Jacobite is formed from the Latin for James, ‘Jacobus’, referring to King James VII & II, who lost his throne in the revolution of 1688 to William of Orange, invited over by a number of disloyal subjects who fomented the coup against the King. The  monograph, ‘A Portrait of Unknown Jacobite Ladies’, by Anita R. Gillespie, which is for sale on this website, is a culmination of more than a decade’s research on Scotland’s Jacobite Ladies. 

The book covers ladies in Scotland throughout the ‘Jacobite era’ (1688-1766), and not just those from the ’45. It is also worth noting that this book does not claim to cover every Jacobite lady in Scotland during that time. There were a great deal of ladies, well over 300 according to the records. This monograph has attempted to address and introduce those for whom there has been little, or nothing, known or written about. It is not an exhaustive list, by any means. The aim has been to show that there were a number of ladies involved and supportive of the Stuart’s cause to return to the throne, and what these supporters did.