Origins of the 'Forty-five: And Other Papers Relating to That Rising

About this book

This volume is a scholarly compilation of primary documents and contemporary narratives surrounding the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745‑1746, assembled by W. B. B. Colinton in 1916‑1917. It opens with an extensive roll‑call of the many individuals and institutions that supplied manuscripts, from French state archives to private family papers, and proceeds to a detailed contents list that groups the material by author and theme, papers of John Murray of Broughton, memorials concerning the Highlands, accounts of the battles of Preston, Falkirk and Culloden, and numerous appendices on clan genealogies and clerical involvement. The introductory essay then sets the stage with a concise biography of James III & VIII and a narrative of early French‑Jacobite schemes, grounding the later documents in the broader diplomatic and military context.

The work is written in a formal, early‑20th‑century academic style, marked by precise footnotes, occasional French terminology, and a measured, almost reverent tone toward its sources. Readers who relish meticulous historical research, particularly scholars of Scottish history, genealogists tracing clan lineages, or enthusiasts of the Jacobite era who appreciate authentic contemporary testimonies, will find this collection both informative and engaging.

Opening lines

I desire to express my thanks to the Government of the French Republic for permission to make transcripts and to print selections from State Papers preserved in the National Archives in Paris; to the Earl of Ancaster for permission to print the Drummond Castle Manuscript of Captain Daniel’s Progress; to the Earl of Galloway for Cardinal York’s Memorial to the Pope; to His Grace the Archbishop of St. Andrews for the use of papers elucidating the action of the Roman Catholic clergy in 1745; to Miss Grosett-Collins, who kindly lent me Grossett family papers; to Mrs. G. E. Forbes and Mr. Archibald Trotter of Colinton for private papers of the Lumisden family; to M. le Commandant Jean Colin of the French Army (author of Louis XV. et les Jacobites) for several valuable communications, and to Martin Haile for similar help. …

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