The experience of the Murray family perhaps helps explain why. The Duke of Atholl’s three sons were all prominent in the rising, but the Duke himself was a strong supporter of the government. The Scots were too divided, and there was little support in England.
Anderson deals primarily with the history of the Murrays, complete with a family tree. What huge families they had! An informative account of a neglected but potentially crucial episode in British history.
