This is a letter written by a German ‘Hessian’ mercenary who had served under the British Crown during the War of Austrian Succession. The letter was published in London in 1743 and was written for a Hanoverian nobleman, in which the mercenary is informing his superior about the issues that he faced while serving under British pay. Within the letter, the mercenary addresses a series of Anti-Hanoverian pamphlets while also defending the role of his corps at the Battle of Dettingen in 1742. The author recounts his experiences of facing prejudice while serving in the British army and structures his letter as an argument against the way he perceived English people’s negative attitudes towards Hanoverians. This piece contextualizes the controversial discussion surrounding the military operations of the British Crown in the eighteenth century. It also highlights the incorporation of Hessian mercenaries under British pay. They were employed to put down the second Jacobite rebellion in 1746. Given that much Anti-Hanoverian propaganda was the product of Jacobite work, the document emphasizes the influence that the Jacobite threat had in forming public opinions towards the Hessian mercenaries under British pay and the Hanoverian Dynasty as a whole.

Popular Prejudice Concerning Partiality to the Interests of Hanover : to the Subjects of that Electorate, and Particularly to the Hanoverian Troops in British Pay, Freely Examined and Discussed…Translated from the original. London: Printed for M. Cooper, 1743. Archival & Special Collections (S0095b09)

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