12 h 17 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 12 h 17 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
A Highland army approaches Manchester, and loyalty to a prince becomes a choice that tests both town and heart.
In the autumn and winter of 1745, Prince Charles Edward Stuart leads his Highland army into England to claim the British crown for his father. Manchester becomes the one English town to raise a regiment for his cause. In The Manchester Rebels of the Fatal '45, William Harrison Ainsworth brings this moment into focus through local detail, adventure, and divided loyalties.
Colonel Francis Towneley takes command of the Manchester Regiment, while townsman Thomas Syddall joins the Stuart cause. Alongside them stands Lord George Murray, the experienced Scottish general who often disagrees with the Prince. Romance runs through these public events, testing private feelings against the demands of rebellion. The story asks what happens when love and loyalty pull in different directions.
What you’ll discover
- A town facing rebellion Enter a Lancashire town as the Highland army arrives and the Stuart cause gathers local support.
- Volunteers for the Prince Follow the Manchester Regiment, raised locally and placed under Colonel Francis Towneley's command.
- Love under strain Discover a romance tested by the rising, where public loyalties press upon private feelings.
- Leaders at odds Meet the Prince and Lord George Murray, whose disagreements run alongside the army's march.
- History with dramatic sweep Enjoy Ainsworth's blend of real figures, invented characters, and local detail in a historical adventure.
Who will love it
Readers who love Jacobite history, Lancashire streets and landmarks, and romances shaped by conflicting love and loyalty will enjoy this novel. It also suits those curious about daily life under a rebel army.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A town faces its promised rebellion
- A stolen child leaves a mystery
- Public loyalty meets private fear
- Atherton lives under a hidden guardian
- Two rescues commit Atherton to rebellion
- Love draws recruits toward danger
- The army arrives amid eager welcome
- Secrecy threatens love and loyalty
- A cause carries a personal cost
Who’s who
- Atherton LeghA handsome young Manchester apprentice of unknown parentage who wants to learn the secret of his birth and win Constance.
- Constance RawcliffeA dark-eyed, fervent Jacobite and heiress who urges Atherton to join the prince and fears the cost.
- Sir Richard RawcliffeA haughty, secretive baronet who funds the prince and acts as Atherton's hidden guardian.
- Jemmy DawsonA gentle, brave young Cambridge student who joins the rebellion to win Monica's hand.
- Monica ButlerConstance's fair cousin who persuades Jemmy to join, then fears for him.
- Tom SyddallA comic, big-nosed Manchester barber who wants to avenge his executed father and serve the Stuarts.
- Helen CarnegieA Highland farmer's daughter who rides with her sweetheart Sergeant Dickson and wins recruits with her smile.
- Beppy ByromDr. Byrom's lively daughter, a Jacobite with a quick wit and a fondness for Atherton.
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The Manchester Rebels of the Fatal '45
by William Harrison Ainsworth · 1873
A sergeant, a lass and a drummer take Manchester in 1745 while a young man searches for his true name.
Medium level5–10 hours to read16 languages
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In short
What happens to a busy English town when a rebel army is due at its gates? William Harrison Ainsworth, who was born, raised and schooled in Manchester, builds his novel around that question.
The Manchester Rebels of the Fatal '45 at a glance
- Reading time
- About 7 h5 h 35 min fast, 8 h 20 min slow
- Length
- 99,900 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1873by William Harrison Ainsworth
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A child is stolen from a moated hall
The story begins on an autumn night in 1724 as midnight falls over an ancient Cheshire mansion ringed by a wide, deep moat. Its owner has died, leaving a young widow and an infant son who is heir to the estate. She never lets the child out of her sight. Each night the drawbridge is raised, because the estates would pass to her late husband's brother if the boy should die.
Two figures approach the moat with a coracle, a light boat of wicker covered in leather. A candle glimmers in a window to guide them, which proves that someone inside is helping. The leader is a tall man in a long black cloak. He crosses the water, finds a side door open and puts on a mask before he climbs the back stairs.
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- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1873
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 8 h 0 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Ainsworth, William Harrison. The Manchester Rebels of the Fatal '45. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-manchester-rebels-of-the-fatal-45.
Ainsworth, W. H. (2026). The Manchester rebels of the fatal '45. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-manchester-rebels-of-the-fatal-45 (Original work published 1873)
Ainsworth, William Harrison. The Manchester Rebels of the Fatal '45. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-manchester-rebels-of-the-fatal-45.
@book{ainsworth2026manchester,
author = {Ainsworth, William Harrison},
title = {The Manchester Rebels of the Fatal '45},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-manchester-rebels-of-the-fatal-45},
note = {First published 1873}
}
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What is The Manchester Rebels of the Fatal '45 about?
It tells of Manchester in November 1745, when Prince Charles Edward's Highland army arrives. Real figures such as Colonel Townley and Dr. Byrom meet an invented hero, Atherton Legh, who is searching for the secret of his birth.
Is The Manchester Rebels of the Fatal '45 a true story?
It mixes fact and fiction. The prince's stay, the Manchester Regiment and many people are real. Atherton, Constance and Helen are invented. The author drew on memoirs, a local history and Beppy Byrom's journal.
Who are Jemmy Dawson and Monica Butler?
Jemmy Dawson is a young Cambridge student and a real figure of the rising. Monica Butler, Constance's cousin, is engaged to him. Their love story is one of the book's central threads, shadowed by fears of Jemmy's execution.
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