Battle of Falkirk Muir - 1746

15/04/2026

*Two men’s fate after the catastrophic Jacobite defeat at Culloden*

Monday the 18th August 1746 was going to be another bad day for the Jacobite cause. It is the day when William Boyd, (Earl of Kilmarnock) and Arthur Elphinstone, (Lord Balmerino) will meet their maker.

After the Jacobite defeat at the Battle of Culloden Kilmarnock had accidentally surrendered to Cumberland’s troops while Balmareno deliberately given himself up to them. Subsequently both men were tried for treason, found guilty and were sentenced to death by the axe on Tower Hill. Until the final arrangements was made for their ex*****on both men were held in the Tower of London.

At six o’clock, on the morning of their ex*****on, a troop of life-guards, one of horse-grenadiers, and 1000 foot-guards marched from St James’s park to Tower-Hill. Two hours later the sheriffs of London, the ex*****oner and other dignitaries arrived at the Mitre Tavern, Fenchurch Street, next to Tower Hill where they had breakfast after which they were conducted to the scaffold.

At ten o’clock the scaffold was prepared whereby a block covered in black cloth was fixed on the stage. Several sacks of sawdust and straw were strew across the scaffold. Two coffins ornamented with gilt nails and covered in black cloth were then placed on the scaffold, Each coffin had a plate with the future occupant’s name (Guilelmus Comes de Kilmarnock and Arthurus Dominus de Balmerino) and their coronet inscribed on it.

At ten fifteen the sheriffs left in a procession to walk the short distance to the outward gate of the Tower. The sheriffs knocked and requested possession of the Earl of Kilmarnock and Lord Balmerino. The Tower guard opened the gates and delivered the two men to the sheriffs who were marched along in a slow and solemn manner up to Tower Hill accompanied by the following individuals:

1. The constable of the Tower-hamlets.
2. The knight marshal’s men and tip-staves.
3. The sheriff’s officers.
4. The sheriffs, the prisoners, and their chaplains.
5. The Tower warders.
6. A guard of musketeers.
7. Two hearses and a mourning coach.

As the procession passed, the large number of spectators who had been gathering since early morning, filled in behind. The mounted troops at the rear of the foot soldiers wheeled off and drew up five deep on the south side of Tower Hill facing the scaffold. This scene was recorded for prosperity by a contemporary detailed engraving.

Once the possession reached the scaffold the Earl of Kilmarnock and Lord Balmerino were led into a building to the north of the scaffold. The door of the building faced the steps leading up to the platform. Each man had a separate room which was hung in black. The condemned men’s family and friends were admitted to see them one last time.

Lady Anne, Kilmarnock’s wife, brought with her the Earl’s silver quaich with which he took his last drink of wine.

After saying their final farewell to their family the two men met and embraced.

The Earl was the first to be conducted to the scaffold. When he reached the top of the steps the view of the ex*****oner with his axe, the block and the coffin, which he knew was going to be his final resting place, understandably proved too much for him. Kilmarnock turned to the minister Reverend Hume and said ‘Hume, this is terrible.'

On seeing Kilmarnock’s distress, the ex*****oner, who felt faint and on asking the Earl for his forgiveness burst into tears. The Earl said he would drop his handkerchief as a signal for the stroke and with the help of his gentlemen he was made ready for the block.

The Earl removed his coat, took the bag from his hair, and tucked it up. Then he folded down the collar of his shirt and waistcoat, so that his neck was exposed. He then knelt on a black cushion at the block and drew the cap over his eyes. As he knelt he felt his collar flip up so he had to remove his cap, stand and readjust his collar. For a second time he knelt and drew his cap, He then dropped his handkerchief.

The ex*****oner swung his axe and severed Kilmarnock’s head from his body leaving only a small part of the skin which was immediately cut by a further stroke. The head landed on a red cloth and was then placed in his coffin along with his body. At Kimarnock’s request the his head was not held up to the crowd.
It took a few minutes to hide Kilmarnock’s blood by scattering some fresh straw and sawdust. The ex*****oner changed out of his blood splattered clothes.

