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| Siege of Carlisle (1745) | |
|---|---|
| Conflict | Siege of Carlisle (1745) |
| Partof | Jacobite rising of 1745 |
| Date | November–December 1745 |
| Place | Carlisle, Cumberland, England |
| Result | Jacobite withdrawal; government reoccupation |
| Combatant1 | Jacobites |
| Combatant2 | Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Commander1 | Charles Edward Stuart (overall), Lord George Murray (field) |
| Commander2 | Duke of Argyll (political), Sir John Guise (local) |
| Strength1 | elements of the Jacobite army |
| Strength2 | elements of British forces and militia |
| Casualties1 | limited; desertions and detachments |
| Casualties2 | limited; garrisoned losses |
Siege of Carlisle (1745) was an episode during the Jacobite rising of 1745 in which Jacobite forces entered and briefly occupied Carlisle before withdrawing ahead of advancing British Army detachments. The episode formed part of the wider campaign led by Charles Edward Stuart that included the Battle of Prestonpans, the march into England, the occupation of Manchester, and the advance as far south as Derby. The occupation and subsequent abandonment of Carlisle influenced government responses involving the Duke of Cumberland, Duke of Argyll, and regional militia arrangements.
In 1745 Charles Edward Stuart launched the Jacobite rising of 1745 to restore the House of Stuart to the British throne, capitalising on support in the Scottish Highlands among clans like the Clan MacDonald, Clan MacGregor, and Clan Fraser of Lovat. Following victory at the Battle of Prestonpans against Sir John Cope, Jacobite strategy included a southward advance into England, aiming to inspire uprisings and draw international attention from France and the Kingdom of Spain. Carlisle, a frontier garrison town with historic fortifications dating to the Norman conquest of England and the English Civil War, lay on the principal line of advance between Scotland and Lancashire and possessed symbolic value due to its previous sieges during the Jacobite rising of 1715 and earlier Anglo-Scottish conflicts.
After entering England, Jacobite columns under Lord George Murray and various clan chiefs moved through Roxburghshire and Cumbria, securing supplies at towns including Gretna Green and Penrith. The occupation of Carlisle followed negotiations with local authorities and was facilitated by the flight of some pro-Hanoverian officials to Carlisle Castle and surrounding barracks. On the government side, commanders such as William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland marshalled regulars returning from garrison duties and coordinated with regional figures including Earl of Sandwich and Duke of Argyll to form relief columns drawn from regiments like the Royal Scots and units posted at Newcastle upon Tyne and Lancaster. Mobilisation also involved raising local militia and deploying cavalry elements from York and Chester.
Jacobite occupation of Carlisle was relatively bloodless at first, with skirmishes around the Carlisle Castle perimeter and occasional artillery demonstrations. Jacobite forces needed to secure supply lines to Scotland and detachments moved to hold approaches along the A69 and M6 corridors. The arrival of government detachments under officers loyal to George II prompted a tactical reassessment by Jacobite commanders, who balanced the political aim of holding English ground against strategic vulnerability to encirclement by forces converging from Newcastle, Leeds, and Manchester. Operations included entrenching positions near the River Eden and short-range exchanges between Jacobite fencibles and government dragoons. As Cumberland advanced after the Battle of Falkirk Muir and government reinforcements consolidated, Jacobite command elected to withdraw southward rather than commit to a protracted siege defence.
Civilians in Carlisle experienced requisitioning of food, forage and quarters by Jacobite detachments, producing tensions with local merchants, guilds, and clergy of Carlisle Cathedral. The garrison at Carlisle Castle endured concerns about ammunition stores, small-arms shortages, and morale among soldiers drawn from regiments seasoned at frontier duty. Local magistrates and municipal authorities such as the Mayor of Carlisle negotiated with Jacobite officers over safe passage for noncombatants and the protection of property. Reports from the period describe heightened movement of refugees toward Lancaster and Newcastle upon Tyne and the disruption of trade along the Solway Firth and regional roads serving Westmorland and Cumberland.
The withdrawal from Carlisle was part of the larger Jacobite retreat culminating in the decision to fall back to Scotland and ultimately fight at the Battle of Culloden. The temporary occupation, and the government's swift reaction led by figures associated with House of Hanover policy, influenced Parliamentarian debates in Westminster and the deployment of additional regulars and militia. The episode highlighted the limits of Jacobite logistical reach, the role of regional loyalties across England and Scotland, and the strategic importance of frontier strongholds such as Carlisle Castle in controlling lines of communication between Borders districts. After royal forces reoccupied Carlisle, the town served as a staging point for operations against remnants of Jacobite bands and for courts-martial addressing insurgent prisoners captured during the campaign.
Commemoration of the 1745 operations around Carlisle appears in regimental histories such as those of the Royal Regiment of Scotland and in municipal records preserved at archives including the Cumbria Archives Service and Carlisle City Council collections. The legacy influenced later historical treatments in works addressing the Jacobite uprisings, biographies of Charles Edward Stuart and studies of 18th-century British Army reform. Physical reminders include Carlisle Castle and town plaques noting 18th-century events, while public memory intersects with broader cultural depictions in literature about the House of Stuart and narratives of the Highland Clearances and Scottish identity.