Scottish History

1685 - 1760

In 1688, following the birth of James Edward Stuart, the son of James VII of Scotland and II of England, English politicians, referred to as the Immortal Seven, invited William of Orange to depose the king. The intention was to offer the throne to James’ daughter, Mary who was also the wife of William. This led to what became known as the Glorious Revolution, the Bloodless Revolution or more simply the Revolution of 1688. William brought over 15,000 men with him in November of that year and resulted in James fleeing to France the following month where he was given support by Louis XIV of France, an enemy of William.

In February 1689, the Declaration of Right was passed by the English Parliament stated James had abdicated and the vacant throne was offered jointly to William and Mary. In March, the Convention of Estates in Scotland also declared that James had forfeited the throne and the crown was also offered to William and Mary as the joint rulers. While this was also taking place, James was planning to regain the thrones of Scotland and England with the support of Louis XIV.

There was strong support for James in Ireland and the intention was for the deposed king and he sailed there with French troops in March. Meanwhile, John Graham of Claverhouse, the 1st Viscount of Dundee, who had supported James before he fled to France, headed north into Scotland to raise support for the deposed king there. These supporters are known as Jacobites, from that Latin for James, Jacobus and the attempts to restore the Stuart line to the throne became known as Jacobite Risings.

In 1695, William approves legislation allowing Scotland to set up an overseas trading company. This becomes the Company of Scotland and ends with the failed Darien Scheme of 1698.

In August 1791 William of Orange offered to pardon the rebel clans that had fought against him during the Jacobite Rising of 1689 - providing they signed an oath of allegiance before 1st January 1692. This ultimately led to the Massacre of Glencoe in February of that year.

In 1697, following the end of the Nine Year War, Louis XIV was forced to recognise William as the king of Britain. William is prepared to recognise James Edward Stuart as his heir providing William can rule in peace.  William makes the same proposal in 1700. James is against the idea, which leaves the throne open to Anne, the younger sister of Mary.

In 1701 the Act of Settlement was passed by the English Parliament. This meant that the throne would pass to Electress Sophia of Hanover, a granddaughter of James VI, or one of her descendants. A further provision was that only those descendants that were Protestant and had not married a Catholic could succeed the throne. That same year James VII/II died and his thirteen year old son was proclaimed James VIII of Scotland and III of England by Louis XIV of France. William dies the following year and is succeeded by Anne (1702 - 1714).

The Scottish Parliament reacted to the Act of Settlement with the Act of Security of 1704. This stated that on the death of Queen Anne, the Three Estates would appoint a Protestant successor from the descendants of the Scottish kings. The English Parliament prompts Anne to fortify and garrison Carlisle, Berwick and Newcastle. This was then followed by the Alien Act of 1705.

In 1707 the Treaty of Union was signed to unite Scotland and England; in the joint parliament, Scotland has 45 MPs and 16 peers. The following year a French backed scheme tried to restore the Stuart's to the British throne.

In 1715, John Erskine, the 11th Earl of Mar, raised the Jacobite standard in the north east and proclaimed James as the rightful King. This Jacobite Rising became known as the Fifteen. In 1719 a small Spanish backed landing of Jacobites at Kintail in the western Highlands ended abruptly at Glen Shiel. Then in 1745, under the leadership of James' son, Bonnie Prince Charlie, the Jacobite Standard is raised at Glenfinnan in July; this Jacobite Rising became known as the Forty-Five and ended at Culloden in April 1746.

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