AH: WI the Jacobites succeeded. (WIP)

I meant the french troops being "coached" by the Geese.
i didnt mean the whole french navy, just a sort of convoy, however, with those numbers would need it, so ill restrict the numbers.
 
On the 3rd of December, 1745, James, the true King of Britain, was killed in a fall from his horse whilst hunting in Northern Italy. This catastrophe shocked many Jacobite supporters, including Charles, who led the funeral procession into the Cathedral of St Pauls-without-the-Walls. Charles was forced to put off his planned invasion of Scotland. He was pledged a small Expeditionary force by the king of France. Charles and seven friends joined him as he rode to the French coast, where he joined the 4500 French soldiers and received the assistance of several French tactical advisors.
the French force was observed and drilled for four months on the Breton Coast, where it was taught Guerilla tactics which would eventually be used in the Stuart reconquest.
Back in Scotland, Lord George Murray was whipping up support amongfor the cause the Highlanders, and promised money to the Borderers, who were already raiding villages south of the border.
The French fleet was finally deployed into the channel where it engaged the Royal Navy on the 27th April. Charles’ force was shipped up the North sea, where he lost near 500 men to a storm. Charles landed at Tayport (near Dundee) and swiftly captured Dundee on the 12th May. He raised his standard at Forfar, and near 10000 men flocked to him, including Thomas Lyon, the 8th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and Lord George Murray.
The Scottish troops were paraded in the grounds of Glamis castle, where George Murray was appointed the Supreme Commander of the rising. Charles stayed overnight at the castle, then called a counsel of war, where they voted unanimously to attempt to take the stronghold of Sterling.
The Opening hand was dealt.
There are a few thngs I'd like to point out if thats ok.

Charles gaining 10,000 is far to high at that point. There had not been a proper Jacobite rising in decades and support had dwindled. This was the Stuarts last chance and everybody knew it. Indeed the leaders of the rising were worried about this when he landed in ttl. This is what prompted the famous conversation when he landed and being urged to go home with the reply "I am come home, Sir".

If you disbelieve me, in 1715 the Jacobites probably would have had most of Scotland on ther side, but by 1745 this was certainly not the case and there was resistance to them in Scotland during the rising.

If you want to increase his support outside the Gàidhealtachd, have him convert to Anglicanism. I'd also have him land in the Highlands, as support in Dundee wouldn't get him 1,000 men let alone 10,000.
Overall though, its a mammoth task and would require a shitload of luck and skill.

Also, Sterling is a currency, not a town. It's Stirling.
 
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'15 or '45

Fletcher, do you think I should change to 1715, because as I see it, Charlie hasn't got much of a chance, or could you suggest some way that excludes conversion.

surely the 4500 wasnt the most he could get, as this time he has come in force?
 
Fletcher, do you think I should change to 1715, because as I see it, Charlie hasn't got much of a chance, or could you suggest some way that excludes conversion.

surely the 4500 wasnt the most he could get, as this time he has come in force?
The earlier the better if thats what you want. For Scotland the aborted 1708 rising would be a good one as there was still a lot of anti-union anger. Support in the north of England would still be there at this point too,
 

Thande

Donor
The earlier the better if thats what you want. For Scotland the aborted 1708 rising would be a good one as there was still a lot of anti-union anger. Support in the north of England would still be there at this point too,

Everyone always forgets the 1708 rising.
 
There was no possibility of James or Charles converting. If either had been willing to do so or just go through the motions then the Stuarts would have been restored.


In 1708 France was fighting for survival and was considering acceptance of truly humiliating terms so there will be no troops sent to Scotland that year with armies preparing to invade on three different fronts.
 
There was no possibility of James or Charles converting. If either had been willing to do so or just go through the motions then the Stuarts would have been restored.

Actually Charles did convert for a time - but not until 1750 - four years after Culloden -by which time it was far too late. By 1760 he appears to have reverted to Catholicism, though he wasn't very religious either way.

An interesting question is WI the Old Pretender had died before 1745? That leaves Charles as the titular King, and free to change his religion if he so decides. OTL, he was only "Prince Regent", a position his father could revoke at any time, which made such a step problematic - though as stated above he came to it in the end. A Charles who was already Protestant in '45 might well have rallied more support.
 
There was no possibility of James or Charles converting. If either had been willing to do so or just go through the motions then the Stuarts would have been restored.


In 1708 France was fighting for survival and was considering acceptance of truly humiliating terms so there will be no troops sent to Scotland that year with armies preparing to invade on three different fronts.
They did send 6000 troops OTL. Indeed they managed to get to the Firth of Forth, but the French Admiral refused to put James ashore with the Royal Navy so close at hand. Given the popular anger over the Act of Union just one year prior James would probably have managed to get most of Scotland on his side, given he was promising to restore the Scottish Parliament.
 
Murder the Cumberland sausage

Quote from Wikipedia: In 1716 James, the Old Pretender. son of James VII, was entertained at Glamis. Thirty years later another king¹s son, but a much less welcome one, the Duke of Cumberland, stopped at the castle on his march north to Culloden.

Could the Earl have Cumberland murdered, and how would it affect the rising?
 
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