Next up, Lord Balmerino in his full military uniform as an officer in Prince Charles’ Life Guards

Before leaving the building Balmerino solemnly recommended himself to the mercy of the almighty. Showing no fear he chearfully conversed with his friends, drank a glass of wine and ate a bit of bread. While doing so he desired the company to drink to him and informed them that he had prepared a speech which he wanted read out.

He then left the building leaving his friends for the last time and climbed the steps to the scaffold which he walked around several times, bowed to the minister and ex*****oner, inspected his coffin, and examined the block that he referred to as his “pillow of rest.” After that he put on his spectacles and read out his prepared statement to the assembled crowd of spectators. Defiant and unrepentant to the end he said that ‘If I had a thousand lives, I would lay them all down in the same cause.’

After his closing remarks Balmerino gave the ex*****oner three guineas saying, ‘friend, I never was rich, this is all the money I have now. I am sorry I can add nothing to it but my coat and waistcoat’ which he removed and threw on top of his coffin. He then put on a less stiff flannel waistcoat and put on a plaid cap which he had kept in pocket saying, he died ‘a Scotchman.’ He Told the ex*****oner that he would hold out his arm and that the ex*****oner should strike when it was lowered.

Kneeling and laying his head on the block Balmerino bid farewell to his friends. Unexpectedly he stood up and walked up to the ex*****oner and felt the edge of his axe to check it was sharp. He asked the ex*****oner about the blow that the Earl received. After giving the ex*****oner a friendly slap on the shoulder he tucked down both his shirt and waistcoat collars.

After a final word to the ex*****oner saying that he desired him to do it resolutely, for that will consist your kindness he knelt again at the block and streched out an arm. Before dropping it his final words were ‘O Lord reward my friends, forgive my enemies, — and received my soul,’.

He gave gave the ex*****oner the signal but the unexpected suddenness of movement so surprized the ex*****oner the blow was not given with enough strength and only wounded him. Therefore the ex*****oner made a second blow which wasn’t any more successful as it only knocked Baslmerino senseless. It took a third strike to finally end his life.

His head also landed on a red cloth and was put into his cofin along with his co**se. Balmerino’s wig, which had been left on the scaffold, was removed by Joshua Knowles, one of the troops guarding the stage. He kept it as a memento.

The two men’s coffins were buried in unmarked graves under the floor of the church of St Peter ad Vincula within the grounds of the Tower of London.

11/04/2026

In mid-December 2025, a scarce pamphlet surfaced in Italy. It is a printed copy of a letter written by an Irishman who was an officer in the Royal Ecosse Regiment and who fought at the battle of Falkirk Muir. Unfortunately, the author’s name is not given but his initials were AIJ. The letter was written in French and a translation is shown below.

Although the pamphlet is dated 1746 it seems that due to the confusion of the dates between the ‘old style’ Julian and ‘new style’ Gregorian calendars, it was likely printed in the early 1750s.

The writer was witness to some of the events before and during the battle. In particular, the letter mentions the following incidents:

1. He claims Prince Charles spent the night before the battle sleeping alongside his army in their camp likely at Torwood or Plean.

2.That the tactics adopted by the Jacobite army were decided upon by Prince Charles and Lord John Drummond, the Jacobite Duke of Perth’s younger brother, and that both of them showed their bravery during the battle.

3.Prince Charles made a short speech to rally his troops before the fighting started.

4.The British army suffered 800 to 900 killed and over 1,000 captured.

5.The Jacobite casualties were 120 killed or wounded.

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HEADER - LETTER FROM AN OFFICER OF THE ROYAL SCOTTISH REGIMENT
A M. D.
FORMER IRISH CAPTAIN.
ON the Victory won by Prince Edward, Regent of Scotland, over the English Army commanded by General Hawley near Falkirk, on January 28, 1746,
At STIRLING
1746

