Battle of Preston (1715) facts for kids

See Battle of Preston (1648) for the battle of the Second English Civil War.

Quick facts for kids Battle of Preston
Part of the Jacobite rising of 1715
A map of 18th-century Preston
Date 9–14 November 1715 Location Preston, Lancashire 53°45′14″N 2°42′04″W / 53.754°N 2.701°W / 53.754; -2.701 Result Government victory
Belligerents
Great Britain	Jacobites
Commanders and leaders
Charles Wills George Carpenter	William Mackintosh William Maxwell Lord Derwentwater Thomas Forster Henry Oxburgh
Strength
2,500–3,000	1,700
Casualties and losses
300 killed or wounded	17 dead 25 wounded 1,468 captured

The Battle of Preston took place from November 9 to 14, 1715. It was the last major fight of the Jacobite rising of 1715. This uprising was an attempt to put James Francis Edward Stuart on the British throne instead of King George I. After several days of fighting in the streets, the Jacobite leader, Thomas Forster, gave up to the government troops led by General Charles Wills. Some people say this was the very last battle ever fought on English soil.

Why Did the Battle Happen?

The Jacobites were a group who supported the return of the House of Stuart to the British throne. They believed that James Francis Edward Stuart, also known as "The Old Pretender," should be king. He was the son of the previous king, James II.

In 1715, the Jacobites started an uprising. They marched south into England, and more people joined them along the way. By the time they reached Preston, Lancashire, their numbers had grown to about 4,000. Their cavalry (soldiers on horseback) entered Preston on the night of November 9, 1715. As they arrived, some government soldiers and local militia (citizen soldiers) left the town and went to Wigan.

General Charles Wills was given orders to stop the Jacobites. He left Manchester on November 11 with six groups of soldiers and arrived in Preston on November 12. The Jacobite leader, Thomas Forster, was a local landowner from Northumberland. He didn't have much experience leading soldiers. He was chosen mainly because he was a Protestant. When Forster heard that General Wills was coming, he decided to stay and defend Preston. However, he made a mistake by moving his troops away from a strong defensive spot at the Ribble bridge, which was just outside Preston.

The Fight in Preston

The Jacobites quickly built barricades (blockades) in the main streets of Preston. General Wills ordered his soldiers to attack right away. But the Jacobites fired from behind their barricades and from houses. This caused the government attack to fail, and they lost many soldiers.

General Wills then ordered houses to be set on fire. He hoped the fires would spread to the Jacobite positions. The Jacobites tried to do the same to houses that the government troops had taken over. During the night, Wills ordered his soldiers to light up their positions so they could be seen. This actually helped the Jacobite snipers (shooters) in the dark. Overnight, many Jacobite soldiers secretly left the town. There's a famous old song from Lancashire called Lo! The Bird is Fallen that tells the story of these events.

On November 13, more government soldiers arrived from Newcastle. These new troops were led by General George Carpenter. General Wills used them to make sure the Jacobites trapped in Preston couldn't escape. Even though not many people had been killed or hurt yet, the Jacobites were in a hopeless situation. One of Forster's officers, Henry Oxburgh, told him to talk to General Wills about surrendering.

The Scottish Jacobites in the town were not told about these talks. When they found out, they marched through the streets. They threatened anyone who even mentioned surrendering. They even killed or hurt several people. Finally, at 7:00 AM on Monday, November 14, Forster offered to surrender without any special conditions. General Wills said no, unless the Scottish soldiers also surrendered on the same terms. After some discussion, the Scots agreed to surrender too.

What Happened After?

In total, 1,468 Jacobites were captured. About 463 of them were English. Some important leaders who were captured included George Seton, 5th Earl of Winton, William Gordon, 6th Viscount of Kenmure, William Maxwell, 5th Earl of Nithsdale, James Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Derwentwater, and William Murray, 2nd Lord Nairne. They were later found guilty of treason (betraying the king) and sentenced to face severe punishment. However, Winton and Nithsdale managed to escape from the Tower of London. In May 1716, Colonel Oxburgh was executed for his part in the uprising. All the other prisoners who survived, except for members of the Clan Gregor, were later forgiven by a special law called the Indemnity Act 1717.

Seventeen Jacobites were killed, and twenty-five were wounded during the battle. The government forces had about 300 soldiers killed or wounded. Many of the ordinary Highland clansmen (Scottish soldiers) who were captured at Preston were sent away to the Americas as punishment.

Was This the Last Battle in England?

The Battle of Preston is often said to be the last battle fought on English soil. But whether this is true depends on how you define "battle." Preston was more like a siege (where an army surrounds a town) than a pitched battle (a planned fight in an open field).

Because of this, some people think the Battle of Sedgemoor in 1685 was the last battle. Others point to a small fight called the Clifton Moor Skirmish near Penrith in Cumbria on December 18, 1745, during another Jacobite rebellion. However, there was a lot of fierce fighting in the streets all over Preston during this battle. This was much more fighting than in most sieges. It was similar to battles like the Battle of St Albans (1455) in the Wars of the Roses, which was also fought in town streets but is still called a battle. The Battle of Reading in 1688 was also a street battle. A much later event, the Battle of Bossenden Wood, fought on May 31, 1838, is also sometimes suggested as the last battle.

See also

• Battle of Sheriffmuir, a battle that happened at the same time as the 1715 Rising, but in Scotland.

Sources