Siege of Culloden House (1715) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siege of Culloden House |
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| Part of the Jacobite rising of 1715 | |||||||
.jpg) Old Culloden House, Duncan Forbes |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Great Britain |
 Jacobites from Clan Chattan |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Lady Forbes of Culloden Hugh Fraser |
Unknown |
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| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | 700 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| None | Unknown | ||||||
The siege of Culloden House was an important event during the Jacobite rising of 1715 in Scotland. It was a fight between supporters of the British Government and a group called the Jacobites. The Jacobites wanted to put a different king on the throne. This siege showed how brave people could be when defending their homes.
Contents
What Was the Siege of Culloden House?
The siege of Culloden House happened in 1715. It was part of a bigger conflict known as the Jacobite rising of 1715. This was a time when many people in Scotland were fighting over who should be the king of Great Britain.
Who Were the Jacobites?
The Jacobites were people who supported the return of the Stuart family to the British throne. They believed that James Francis Edward Stuart, often called "The Old Pretender," should be king. He was the son of the last Stuart king, James VII and II. At this time, George I of Great Britain from the House of Hanover was the king.
The Attack on Culloden House
After the Jacobites took control of Inverness, some of their fighters marched towards Culloden House. This house belonged to the Forbes family. The Forbes family supported the current British Government and King George I. The Jacobites then surrounded the house, trying to force the people inside to surrender. This is what a "siege" means: surrounding a place to cut it off.
Lady Forbes' Brave Defense
Culloden House was defended by Lady Forbes of Culloden, the wife of the laird (the lord of the land). She was incredibly brave. When the Jacobites approached, she warned them. She said that if they came too close, she would show them she had enough weapons and ammunition to defend the house. She was ready to fight for King George I.
Lady Forbes and her servants managed to hold off the armed Jacobite attackers. They kept the house safe for seven long weeks! This was a remarkable feat, as they were facing a large group of armed men.
Help Arrives!
Finally, help came for Lady Forbes and her defenders. A powerful Scottish leader named Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat arrived. He helped to scatter the Jacobite force. These Jacobites were from a group called Clan Chattan. They had been controlling the area around Culloden House.
Lord Lovat's actions were important for a few reasons. By helping to end the siege, he gained the support of other powerful people. These included John Gordon, 16th Earl of Sutherland and John Forbes. Their support helped Lord Lovat avoid being arrested for treason. Treason means acting against your country or its ruler.
After giving up the siege, the 700 men from Clan Chattan joined the main Jacobite army. This army was led by John Erskine, Earl of Mar. They met up in Perth on October 5th.
One story from the siege says that a cannonball hit a tree. The falling wood from the tree killed one of the Jacobite rebels. Later, that tree became covered in a huge amount of ivy.
Interestingly, Culloden House was defended by Hugh Fraser during this 1715 siege. Years later, in the Jacobite rising of 1745, his own brother, James Fraser of Foyers, actually led a siege against the same house!
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