is based on a particular historical moment, probably witnessed by Hogarth himself, but portrayed in the painting from a four-year perspective. It depicts British troops being marched out of London to their place of rendezvous on Finchley Common, about ten miles to the north, in December 1745, to defend the city against the threat of a Jacobite invasion. Charles Edward Stuart (1720-88), the Young Pretender, or ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie', as he came to be known, had landed in Scotland on 23 July 1745 and defeated government forces at the battle of Prestonpans, just east of Edinburgh, in September, before marching south into England. By December he had reached Derby, only 120 miles north of London, virtually unchallenged. It was to be the furthest point of his advance,…
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Citation: Gordon, Ian. "The March to Finchley". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 October 2003 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=229, accessed 24 November 2024.]
