8. The Battle of Prestonpans, 21 September 1745

Prestonpans, a few miles east of Edinburgh, was the place where the royal troops of King George II, led by Lieutenant-General John Cope, were defeated by the Jacobite army, led by Lord George Murray. Thanks to Murray’s military skills the battle only lasted about ten minutes, with hundreds of government troops killed or wounded. The victory of Prestonpans meant that the whole of Scotland, except Edinburgh and Stirling castles, was now controlled by the Jacobite forces. The document is introdu..