James II Biography

Birth of James II, son of Charles I & Henrietta Maria

Created the Duke of York

James only fought a delaying action and chose instead to place his line of defence on the River Boyne, around 30 miles from Dublin. James II is forced to flee to Dublin, his hopes of restoration ended. Fought between two rival claimants of the English, Scottish and Irish thrones - the Catholic King James and the Protestant King William, who had deposed James in 1688

Signs a contract of marriage with Anne Hyde, their offspring the are 1st English heirs

Appointed Lord High Admiral in charge of the Navy

James II Marries Anne Hyde, daughter of Edward Hyde

The English lose 6,000 men killed, 8 ships sunk & 9 ships captured. The English are defeated by the Dutch & French

James wife Anne the Duchess of York dies

The English are saved by reinforcements. The Duke of York is twice forced to abandon his flagship. De Ruyter forces the French to withdraw

Suffers humiliating losses to de Ruyter, loses 2 flagships the Prince & St Michael

Suffers humiliating losses to de Ruyter, loses 2 flagships the Prince & St Michael

At Solebay a Dutch fireship set the English first-rate Royal James ablaze, killing Edward Montagu, Earl of Sandwich, and many of her crew.

The Test Act requires Crown office holders to support the Anglican Church. The intention of the Test Act is to exclude Catholics from public office. James II is forced to surrender his public office as Admiral, as he will not take the oath

The Test Act requires Crown office holders to support the Anglican Church

The Test Act requires Crown office holders to support the Anglican Church

Refuses to take communion in the Church of England in accordance to the Test Acts

Marries Mary of Medina, a Catholic, 15 yr old called "daughter of the Pope"

Londoners form a hostile reception, the Lord Mayor declines to welcome her

A 2nd Test Act is passed requiring all members of the Houses of Commons & Lords to swear an oath

A fabricated Popish plot causes anti-catholic reprisals on the streets of London

Forced into exile after the Popish Plot, awy from England for 2 years

Parliament dissolves before the 1st Act of Succession is passed

1st of 3 Exclusion Bills from the Country Party to exclude James from the succession

Assured by the Mayor of London that if the King dies he will succeed

The 2nd of 3 Exclususion Bills by the Country Party exclude James from succession. The 2nd Exclusion Bill is rejected by the Lords

Exclusion Bill, 3rd of 3 bills introduced in the Oxford Parliament to exclude James

Exclusion Bill, 3rd of 3 bills introduced in the Oxford Parliament to exclude James

When James inherited the English throne in 1685, he had much support in the Loyal Parliament, which was composed mostly of Tories

Succeeds as King of England & Ireland, 2nd son of Charles I

Fails to persuade Parliament to repeal the 1673 Test Act

Crowned alongside Mary of Modena, using Anglican rights in Westminster Abbey

James decided to obtain from the English courts of the common law a ruling which affirmed his power to dispense with Acts of Parliament, he dismisses judges who disagreed with him on this matter as well as the Solicitor General Heneage Finch

Issues the Declaration of Indulgence, grants toleration to Catholics & non-conformists. By allying himself with the Catholics, Dissenters, and nonconformists, James hoped to build a coalition that would advance Catholic emancipation. Abandoning the Tories, James looked to form a King's party as a counterweight to the Anglican Tories, so in 1687 James supported the policy of religious toleration and issued the Declaration of Indulgence

Fails to persuade Parliament to repeal the 1673 Test Act

Fails to persuade Parliament to repeal the 1673 Test Act

James IIs overthrow begins modern English Parliamentary democracy, never since has the monarch held absolute power, and the Bill of Rights has become one of the most important documents in the political history of Britain

The overthrow of James II by an alliance of Parliamentarians and an invading army led by William III (William of Orange) who ascends the English throne as William III. James IIs overthrow begins modern English Parliamentary democracy, never since has the monarch held absolute power, and the Bill of Rights has become one of the most important documents in the political history of Britain

The Archbishop of Canterbury & 6 Bishops petition the King to withdraw the Declaration

William III allows James II to escape to France where he lives in exile at St Germain

The overthrow of James II by an alliance of Parliamentarians and an invading army led by William III (William of Orange) who ascends the English throne as William III. James IIs overthrow begins modern English Parliamentary democracy, never since has the monarch held absolute power, and the Bill of Rights has become one of the most important documents in the political history of Britain

Seven of the leading men in England invite William of Orange to claim the throne

James tries the Archbishop of Canterbury but public pressure leads to their acquittal

Birth of a son to James II, Anne had no heirs so a Catholic succession continues

Requests Anglican clergy read the 2nd Declaration of Indulgence to their congregations

James II fathers a son, James Francis Edward Stuart, until then the throne would have passed to his daughter Mary, a Protestant, the wife of William, the prospect of a Roman Catholic dynasty in the kingdoms is now likely.