P3 - LETTER FROM AN OFFICER OF THE ROYAL SCOTTISH REGIMENT,
BY A FORMER IRISH CAPTAIN.
A M.D.
On the Victory won by Prince Edward Regent of Scotland over the English army commanded by General Hawley near Falkirk on January 28, 1746.
I promised you, Sir, upon leaving France, that I would not give you any news until we had thoroughly defeated the English; the matter having been settled, I must fulfil my promise, and I do so with all the more satisfaction, as I was not disappointed by the events of the 28th, which I consider a smaller version of the Battle of Fontenoy, in comparison to its impact. The enemy was thwarted in their plans as at Fontenoy, and the siege of Sterling continued like that of Tournay. Having been present at both, here are roughly the circumstances of the latter as I was able to ascertain them. The Prince, whom we had not yet seen since our arrival, having returned to Scotland to meet with us and consult with Lord Drummont, our Commander of useful operations, joined us on the 17th before Sterling.
Aij

P4 - The Garrison having withdrawn to the Castle, the City opened it’s gates to him two days later, and the Magistrates pledged their loyalty; from that time until the 27th we were occupied in preparing our attack on the Castle; the difficulty we had in bringing our siege cannon was the cause of this delay; on the 26th it was erected in battery and began firing on the morning of the 27th, that day the Prince reviewed the Highlanders, he slept in their camp under (in a) tent, he was guarded during the night by a detachment of 50 who formed two enclosures around his tent of 25 men each, those of the first had the musket on their shoulder, and those of the second the sword in their hand covering themselves with their shield; They were getting up every two hours due to the severity of the weather.
The next day, the 28th, the Commander of the Highlanders brought the Prince back to Stirling with an es**rt of 50 men. He had scarcely arrived when Lord Kilmarnock, who was in the lead with 2,500 men to cover the siege, sent word that General Hawley, who had left Edinburgh with 8,000 to 9,000 men, was a mile away and would arrive at Falkirk that very day. The Council of War having been immediately strengthened, on the advice of Lord Drummond, the order was given to the Commander of the Highlanders to march this corps to join Lord Kilmarnock. Detachments from all the corps that were...

P5 - occupied at the siege, which could make a corps of a thousand men to go and attack the enemy: we left in dreadful weather with rain, hail and wind, without paying much attention to it, the wind was not against us, our only worry was the fear that the enemy would not wait for us: the bad weather was the cause of his surprise, he was in a state of security, both in relation to his superiority and in relation to the circumstance of the day which was ending with the discord of all the elements; We arrived at four o'clock in the afternoon, within rifle range of Falkirk. General Hawley, who had been warned of our march, only had time to mount his horse and arrange his army in battle formation. It was not possible to change his situation, which was not advantageous to his cavalry; the intrepidity of our brave Highland men did not give him the time. Our deployment was made with as much promptness as zeal. The Prince, who was in the centre, drew his sword first and said loudly enough to be heard by a large part of the army: "My friends, here are your enemies and mine. I rely on your valour and on the justice of my cause. Avenge your violated laws and your oppressed kings. I will be with you all." After this short harangue, our right wing attacked the enemy's left wing with such valour, bayonet at the end of the rifle, that it was driven back in less than 25 minutes with a considerable loss on the part of the enemy; as we did not have enough cavalry to attack that of the

P6 - The English, the Highlanders, fulfilled this duty by undertaking this expedition which does them honour; they attacked this Cavalry, shield in hand, covering themselves with their shields with such boldness and intrepidity, that in less than half an hour they routed and completely rout it, they routed nearly three hundred without any quarter, and made two hundred prisoners. I saw one of these brave Highlanders, like another Horace, fight three Cavalrymen in a secluded spot, indeed after having withstood their fire, kill two of them and demonstrate their strength and take them prisoner; Finally, if the day had lasted an hour longer, this entire Anglo-Hanoverian army would have been completely destroyed. Despite the night and the dreadful weather, the Highlanders persisted in pursuing their enemies, and it took the Prince's authority to prevent them, by promising that at the first opportunity, this permission would be granted. I believe them capable of the boldest actions, because, apart from the love they have for the Prince, whom they call Caesar, they are furious against the English, in whose blood they say they wish to wash away the crime of their fathers. "Never was an action conducted with more secrecy and diligence, everyone acting in good faith; the force was assembled to strike blows against King George's party; the Prince behaved like the Roman Caesar, with all imaginable valour, exposing himself despite all the Army's warnings, like the most

