On January 17th, 1746, Hanoverian and Jacobite forces clashed on a hilly moor, to the southwest of the town of Falkirk. This engagement saw the Hanoverian forces withdraw from the field, leaving the town in Jacobite control. This map was published in London shortly after the battle and depicts the deployment of both armies with their units’ names and significant locations in the surrounding area. With labels for the Jacobite army as the “rebel army”, and Prince Charles’ bodyguards as the “Pretender’s Horse Guards”, it is clear that this document is biased towards the Hanoverian regime. This map demonstrates how armies fought during this period. Eighteenth-century warfare was one of linear combat, where infantry deployed in lines in order to maximize their firepower, which is made clear on this map. Outmaneuvering the enemy was essential during this period, and at Falkirk Bonnie Prince Charlie marched his army along the low ground in order to avoid detection by Hanoverian scouts. When the Hanoverian commander, Lieutenant-General Henry Hawley, became aware of the situation he was a mile away at Callender house, and his troops were unprepared. With the Jacobites clearly marching towards the heights to the south west of Falkirk, Hawley left his strong defensive position in the town and climbed the hill. This map also demonstrates that Scots were not all in favour of the Jacobite cause. As seen here, the Argyllshire and Glasgow militia fought with the Government forces at Falkirk.  While this was technically a Jacobite victory, it was not a decisive one. The Jacobites were unable to re-engage the retreating Hanoverians. This gave them time to regroup at Edinburgh, and after being reinforced by the Duke of Cumberland, the last Jacobite rising was crushed at the battle of Culloden in April.

Map. Battle of Falkirk, 17 Jan. 1745-6. Whitehall : J. Millan, 1746. 1 sheet, 33 x 44 cm. Archival & Special Collections, University of Guelph Library (MC23.d13.f5)

To view a copy of this map, please click here.