The Myth of the Jacobite Clans: The Jacobite Army in 1745

by Murray Pittock

The first edition of The Myth of the Jacobite Clans was a revolutionary book. It argued that British history had long sought to caricature Jacobitism rather than to understand it, and that the Jacobite Risings drew on extensive Lowland support and had a national quality within Scotland. The Times Higher Education Supplement hailed its author's 'formidable talents' and the book and its ideas fuelled discussions in the national press.

Now entirely rewritten with extensive new primary research, this second edition addresses the questions of the first in more detail, examining the systematic misrepresentation of Jacobitism, the impressive size of the Jacobite armies, their training and organization and the Jacobite goal of dissolving the Union, and bringing to life the ordinary Scots who formed the core of Jacobite support in the ill-fated Rising of 1745. Now, more than ever, The Myth of the Jacobite Clans sounds the call for an end to the dismissive sneers and pointless romanticisation which have dogged the Jacobite cause.

Genres: History, Scotland

240 pages, Hardcover

First published July 4, 1995

About the author

Murray G.H. Pittock FRSE is a cultural historian, Bradley Professor of Literature and Pro Vice Principal (Special Projects) at the University of Glasgow.

He was previously Professor of Scottish and Romantic Literature and Deputy Head of Arts at the University of Manchester, the first professor of Scottish Literature at an English university. He has been a visiting fellow at universities worldwide including: New York University (2015), Notre Dame (2014), Charles University, Prague (2010); Trinity College, Dublin (2008); the University of Wales in advanced Welsh and Celtic studies (2002), and Yale (1998, 2000–01).

Reviews

[Curt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read which brings the borders into play giving more support to the rising of '45 than indicated in popular culture. The text was a bit dense for me in parts with all the statistics supporting the narrative, but it was worth the read. I appreciated the detail explaining why the success of the Jacobites up to the road to London turned. I recommend this book to anyone looking beyond "Outlander."

[Miguel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This felt more like a book better suited to someone who already has a very strong grasp of Scottish and some British history during the period. It assumes a lot of knowledge of the chronology of the Risings etc., of which I only have some basic understanding.

It was written sorta as an academic text, which is why I wonder why my tour guide 2 years ago recommended it to a random guest.

Nonetheless, I did learn a lot from this. It was interesting to know that oppression of the Episcopalian Church was a big reason for people to support the Jacobite cause. It is telling that the English histories tried to frame the risings as a civil war like the War of the Roses etc. in order to diminish their national character. Characterizing Bonnie Prince Charlie as representing the return of absolute monarchism was also a helpful propaganda tool.

While I knew that Charlie was intent on taking the whole of the UK, I was not aware of the specifically anti-Union element of the Jacobite cause. I thought they just wanted a Stuart on the throne of the UK so they could be in power. Did not realize that they wanted the kingdoms ruled as separate kingdoms under one ruler.


Was cool to have read this around the time of a trip to Culloden.

[Peter Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murray Pittock's theory outlined here is that the a myth has been constructed around the Jacobite rising in 1745 that obscures the reality. This myth presents the '45 as largely driven by a doomed and obsolete highland clan culture with a romantic view of Stuart kingship which was overwhelmed by modernity in the shape of the Hanoverian British army. In reality Pittock suggests that the Jacobite army was better armed and trained, and with a much larger Lowland contingent - in fact closer to a national Scottish uprising than the myth-making proposes. Pittock argues that many historians have paid insufficient attention to the actual evidence available either because they seek the romance of the rising, or because they are pursuing the 'whig' version of events which sees the creation of modern Britain as the natural course of history, and can therefore only see the rising as doomed from the start.

It seems to me that this approach does risk projecting today's political concern to promote an independent Scotland as a similar set of myth-making about the '45 but in reverse - seeing a modern Scottish nation which in truth wasn't yet there. Pittock is however very good on attention to the sources and is a good corrective to the 'Outlander' view of things.

[Caroline Desnoyers · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting read which helped me for my essay on the end of the Scottish clans.