Coordinates: 55°58′N 2°57′W / 55.96°N 2.95°W / 55.96; -2.95 The Battle of Prestonpans was the first significant conflict in the Jacobite Rising of 1745. The battle took place at 4 am on 21 September 1745. The Jacobite army loyal to James Francis Edward Stuart and led by his son Charles Edward Stuart defeated the government army loyal to the Hanoverian George II led by Sir John Cope. The inexperienced government troops were outflanked and broke in the face of a highland charge. The victory was a huge morale boost for the Jacobites, and a heavily mythologized version of the story entered art and legend.
It was initially known as the Battle of Gladsmuir, but was actually fought at Prestonpans, East Lothian, Scotland on that town's borders with Tranent, Cockenzie and Port Seton.
Read more about Battle Of Prestonpans: The Battle, Cope Exonerated At Court-martial, The Second Jacobite Rising Continues, The Battle in Art and Legend, Battle Heritage Trust, Battlefield Location, The Prestonpans Tapestry
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