Key Players In Tartans History

The Young Pretender also Bonnie Prince Charlie led the 1745 Jacobite uprising in favour of James II.

He was the son of James Francis Edward Stuart and grandson of James II of England, born in 1744, after his father had obtained the support of the French government invade England, Bonnie Prince Charlie went to France to assume command of the French expeditionary forces. Unfavorable weather and the mobilization of the British fleet led to cancellation of the plan by the French government.

Charles raised a large enough force to enable him to march on the city of Edinburgh, which quickly surrendered. In September 1745 he defeated the only government army in Scotland at the Battle of Prestonpans.

Having taken Carlisle, Charles' army progressed to Derby. Here, despite his objections the decision was taken by his council to return to Scotland, due to the lack of the support from English Jacobites. At the 1746 Battle of Culloden the kings army caught up with Bonnie Prince Charlie and the highlanders.

At Culloden his forces were utterly routed . He was hunted as a fugitive for more than five months, but the Highlanders never betrayed him, escaped to France in September 1746. In 1748 he was expelled from France in accordance with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)

George II

George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 11 June 1727 until his death. He also served as Duke of Brunswick-Lneburg (Hanover) and Archtreasurer and Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire.

George II's French opponents played the Jacobite card in an effort either to replace him. In 1744 putting together an army with Charles Edward Stuart or 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' at it's head. Although France abandoned it's plan Charles Edward Stuart took it upon himself to try succeed where France could not, and launched what became the 1745 uprising.

Had the Jacobites only known it, little resistance lay between them and the capital,George II and his court were in panic, reportedly packing barges on the Thames with all their belongings in preparation for a flight back to Hanover.

But instead of advancing Jacobites retreated north, and the 1745 uprising ended in disaster for the Jacobites at the 1746 Battle of Culloden. Government forces at the Battle were led by George's 25 year old son, Augustus, Duke of Cumberland: better known to many as "Butcher Cumberland" for the actions of his troops after Culloden and in the suppression of the whole Highland way of life.

King George II - imposed the "Dress Act" in 1746 - in an effort to root out any support or the Jacobite position the wearing of tartan was banned.

Sir Walter Scott

Scott was a prolific Scottish historical novelist and poet. He was the first English-language author to have a truly international career in his lifetime, with readers in Europe, Australia, and North America. His novels and poems remain classics of Scottish literature to this day. Famous titles include; Rob Roy, Waverley, The Heart of Midlothian .'Waverly'was set during the Jacobite uprising.

As his fame grew, Walter Scott was given the title of baronet in 1920. Scott organised the visit of King George IV to Scotland, in 1822, Scott's pageantry made tartans and kilts fashionable and turned them into symbols of Scottish national identity.

King George IV

George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 - 26 June 1830) was the King of Hanover and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later.

When George III died in 1820, the Prince Regent ascended the throne as George IV, with no real change in his powers. By the time of his accession, he was obese and possibly addicted to laudanum.

Queen Victoria

Victoria ruled for longer than any other British monarch. She was the niece of George IV and the grand daughter of George III. She was Queen of the United Kingdom from 20 June 1837 until her death.

Her path to the throne After 350 years of The House of Stewarts the English Parliament (without consulting the Scots) passed the Act of Settlement in 1701. Under the settlement Act Cathloic decendents of James VII/II were excluded from becoming king.

The settlement confirmed Queen Anne as heir to the throne after King William, if neither of them had legitimate offspring, after Anne, the throne would then go to the Protestant Sophia, Electress of Hanover. Both William and then Anne died without producing an heir. Sophia, Electress of Hanover, had passed awway before Anne's death.

Under the Act of Succession the throne passed to of Great Britain (as since the Act of Settlement, there had been an Act of Union between England and Scotland) and Ireland to George I. George I was challenged by the 1715 and 1719 Jacobite uprising, but remained in power. George the II also survived the Jacobite Uprising of 1745.

After George II the crown skipped a generation, going to George II's grandson, George III he presided over the Act of Union with Ireland and as a result became the first King of the United Kingdom. His later years were blighted by mental illness, and power passed to the Prince Regent, George, Prince of Wales, who later became George IV. George was succeeded by two of his sons George IV and William IV, who both died without surviving legitimate children, leaving the throne to their niece, Victoria.

On 10 February 1840, Queen Victoria married her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha: his father was her mother's brother. They had first met when Victoria had been 16.

Scotland, which had only been visited twice by reigning monarchs in the previous two centuries. She was greatly excited by Sir Walter Scott's novels and very anxious to make the acquaintance of her northern kingdom, which soon became one of her favourite haunts after the purchase of Balmoral Castle a few years later.

William Wilson

William Wilson was born at Craigforth in 1727, in Stirlingshire. After becoming a weaver he established the firm of William Wilson and Sons. Wilsons of Bannockbur were the first manufacturers of tartan were who began creating tartans in 1765. The firm was remarkable in that it weaving tartan during the period of the Proscription of the Highland Garb Act, 1746 - 1782. The firm provided tartans to North and South America, the West Indies, Europe and the Indian continent, it also supplied tartans to many of the Highland regiments.

The end of the Jacobite rebellions also saw an end to the clan system in Scotland. It was not until after Proscription was repealed some 32 years later that the notion of clan tartans really began to form. The first regular, standardized tartans were woven by William Wilson, On his mechanical looms, he could repeat the same pattern of tartan over and over again without fail.

By the time King George IV came to Edinburgh In 1822, everyone was wanting a clan tartan. One merchant wrote: "Please send me a piece of Rose tartan, and if there isn't one, please send me a different pattern and call it Rose."