Map and Plan of Preston, 1715

Preston City Council has received £49,600 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for an exciting project, The Last Battle on English Soil – Commemorating the anniversary of the Battle of Preston 1715.

Three hundred years ago, in November 1715, Government and Jacobite armies fought through the streets of Preston in a battle that might have changed history. The anniversary project will raise awareness of the battle and its brutal aftermath, culminating in a series of events in November.

The first events take on Saturday 18 July in Preston city centre and at Hoghton Tower on 18 and 19 July, where people can find out more about the Battle and meet re-enactors from both Jacobite and Government armies.

Commenting on the HLF award, Councillor Veronica Afrin, Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, said: “Preston has a fascinating heritage, but not enough people are aware of how significant the city is historically. The 1715 Battle could have changed the course of British history. This project will reveal the stories of the battle that at the moment are hidden in archives, museums and the modern streets.”

Queens Regiment at Hampton Court – Pic credit: John Beardsworth

If you would like to know more about the Battle of Preston 1715 and the Jacobites in Lancashire then see the Visit Lancashire website here.

Over the next few months, information about the battle will pop up around Preston – showing where barricades were built across the main streets, houses burned, Jacobites imprisoned and executed, and James III proclaimed king. School pupils will be involved in projects to discover the battles both here and in Scotland, and local communities will explore the impact on the city and contribute to the anniversary events.

The Battle took place during the 1715 Rising when Scottish and English Jacobites joined forces to try to bring the Catholic son of James II to the throne in place of the Hanoverian George I. James III was proclaimed king on the Flag Market in front of where the Harris Museum now stands. A hard-fought battle ended in the surrender of the Jacobite troops.

Over the coming months, Blog Preston will be reporting the progress of the battle in a blow by blow account of the main events as they happened in retrospective breaking news bulletins.

Events on 18-19 July
Saturday 18 July – Flag Market, Preston city centre and Harris Museum, PR1 2PP FREE

• Discover what happened in the centre of Preston in November 1715, meet Jacobite and Government soldiers, and find out more about the impact on the people of Preston and beyond.
• Try gingerbread made from a genuine 18th century recipe from the Jacobite ‘king’ James III.
• See Jacobite heritage and the death mask of the Earl of Derwentwater, who was executed after the Battle of Preston, in the Harris Museum’s Discover Preston gallery.

Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July – Hoghton Tower, Hoghton, PR5 0SH CHARGES APPLY

• Go back 300 years in the living history encampments of the Queen’s Regiment and the Rose and Thistle.
• Experience just a taste of battle with drills and live firing displays from the soldiers
• Find out about their uniforms, equipment and weapons.
• About the 1715 project working group

The project has been developed by a working group made up of individuals inspired by family links or the Preston context, as well as Preston Historical Society, Preston Museums Group, Lancashire Archives and Community Heritage, Preston Creative Partnership and arts organisations, Lancashire Family History and Heraldry Society, local historians, the Universities of Central Lancashire and Lancaster, local re-enactors, education advisors, and Marketing Lancashire.

About the Heritage Lottery Fund

From the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife, we use National Lottery players’ money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about.

You can discover more information on the Heritage Lottery Fund website here.

Are you aware of the tricentenary of the battle of Preston and will you go to the various events? Let us know in the comments below.