James Wishart

James Wishart, was an eighteen year old labourer from Fochabers, near Elgin, Scotland. He was serving in Gordon of Glenbucket's Regiment when he was taken prisoner at Carlisle. His regiment had taken part in the advance into England and his company formed part of the garrison left behind so that Charles Stuart could "continue to hold at least one town in England", whilst the bulk of the Jacobites returned to Scotland.

The Hanoverian army under the Duke of Cumberland subsequently besieged and took Carlisle resulting in him being captured and sent to prison at York Castle.

Along with seventeen other youths of a similar age he was sentenced to death at a trial held on 30 September 1746. In November, however, a petition was brought before the court which read:-

"Unto the King's Most Excellent Majesty, the humble petition of several of the young prisoners now under sentence of death in the Castle, York. ' Sheweth : ' That Your Petitioners, being indicted for high treason . . . did severally plead guilty and submitted themselves to your Majesty's mercy. 'That . . . it was impossible for them to bring up witnesses from the remote countreys where they were born and had resided, to prove their precise ages, though it evidently appeared upon the tryal that your petitioners are all and each of them young and of tender age. . . . ' May it please your Majesty to take your petitioners case into consideration and to extend your Royal Clemency to us, in such form and manner as Your Majesty . - . shall think proper."

Along with many of the boys, James was pardoned on condition that he enlisted in the army to join Admiral Boscawen's illfated 1747 expedition to the East Indies. This he did and was spared. It is not known if he survived the expedition, but many died of disease on the expedition and few returned safely to Britain.

Ref: http://www.wishartconnections.org/index.php/wisharts-the-jacobites/