P7 - brave Highlander, he saw several officers killed at his side without showing any concern, carrying out his orders with as much composure as if he had been in his tent. Lord Drummond, who was wounded in the arm and had a horse killed under him, deserves the highest praise. Through his counsel and his valour in the council, it was his opinion that we fled marching towards the enemy, and in the battle, it was the arrangements and the good maneuver that he made our Infantry execute that completely disconcerted the English. The Prince complimented him, as did the entire army, after the battle; We estimate the enemy's losses at two thousand men, namely, eight to nine hundred killed on the battlefield, and about twelve hundred prisoners, not counting those we may take in flight, their army being scattered. We also captured eight cannons, twelve flags and standards, many wagons of ammunition, food, and other supplies, along with General Hawley's carriage and his fully prepared fortress (camp), which the Prince used for his share of the spoils. The Highlanders gathered many guineas and gold watches that they took from the English; I saw one in the hands of a Highlander, made by Julien Leroi of Paris. Our losses, both killed and wounded, do not amount to one hundred and twenty. Among the wounded are three officers of our regiment. As soon as I have opened our correspondence, I will inform you of the outcome of this affair, as well as the capture of Carlise Castle, which should not hold out for more than eight days.
I am, & c.

26/03/2026

When I was recently in Rome I made my usual visit to the area of the Palazzo del Re (also known as the Palazzo Muti) home to the Stuart Court in Rome from 1719 until 1788.

The engraving shows the palace on the right at the end of the road. It is adjacent to the buildings that line the street. At that time one of the grandest buildings on the left hand side of the street was the hugely important French Embassy and across from that on the right hand side of the street, was the church Santi XII Apostoli. It was used every day by members of the Stuart Court including the King, James VIII, and his Queen, Maria Clemetina Sobieska. It's truly mind-blowing to think the building was already 500 years old when the Royal Stuarts attended services in it 300 years ago. That's Rome, the Eternal City, for you!

As the church was open when I passed I popped in to have a look. A sign outside stated that this year was the 800th anniversary of the founding of the religious centre.

As Queen Clemetina has been the subject of my previous posts I will not go into details of her life other than to say that when she died on 18th January 1735 at the age of 32 her body was laid in State on a specially built catafalque positioned in the centre of the church. Giovanni-Paolo Pannini painted the scene and this was subsequently engraved by Rocco Pozzi in 1736. An image of this engraving is attached.

After lying in State her funeral service was held in the church prior to her interment in St Peters at the Vatican. What is not so well known is that prior to her burial she had had her heart removed. It was placed in an urn that was then deposited in one of the pillars on the right side of the church. There is a red and white marble plaque on the pillar which marks the location of the urn.

26/03/2026

The Battle of Falkirk Muir - 1746 Trust is saddened to hear this news and thoughts with Mike's family and friends.

17/02/2026

For more than fifty years the Muti palace, also known as the Palazzo del Re, in Rome was the base for the Royal Stuart court. It acted as the unofficial embassy for those wealthy 18th century Grand Tourists visiting Rome. James even arranged with the Pope to have land set aside as a Protestant burial ground for those unfortunate tourists who didn't make it home.

James VIII of Scotland moved in in 1719 and spent most of his life in the building and died in his first floor apartments during 1766. Likewise his wife, Maria Clementina Sobieska died there in 1735. She gave birth to Prince Charles Edward in 1720 and Henry Benedict in 1725 in her apartments on the second floor.

During 1788, 68 years after his birth Prince Charles, by then King Charles, also died in the building.

The armed guards, provided by the Vatican, that patrolled the perimeter of the palace are long gone along with the Stuart's Royal armorial that hung above the door. There is very little to inform today's tourist of the importance of the building in days gone by.

At night, looking up from the road, if the room lights are on you can just glimpse the artwork on the ceiling of James' Royal apartments. This painting was commissioned in 1719 by Pope Clement XI especially for James.

The current occupiers of the building are not as welcoming as James. They do not like modern day Jacobites trying to get a glimpse of the courtyard.

