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HUDC Handbook: Difference between revisions
→Scottish Invaders?
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The 9th Century King of the Scots, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_(Macbeth) Malcolm III] (d.1093), is the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_(Macbeth) same character] who turns up in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macbeth "Scottish Play"] and his forces did defeat the previous Scottish king at Dunsinnan in 1054 ("he who isn't named" wasn't killed in the battle - but at the Battle of Lumphanan some years later). The historical [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_III_of_Scotland Malcolm III] invaded England five times often with the excuse that he was supporting the claim to the English throne of his brother-in-law [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_%C3%86theling Edgar Ætheling]. Edgar's supporters included [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin,_Earl_of_Mercia Edwin, the Earl of Mercia], who may have been based at Chester, but there is no evidence that Malcolm ever came close with his army. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_IV_of_Scotland#Malcolm_IV_and_Henry_II Malcom IV] did come to Chester in 1157, but that was to pay homage to Henry II and lose lands which [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_I_of_Scotland David I] had conquered (he never got near Chester either).
The Scots were back over the border in 1715. Despite its Tory inclinations and some sympathy for the Jacobites, Chester made no move in support of the rising of 1715. The defeat of the rebels at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Preston_(1715) Preston] spared it direct involvement in military operations, although its Militia was called up and government troops marched through. Captured Jacobites numbering up to 500 at a time were brought for temporary imprisonment at Chester, crowding Chester Castle and the city gaol and overflowing into houses throughout the city. Initially many perished of cold, hunger, and fever because local sympathizers were prevented from assisting them. This was probably the only time a Scots army came anywhere near Hoole, and they were prisoners at the time.
The only real threat to Chester by the Scots was in 1745 when Jacobites defeated British forces in September at the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Prestonpans Battle of Prestonpans], and then moved south into England. A part of the Cheshire Militia was brought in to garrison the city and business came to a standstill. The city gates were bricked up, save for wickets at the Bridgegate and Eastgate, the walls were patrolled, cannon were mounted to command the bridge, and the Chester Castle defences were improved. The spring assizes were held at Flookersbrook in Hoole. George Cholmondeley put Chester in a state of defence, repairing the castle’s defences and adding raised batteries in the inner and outer wards and a raised platform with a parapet south-east of the Great Hall. The military architect Alexander de Lavaux was engaged to draw up a plan to strengthen the fortifications, with massive earthworks in the form of a "star fort", but the work was never carried out. Although the Jacobite army went nowhere near Chester, the city had been involved in heavy expense and had to turn to Sir Robert Grosvenor to obtain reimbursement from the government in 1746.
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