Siege of Carlisle (December 1745)
54°53′42″N 2°56′02″W / 54.895°N 2.934°W
| Siege of Carlisle | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Jacobite Rising of 1745 | |||||||
 Carlisle Castle | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Hanoverian British Government |
 English Jacobites | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Duke of Cumberland | Unknown | ||||||
The Siege of Carlisle took place during the Jacobite rising of 1745–46 after Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) was forced to retreat north back into Scotland. As the retreat was totally against his will, he left a small force of 400 men to garrison Carlisle mainly consisting of members of the English Jacobite regiment called the Manchester Regiment, so that Charles could say that he at least held one town in England for his hoped-for return. The Jacobite garrison left to hold Carlisle surrendered to overwhelming Hanoverian forces under the Duke of Cumberland.
The prisoners were held in a dungeon in Carlisle Castle without food, water or sanitation facilities until they were brought out for execution. The so-called "licking-stones", where desperate prisoners licked the walls to obtain some moisture, can still be seen today. [1] The executions were staggered, with some of the officers sent to London to be hanged, drawn and quartered for high treason.
