Robert Patten (Jacobite chaplain) facts for kids

Robert Patten (who was active around 1715) was a chaplain and historian who supported the Jacobite cause.

Patten used to be a curate (a type of church assistant) in Penrith, Cumberland. When the Jacobite rising of 1715 began, he was working in a similar role in Allendale, Northumberland.

Robert Patten: A Chaplain's Story

Joining the Jacobite Rising

Robert Patten led a group of keelmen (boat workers) to join the Jacobite uprising. While crossing Rothbury Common, he met some Scotsmen who were heading home to join the fight for James Francis Edward Stuart, who was also known as the "Pretender" because he claimed the throne. Patten convinced them to join him instead.

When he arrived at Wooler, he received a warm welcome from General Thomas Forster and James Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Derwentwater. Patten was then made Forster's chaplain. He marched with the group to Kelso, where the main Jacobite army joined them. There, he gave a speech to the entire army to boost their spirits.

Patten's Role in the Fight

Patten also took part in military actions during the uprising. When the group reached Penrith, he used his local knowledge to try and stop William Nicolson, the Bishop of Carlisle, at his home, Rose Castle. Patten also sometimes worked as a spy.

At Preston in Lancashire, the Jacobites were defeated on November 13, 1715, during the Battle of Preston. Patten's horse was shot from under him during the battle. He was captured there and taken under strict guard to London.

Writing History

In London, Patten decided to help the king's side by sharing what he knew. He wrote a history of the uprising to show his thanks for being spared. His book was called A History of the late Rebellion, with Original Papers and the Characters of the principal Noblemen and Gentlemen concerned in it; by the Rev. Mr. Robert Patten, formerly Chaplain to Mr. Forster.

The book was published in 1717, with a second, larger edition coming out the same year. Two more editions were published in 1745. In his book's introduction, Patten said the uprising started because of a trial in 1710 and because some people were openly promoting old ideas about "Passive Obedience" (meaning people should always obey their ruler without question) and "Hereditary Right" (the idea that a king's right to rule is passed down through family).

Patten in Fiction

Robert Patten appears as a character called "Creeping Bob" in Sir Walter Besant's book, Dorothy Forster. This is a historical novel about Northumberland's part in the Jacobite uprising.