When King Henry the VIII re-dictated the ‘Divine Right of Kings’ from God to himself, he set forth events that would culminate on the battlefield of Culloden, almost two hundred years after his death. By implanting the new policy, he laid bare one of the variables for the wars that came to pass, religious doctrine as one, in regards to the rightful claimants for the throne of Britain.
Parliament verses Kings
1688- Glorious Revolution; William the II invited by parlament to save England from Catholicism, James II flees to France
1689- Convention of Parliament; issues Bill of Rights, establishes a constitutional monarchy in Britain and bars Roman Catholics from the throne. William the III and his wife, Queen Mary, (James II daughter) become the joint monarchs of England and Scotland
1701- The Act of Settlement; settles the Royal Succession on the Protestant descendants of Sophia of Hanover (who was the granddaughter of James I and niece of Charles the I from his marrige into the House of Hanover) instead of the Stuarts
1702- Death of William III, Anne, daughter of James II, succeeds and becomes Queen of England and Scotland. Unlike her father, she stayed a staunch Protestant and ruled until her death in 1714. She was the last Stuart monarch since none of her eighteen children survived beyond infancy,
1707- The Act of Union formally unites both Kingdoms.
1714- Death of Queen Anne. She is succeeded by George of Hanover who reigns as King George the I
1715- The Jacobite Rebellion begins in Scotland. It is defeated by early February of 1716. The 'Old Pretender' James Francis Stuart returns to France.
Culloden's Purpose
The various factors involved that culminated in the battle of Culloden, has a long history of the causes and effects of specific decisions. On the surface, it appeared that the role of religion in Catholic verses Protestant, garnered the major role, especially in regards to succession. Yet, the factual component was more of a political maneuver for personal gain of the few over the many. The climate was changing rapidly in England and the old style of ‘divine right’ was no longer considered viable. In the Highlands, the way of life of the clans and the crofter loyal to their own chieftain was being bypassed by the growth of industry. Greater profit could be made by enclosing estates and clearing off the ‘peasantry’.
The Aftermath
By noon, just an hour after the battle began on 16 April, 1746; over one thousand Highlanders lay dead and dying. Charles Edward Stuart, the Bonnie Prince Charlie, had retreated from the field. His cousin William Augustus, the Duke of Cumberland and the younger son of King George the II, stayed and began systematically to kill the wounded and dying on the field. The most horrific of his orders was to set the barn on fire; it bordered the field. In it were many who had been hurt in the battle and crawled away to seek sanctuary. ‘The Bloody Butcher , as he came to be called, sent his soldiers to pursue and hunt down any and all who even appeared to be rebels or their sympathizers. Cumberland enlisted the help of those cheiftians who stayed loyal to the King and subsequently by forced evition, exiled their own clans from their lands.
Act of Proscription
Parliament and King George passed this Act in 1747 to ensure no other uprisings would again occur from the Highlands and the clan society would be destroyed. It stated in essence ; 'To all Scots who had lately raised and carried on a most audacious and wicked rebellion against his majesty, in favour of a popish pretender... in a traitorous and hostile manner.' The result was the banning of the tarten, the wearing of the Highland dress and the playing of the bagpipes, since there were considered an instrument of war.
Though the Act was recinded in 1782, the damage to a populace lost to other shores, left behind their grim and solitary glens, where now 'sheep outnumbered men'.
Sources:
www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk
National Trust for Scotland
www.clanjames.com/culloden
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