The Saber and Scroll Journal Volume 8, Number 3, Spring 2020 | Page 89

ontributions of Women Jacobites 1688–1788
1
household’s choosing, then move to
their husband’s home (who held complete
control over their lives), provide
heirs for their spouses, and raise their
children. 10 Nevertheless, women of different
social standing broke convention
to support the Stuarts, a cause they
strongly supported. Openly supporting
James II, James III, or Prince Charles
was a serious charge for men, women,
or the family unit as a whole. Female
contributions to the Stuart restoration
continued for a century but did not
come without sacrifices. If uncovered,
women faced a ruined reputation, deportation
to the Americas or the Caribbean,
execution, imprisonment, or exile.
This forced them to live outside the
traditional roles of wife and mother.
Women participated in different
roles, including the adventure of politics,
duty, religion, loyalty to the House
of Stuart, and national pride. Jacobitism
was a way of life, an unwavering commitment
to the Stuart Restoration.
Without the great Jacobite heroines’
participation around tea-tables, at royal
courts, following army campaigns, and
in bedrooms, the Stuart cause would
have been less successful. Women such
as Lady Eleanor Oglethorpe and Lady
Margaret Nairne realized equality equal
to men. They built this on a foundation
of duty and the gift of influence, which
maintained the momentum against the
Hanoverian government for a century.
Oglethorpe Women: 1689–1745
A
prime example of one loyal
family that remained by James
II’s side is the Oglethorpe fam-