Siege of Carlisle (December 1745) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siege of Carlisle (December 1746) |
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| Part of Jacobite rising of 1745 | |||||||
 View of Carlisle, by Thomas Allom |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 British Government |
 Jacobites |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Duke of Cumberland George Wade William Belford |
John Hamilton Francis Towneley |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 5,050 | 400 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 2 killed, 11 wounded | 1 killed, 15 wounded, 384 captured | ||||||
The siege of Carlisle in December 1745 was an important event during the Jacobite rising of 1745. It happened when a group of Jacobite soldiers, who were holding the town of Carlisle, surrendered to the British government army. This army was led by the Duke of Cumberland. The siege lasted from December 21 to December 30, 1745.
The Jacobites were supporters of Prince Charles, who wanted to become King of Great Britain. His army had invaded England in November 1745. They captured Carlisle and then marched as far south as Derby. On December 6, they decided to turn back. They returned to Carlisle on December 19. The main Jacobite army left 400 men to guard the town and continued their retreat into Scotland.
The government army arrived at Carlisle on December 21. However, they had to wait for their heavy cannons to arrive. These big guns came six days later. The government forces began firing on December 28. The Jacobites surrendered on December 30. About 384 Jacobite soldiers were captured. Some of them were later put on trial, and many were sent far away to the West Indies.
What Led to the Siege?
The Jacobite army entered England on November 8, 1745. They reached Carlisle on November 10. Carlisle had been an important border fortress for a long time. Its defenses were not as strong as they used to be, but it was still a tough challenge for the Jacobites. They did not have any special equipment to attack a castle.
The Jacobites demanded that both the town and the castle surrender. They threatened to burn them down if they did not. Even though a Jacobite officer later said this was a bluff, Carlisle gave up on November 15. The Jacobites left 100 men in the castle under Colonel John Hamilton. The rest of their army then marched further south.
After turning back from Derby on December 6, the Jacobites reached Carlisle again on December 19. After a lot of discussion, they decided to continue into Scotland on December 20. They left about 400 soldiers behind to guard Carlisle. Many people, including historians, thought this was not a good idea. They believed it was a mistake to leave so many men behind.
The Siege of Carlisle
Colonel John Hamilton was in charge of the castle. Colonel Francis Towneley was in charge of the town. Towneley led the Jacobite Manchester Regiment. This was the only large group of soldiers that joined the Jacobites from England. Some people thought Towneley was very smart and careful. However, others thought he had a quick temper.
Records show that when the Jacobite soldiers surrendered, 396 prisoners were taken. About 114 of them were English soldiers from the Manchester Regiment. Another 274 were Scots, mostly from groups like Glenbucket's and Lord Ogilvie's regiments. Eight of the prisoners were French. Many of the Manchester recruits did not even have weapons. Also, most of the 46 cannons they had were not used. They had plenty of gunpowder but very little ammunition.
On December 21, the first parts of Cumberland's army arrived outside Carlisle. Over the next few days, their numbers grew to more than 5,000 soldiers. This included a group from Newcastle led by George Wade. Cumberland's heavy cannons had been left behind at Lichfield. So, he had to wait for more cannons to be brought up. While waiting, his soldiers blocked the town and started building places for their guns.
Taking even an old fort was not easy. Cumberland knew this. He wanted to punish the town officials who had surrendered to the Jacobites in November. The Duke of Richmond, one of Cumberland's officers, wrote that capturing Carlisle would take some time. Towneley made the defenses stronger. His men fired at anyone who showed themselves. This did not cause much damage, but it showed they would fight hard.
The first big cannons for the siege arrived on December 25. More arrived on December 27 from Whitehaven. About 70 to 80 naval gunners also arrived. They were led by William Belford, who was an experienced artillery expert. On December 28, they began firing at the castle. They kept firing until the morning of December 30, except for a short break when they ran out of ammunition. Then, Hamilton offered to surrender.
Normally, when armies fight, the losing side can surrender with certain conditions. This means they would be treated as prisoners of war. But because the Jacobites were seen as rebels, Cumberland only promised to spare their lives. This meant they would not be killed right away, but would face a trial later. Towneley did not want to surrender. He thought they could have held out for better terms. However, he was outvoted, and the Jacobite soldiers gave up on the afternoon of December 30.
What Happened Next?
Cumberland went back to London because people worried about a possible French invasion. He sent Henry Hawley to Edinburgh. Hawley's main goal was to secure southern Scotland. However, his attempt to help at the siege of Stirling Castle failed at the Battle of Falkirk Muir on January 17. The Jacobites could not use their victory and went back to Inverness on February 1. The rebellion finally ended on April 16 with their defeat at Culloden.
Two Irish officers, Captains Brown and Maxwell, managed to escape over the walls of Carlisle. They made their way to Scotland. Prince Charles at first did not believe their report. The loss of almost 400 men for little gain made the relationship between Prince Charles and his Scottish officers even worse.
Most of the captured soldiers from Carlisle were first kept in a dungeon in the castle. They had no food or water for several days. In January, nearly 200 of them were moved to York Castle. There, they joined 80 prisoners who had been captured at Clifton Moor. Many of the captured Jacobites were put on trial for treason, which means going against the king. Some were executed. Others were sent away to places like the West Indies.
Images for kids
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View of Carlisle, by Thomas Allom
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Carlisle Castle was still a strong place, even though it had been neglected for years.
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This 18-pounder cannon is similar to those used by William Belford to fire at the castle.
