William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland

William Augustus (1721–1765), son of George II, was a British prince and army commander best known for defeating the Jacobite forces at Culloden in 1746.

Charles Edward Stuart: The Stuart claimant who led the Jacobite rising of 1745 and was defeated at Culloden. Cumberland’s chief opponent in the campaign that made both men central to the rising.
Battle of Culloden: The 1746 battle near Inverness in which government forces defeated the Jacobite army. Cumberland’s most consequential victory and the event most closely associated with his name.
Jacobite rising of 1745: A Stuart-led rebellion in Scotland and England that sought to restore the exiled dynasty to the British throne. The rising was the conflict Cumberland was sent to suppress.
Butcher Cumberland: A hostile nickname for William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, associated with reprisals after Culloden. The epithet captures the lasting condemnation of his conduct in the Highlands.
George II of Great Britain: King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1727 to 1760, and father of William Augustus. His father’s reign framed Cumberland’s royal and military career.
Battle of Dettingen: A 1743 battle in which British-led forces defeated a French army during the War of the Austrian Succession. Cumberland first saw major combat in the European war before taking command in Scotland.
Heritable Jurisdictions (Scotland) Act 1746: A British act that abolished many hereditary judicial powers held by Scottish landowners. It formed part of the government’s post-rebellion dismantling of Highland clan authority.
Jacobitism: A political movement supporting the restoration of the Stuart dynasty to the British throne. Its cause and supporters were the target of Cumberland’s military campaign.
John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun: A British army officer who served against the Jacobites during the rising of 1745. Loudoun’s campaigns formed part of the government effort Cumberland ultimately commanded.
Battle of Fontenoy: A 1745 French victory over an allied army during the War of the Austrian Succession. Cumberland commanded the allied army in this costly defeat before returning to Britain.

Linked from 5 pages

Jack BroughtonRelated: Cumberland’s patronage connected Broughton’s prizefighting to elite society.