The Army of James II

Discover the importance of King James II in the creation and development of the British Army with Stephen Ede-Borrett.

During the brief reign of James II (1685-88), the British armies of England, Scotland and Ireland grew fourfold in size. At the same time, they evolved from a small force of little more than ceremonial and policing use to a fully-fledged fighting force, with all the necessary supporting arms and services.

Following James’s overthrow in the ‘Glorious Revolution’ of 1688, his nascent British Army would go on to achieve great success under the command of the Duke of Marlborough, with famous victories at Blenheim (1703) and elsewhere.

In this revealing talk, Stephen Ede-Borrett will evaluate the effectiveness and structure of James’s force, while also explaining why his role in the creation of the British Army has been so often ignored.

About the speaker

Stephen Ede-Borrett

Stephen Ede-Borrett is a historian and author with a focus on military history and the armies of the 17th century and of the Napoleonic Wars. He is the author of ‘Lostwithiel 1644: The Campaign and the Battle’, as well as numerous articles in ‘The Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research’, ‘Arquebusier’, and many military history and wargames magazines.