James II was troubled by James II's Catholicism and his close ties with France, key leaders of the Tories unite with members of the opposition Whigs and set out to resolve the crisis by inviting William of Orange to England.

James tries to escape from London but is caught by Kent fishermen & returned to London

James attempted to flee but was detained at Faversham and returned to London.

Detained by magistrates at Faversham while attempting to reach France

First day of the interregnum

James left England after William permitted his departure, creating an effective vacancy.

Louis XIV assists James II during his Irish campaign against William III.

The Commons resolved that James had abdicated and that the throne was vacant.

Lands in Ireland with the support of Louis XIV

Acknowledged King by an Irish Parliament

Succeeds as King of England

A 15 week siege of Londonderry by James IIs Irish-French army ends in failure

The Jacobite rising is checked at Dunkeld on its way to Perth

James II arrives at Dublin

James II lands at Kinsale

The English are defeated by a French force sailing to London to support the Jacobites

After his defeat, James did not stay in Dublin, but rode with a small escort to Duncannon and returned to exile in France, even though his army left the field relatively unscathed

For the Jacobites, the war was fought for Irish sovereignty, religious toleration for Catholicism, and land ownership. A turning point in James unsuccessful attempt to regain the crown and ultimately helped ensure the continuation of Protestant supremacy in Ireland.

In Irish folk memory, James was derisively nicknamed Seamus a chaca - a title that translates literally to "Shitty James" or "James the shit".

James enjoyed the support of his cousin, Louis XIV, who did not want to see a hostile monarch on the throne of England, Louis sent 6,000 French troops to Ireland to support the Irish Jacobites.

Jamess loss of nerve and speedy exit from the battlefield of the Boyne enraged his Irish supporters, who fought on until the Treaty of Limerick in 1691. James II is forced into exile in France. James II is finally defeated by William III.

The Battle is fought on 1 July for control of a ford on the Boyne at Oldbridge, near Drogheda.

The Catholic upper classes had lost almost all their lands after Cromwell's conquest, as well as the right to hold public office, practice their religion, and sit in the Irish Parliament.

The Jacobites were 23,500 strong, James had several regiments of French troops, but most of his manpower was provided by Irish Catholics.

After his defeat, James did not stay in Dublin, but rode with a small escort to Duncannon and returned to exile in France, even though his army left the field relatively unscathed

The Williamites triumphantly march into Dublin two days after the Battle of the Boyne, the Jacobite army abandoned the city and marched to Limerick, behind the River Shannon, where they were besieged

The Williamites triumphantly march into Dublin two days after the Battle of the Boyne, the Jacobite army abandoned the city and marched to Limerick, behind the River Shannon, where they were besieged

The Williamites triumphantly march into Dublin two days after the Battle of the Boyne, the Jacobite army abandoned the city and marched to Limerick, behind the River Shannon, where they were besieged

James II retaliates to the defeat at Beachy Head by amassing an army to invade France

James II retaliates to the defeat at Beachy Head by amassing an army to invade France

Forced to embark for France from Kinsale after defeat at the Battle of the Boyne

Jamess loss of nerve and speedy exit from the battlefield of the Boyne enraged his Irish supporters, who fought on until the Treaty of Limerick in 1691

A stunning defeat of the fleeing Franco-Irish followed in the confusion and darkness, with some 4000 corpses left on the field.

An immediate attack was resolved on, and, after a severe and at one time doubtful contest, the crisis was precipitated by the fall of the Franco-Irish leader, the French General Charles Chalmont, Marquis de St Ruth, after which his disorganized forces fled in the ensuing

Many of the Jacobite dead were officers, who were very difficult to replace, another 4000 Jacobites either deserted or were taken prisoner & they had lost the better part of their equipment and supplies

The Battle of Aughrim all but decided the war in the Williamite favour.

darkness of the early-morning of 13 July.

The Act of Settlement excludes James II & his descendants from the throne

James II dies in exile after suffering a cerebral haemorrhage.

Death of James II, cerebral haemorrhage

Succeeded as the Pretender to the English throne by James Edward, "the Old Pretender"