RAISING THE STANDARD

In the summer of 1745 Great Britain was fighting France, on this occasion an episode in the War of the Austrian Succession.

It suited France to shelter the ousted Stuart dynasty. Already there had been four attempts to reinstall it on the British throne and the government in London could never ignore the threat it created. But it was accepted that an insurrection needed the support of, perhaps, 6,000 French troops and a supply of arms to have any chance of success. And France could threaten this when it pleased to keep Britain from concentrating all its attention on the Continent where the Duke of Cumberland