List of deserters from James II to William of Orange facts for kids

William of Orange landing at Torbay in 1688

This article lists important people from the British nobility and gentry who supported Prince William of Orange in 1688. These individuals chose to stop supporting King James II as events of the Glorious Revolution unfolded. Their actions helped change who ruled England without a major war.

What Was the Glorious Revolution?

The Glorious Revolution happened in 1688. It was a big change in how England was governed. King James II was a Catholic ruler in a mostly Protestant country. Many people worried he would make England Catholic again. They also feared he would rule without Parliament.

Because of these worries, important leaders invited William of Orange to come to England. William was a Protestant prince from the Netherlands. He was also married to James II's daughter, Mary. William arrived with an army, and King James II eventually left the country. This event led to William and Mary becoming joint rulers of England. It was called "Glorious" because it happened with very little fighting.

Why Did Important People Change Sides?

Many nobles and gentry were worried about King James II's rule. They feared he was becoming too powerful. They also worried about his religious policies. These leaders believed that William of Orange would protect their rights. They thought he would also protect the Protestant religion in England.

When William arrived, many important people decided to support him. They left King James II's side. This showed that King James II had lost a lot of support. This made it easier for William to take the throne. These people played a big part in the success of the Glorious Revolution.

Key Figures Who Joined William

Here are some of the important people who joined William of Orange:

• Admiral Matthew Aylmer: He helped convince the Royal Navy to support William instead of King James.
• Colonel Berkeley: This person was likely Lord Fitzharding.
• Captain Henry Bertie: He was the brother of the Earl of Abingdon.
• Squire Bray
• Henry Booth, 2nd Baron Delamere: He gathered armed men in Cheshire in November 1688. He appeared in Manchester with 50 men. This group grew to three times that size.
• James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde
• William Cavendish, 4th Earl of Devonshire: He gathered armed men in Derby. He then went to Nottingham. Nottingham soon became a main meeting place for those supporting William in the north.
• John Cecil, 5th Earl of Exeter
• Hugh Cholmondeley, 2nd Viscount Cholmondeley: He joined the northern uprising at Nottingham in 1688. He later became a Baron and then an Earl.
• Charles Cokayne, 3rd Viscount Cullen
• Squire Coote
• George Compton, 4th Earl of Northampton
• Henry Compton: He was the Bishop of London. He was also the youngest son of the 2nd Earl of Northampton.
• George Churchill: He was a captain in the navy. He later became an admiral. He was also the brother of John Churchill.
• John Churchill, Baron Churchill of Sandridge: He left King James's side on November 25, 1688. This was a huge blow to the King. He later became the Earl and then the Duke of Marlborough. He was also a captain-general.
• Sir Richard Dutton: He was possibly Sir Ralph Dutton, who was a Member of Parliament for Gloucester.
• Thomas Fairfax, 5th Lord Fairfax of Cameron: He was a Member of Parliament for York.
• Charles Fane, 3rd Earl of Westmorland
• Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton: He was one of the first to leave the King's army. He did this on November 24, 1688, along with John Churchill.
• Charles Gerard, 1st Earl of Macclesfield: He was an old soldier who had fought for King Charles I. He had also shared King Charles II's time in exile. He met with William at The Hague in 1688.
• John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath: He put the fortress at Plymouth under William's control. This happened on November 18, 1688. William had just arrived at Exeter. This meant William's forces had no enemies behind them.
• Thomas Grey, 2nd Earl of Stamford
• Captain Griffith
• Sir John Guise, Baronet: He was a Member of Parliament for Gloucester.
• Henry Hamilton-Moore, 3rd Earl of Drogheda
• Sir Edward Harley, Baronet: He gathered armed men in Worcestershire in November 1688 to support William.
• Arthur Herbert: He was a vice admiral. He later became the Earl of Torrington.
• Henry Herbert, 4th Baron Herbert of Cherbury: He also gathered armed men in Worcestershire in November 1688 for William.
• Henry Howard, 7th Duke of Norfolk: He appeared in Norwich with 300 armed men in November 1688. The mayor and aldermen joined him there.
• Edward Hyde, Lord Cornbury: He was the son of the Earl of Clarendon. He was one of the first royal commanders to leave the King's side. He was a senior officer at Salisbury. He left with as many troops as he could convince to follow him.
• Henry Hyde, 2nd Earl of Clarendon: He was the father of Lord Cornbury.
• Robert Leke, 3rd Earl of Scarsdale
• John Lovelace, 3rd Baron Lovelace: He set out to Exeter to join William. However, he was captured in Gloucester.
• Richard Lumley: He took control of Newcastle for William. He later became Viscount Lumley and then Earl of Scarborough.
• John Manners, 9th Earl of Rutland
• Squire Marle
• Charles Montagu, 4th Earl of Manchester: He moved to Nottingham. Lord Cholmondeley and Lord Grey de Ruthyn joined him there.
• Edward Osborne, Viscount Latimer: He was the son of the Earl of Danby.
• Peregrine Osborne, Lord Dunblane: He was also a son of the Earl of Danby.
• Thomas Osborne, 1st Earl of Danby: He took control of York for William. He later became the Duke of Leeds.
• James Paynter: He was tried for treason in Cornwall but was later found not guilty.
• Sir Robert Peyton, Baronet: He was a colonel in the Dutch invasion.
• Charles Powlett, Earl of Wiltshire
• Charles Bodvile Robartes, 2nd Earl of Radnor
• Richard Savage, Lord Colchester: He was the son of Earl Rivers.
• Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset
• Robert Shirley, Lord Ferrers of Chartley
• Philip Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Chesterfield
• Charles Talbot, 12th Earl of Shrewsbury
• Squire Tibbing: This was likely Squire Thomas Tipping. He was a former Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire. He had gone to the Netherlands because of a scandal.
• Sir John Trelawney: This was possibly Sir Jonathan Trelawny, 3rd Baronet.
• Squire Trenchard: This was possibly William Trenchard of Cutteridge, Wiltshire.
• Henry Yelverton, 15th Baron Grey de Ruthyn: He joined the northern uprising in 1688. He later became Viscount de Longueville.