However, there is one way you can get into the Palace and have some of the best food in Rome. That is by getting a table in the Ristorante Abruzzi, SS Apostoli. It is located on the ground floor directly below James' apartments.

There is even an engraving of The Bonnie Prince on the wall as you go in. However none of the staff are aware of who he was!

As you sit and eat your food you can ponder on all the events that happened in the room above your head. If only the walls could talk.

08/02/2026

This year's Bannockburn house 'Jacobite January' event was held in the house as, with all the hard work done by the Trust, the house has been declared safe to let the public in once again.

Our good friends at the house asked if we would come along and put on a display of artifacts from the museum's collection.

I would guess that there were 200 to 300 members of the public went round the house during the event which amply demonstrates how important the house is to the local community.

As a last minute decision we decided to put on a display of mainly 'small arms' weapons.

These included:
1 Brown Bess bayonet marked No 37 for Munro's Regiment which was present at the battle of Falkirk Muir
2 Brown Bess bayonet marked No 27 for Blakeney's Regiment which also fought at Falkirk Muir
3 Duke of Perth's Thomas Caddell of Doune pistol. The Duke of Perth was joint, in conjunction with Lord George Murray, Lt General of Prince Charles' army.
4 Brace of Alexander Campbell of Doune pistols owned by the Earl of Sutherland
5 Alexander Macdonald of Sleat's Thomas Caddell pistol. Sleat backed down on his promise to raise his clan for Charles after Duncan Forbes of Culloden threatened to make public that Sleat had been selling members of the clan into slavery.
6 Brace of Thomas Caddell pistols
7 Hunter of Stirling pistol
8 Alex Campbell of Doune pistol
9 Thomas Caddell pistol engraved 'Taken at Culoden 16 April 1746' a pistol that was surrendered by a Jacobite officer to a British Army officer after the battle
10 A steel pistol found on Culloden battlefield
11 Long Dragoon pistol marked JR II dating from around 1686. Likely used in the Irish Jacobite war.
12 Long Dragoon pistol dated 1743 and marked for Henry Hawley's Regiment and used at Falkirk Muir
13 Long Dragoon pistol dated 1744 and marked 11th Dragoons. This Regiment fought the Jacobites at the battle of clifton Moor, the last battle to be fought on English soil
14 Sir Simon Fraser's dirk
15 Brass hilted dirk found near the site of the battle of Auldearn near Culloden
16 Carved 'bog oak' hilted dirk

As well as being able to take a tour round the house there was freshly made soup, sandwiches and cakes on offer, all of which proved very popular. And yes I can confirm the Leak & Potato soup was the best.

04/02/2026

As this year is the 280th anniversary of the Battle of Falkirk Muir, we decided to end this year's conference by inviting Neil Clark from Falkirk Piping (www.falkirkpiping.com) to bring our event to a close.

Neil played a couple of pieces dating from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The first piece was 'Hey, Johnie Cope'. The other was 'The Flowers of the Forrest'.

We are fortunate that Dale, one of our delegates managed to video Neil which can be viewed on the clip.

Thank you to Neil for coming along and supporting the 280th anniversary of the Battle.

04/02/2026

19/01/2026

This weekend marked the 280th anniversary of the Battle of Falkirk, the largest Jacobite victory of the ’45. The Scottish Battlefields Trust was proud to see the anniversary commemorated at a well‑attended conference on Saturday, organised by the Battle of Falkirk Muir - 1746 Our Director was delighted to take part and hear new research and perspectives on this pivotal moment in Scotland’s history.
The Trust was closely involved in developing the Falkirk battlefield walking trail, which helps visitors explore the landscape, understand the course of the fighting, and appreciate the significance of the site today. Anniversaries like this remind us how vital it is to protect, interpret, and promote Scotland’s battlefields for future generations.
Image: - The Battlefield as seen from part of the walking trail.

17/01/2026

17/01/2026

Thanks to our friends Bannockburn House Trust, Battle of Prestonpans 1745 Heritage Trust and FLAGS of the 45 for coming along today. Alongside our stall Battle of Falkirk Muir - 1746 we have lots to see (and buy) today.

Lots of interesting discussions over lunch and hopefully more to come during our afternoon coffee break!