Whiggamore Raid
Encyclopedia
The Whiggamore Raid was a march on Edinburgh
by supporters of the Kirk party
of the Covenanters to take power from the Engagers
whose army had recently been defeated by the English New Model Army
at the Battle of Preston (1648)
.
Whiggamores (later shortened to Whigs)—a term most likely originating from the Scots
for "mare
drivers
"—became a nickname for the Kirk party who were against the Engagement with King Charles I
.
was a small encounter that hardly justified such a grand title, but it had important repercussions. James, Duke of Hamilton
and the rest of the Engager government were worried that the country was on the brink of civil war. An attempt to subdue the west would have meant further delays in the proposed invasion of England. Believing that success in England would be a more effective answer to discontent in the west than direct confrontation, the government decided not to force the issue. Far fewer forces were therefore raised in the south-west than was estimated.
For the Kirk party, dispersed but not destroyed, Mauchline Muir was unfinished business. Secure in their strongholds, they watched and waited. The Reverend Robert Baillie
, a leading minister and a political moderate, saw the danger;
, than the western shires began to stir. This time there was no lack of leadership. The earls of Eglinton, Loudon
, Leven
and David Leslie, Lord Newark, placed themselves at the head of several thousand men on a march on Edinburgh
to overthrow what was left of the Engager government.
The country people on the march used the word 'whiggam' to urge on their horses, a term which was picked up and later used to describe this march as the Whiggamore Raid. The Kirk Party
(Whigs), with all their uncompromising purity, were set to enter the stage of Scottish and British history.
between the Kirk Party and the Engagers, both sides became worried that the English Parliamentary forces would take advantage of Scottish disunity and invade, so on 27 September 1648 they agreed to the Treaty of Stirling which lead to the end of Engager dominance of Scotland.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
by supporters of the Kirk party
Kirk Party
The Kirk Party were a radical Presbyterian faction of the Scottish Covenanters during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. They came to the fore after the defeat of the Engagers faction in 1648 at the hands of Oliver Cromwell and the English Parliament...
of the Covenanters to take power from the Engagers
Engagers
The Engagers were a faction of the Scottish Covenanters, who made "The Engagement" with King Charles I in December 1647 while he was imprisoned in Carisbrooke Castle by the English Parliamenterians after his defeat in the First Civil War....
whose army had recently been defeated by the English New Model Army
New Model Army
The New Model Army of England was formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War, and was disbanded in 1660 after the Restoration...
at the Battle of Preston (1648)
Battle of Preston (1648)
The Battle of Preston , fought largely at Walton-le-Dale near Preston in Lancashire, resulted in a victory by the troops of Oliver Cromwell over the Royalists and Scots commanded by the Duke of Hamilton...
.
Whiggamores (later shortened to Whigs)—a term most likely originating from the Scots
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
for "mare
Mare
Female horses are called mares.Mare is the Latin word for "sea".The word may also refer to:-People:* Ahmed Marzooq, also known as Mare, a footballer and Secretary General of Maldives Olympic Committee* Mare Winningham, American actress and singer...
drivers
Driving (horse)
Driving, when applied to horses, ponies, mules, or donkeys, is a broad term for hitching equines to a wagon, carriage, cart, sleigh, or other horse-drawn vehicle by means of a harness and working them in this way...
"—became a nickname for the Kirk party who were against the Engagement with King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
.
Prelude
The Battle of Mauchline MuirBattle of Mauchline Muir
The Battle of Mauchline Muir was an engagement fought on 12 June 1648 between two rival factions of the Covenanters of Scotland. On one side where those who favoured the Engagement, known as Engagers, and those who were opposed to the Engagement, and known as the Kirk party...
was a small encounter that hardly justified such a grand title, but it had important repercussions. James, Duke of Hamilton
James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton
General Sir James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton KG was a Scottish nobleman and influential Civil war military leader.-Young Arran:...
and the rest of the Engager government were worried that the country was on the brink of civil war. An attempt to subdue the west would have meant further delays in the proposed invasion of England. Believing that success in England would be a more effective answer to discontent in the west than direct confrontation, the government decided not to force the issue. Far fewer forces were therefore raised in the south-west than was estimated.
For the Kirk party, dispersed but not destroyed, Mauchline Muir was unfinished business. Secure in their strongholds, they watched and waited. The Reverend Robert Baillie
Robert Baillie
Robert Baillie was a Scottish divine and historical writer.-Life:Baillie was born at Glasgow, the son of Baillie of Jerviston...
, a leading minister and a political moderate, saw the danger;
Raid
Later that summer Baillie's prediction came true. No sooner had news athat Hamilton and his army had crashed to disaster at PrestonBattle of Preston (1648)
The Battle of Preston , fought largely at Walton-le-Dale near Preston in Lancashire, resulted in a victory by the troops of Oliver Cromwell over the Royalists and Scots commanded by the Duke of Hamilton...
, than the western shires began to stir. This time there was no lack of leadership. The earls of Eglinton, Loudon
Earl of Loudoun
Earl of Loudoun , named after Loudoun in Ayrshire, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1633 for John Campbell, 1st Earl of Loudoun, along with the subsidiary title Lord Tarrinzean and Mauchline....
, Leven
Earl of Leven
Earl of Leven is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1641 for Alexander Leslie. He was succeeded by his grandson Alexander, who was in turn followed by his daughters Margaret and Catherine...
and David Leslie, Lord Newark, placed themselves at the head of several thousand men on a march on Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
to overthrow what was left of the Engager government.
The country people on the march used the word 'whiggam' to urge on their horses, a term which was picked up and later used to describe this march as the Whiggamore Raid. The Kirk Party
Kirk Party
The Kirk Party were a radical Presbyterian faction of the Scottish Covenanters during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. They came to the fore after the defeat of the Engagers faction in 1648 at the hands of Oliver Cromwell and the English Parliament...
(Whigs), with all their uncompromising purity, were set to enter the stage of Scottish and British history.
Aftermath
Following a short civil warBattle of Stirling (1648)
The second Battle of Stirling was fought on the 12 September 1648 during the Scottish Civil War of the 17th century.-Background:The Battle of Stirling in 1648 was part of the War of the Three Kingdoms. By this time, the Presbyterian Covenanter movement had defeated the Scottish Royalists, who...
between the Kirk Party and the Engagers, both sides became worried that the English Parliamentary forces would take advantage of Scottish disunity and invade, so on 27 September 1648 they agreed to the Treaty of Stirling which lead to the end of Engager dominance of Scotland.
See also
- British Whig PartyBritish Whig PartyThe Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule...
- Liberal Party (UK)Liberal Party (UK)The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
- Patriot WhigsPatriot WhigsThe Patriot Whigs and, later Patriot Party, was a group within the Whig party in Great Britain from 1725 to 1803. The group was formed in opposition to the ministry of Robert Walpole in the House of Commons in 1725, when William Pulteney and seventeen other Whigs joined with the Tory party in...
or Patriot Party - Radical WhigsRadical WhigsThe Radical Whigs were "a group of British political commentators" associated with the British Whig faction who were at the forefront of Radicalism...