James II

(James II of England)

1633–1701

James II was the brother of Charles II of England and shared in his government and many of his adventures. They were exiled to France during the Commonwealth, and during this time James served in both the French and Spanish armies. Soon after Charles II came to the throne, James was appointed Lord High Admiral and served in the Anglo Dutch Wars. Of the two brothers he was far more interested in military matters, and a competent and respected administrator.

FLIGHT OF JAMES II AFTER THE BATTLE OF BOYNE.

The popularity of James however, was severely tried in 1673 after he publicly declared his conversion to the Catholic faith. This was a remarkable development because Charles II's wife was known to be barren, and James was next in line for the throne. By declaring himself to be a Catholic he threatened the succession not only of himself but also of his children. He attempted to repair the damage by marrying his eldest daughter, to William of Orange, a highly regarded Protestant Prince. This partially appeased Parliament, but James was stripped of his Admiralty and even exiled for a time to Brussels.

Charles II, however, continued to support his brother and was able to fend off the 'exclusionists' in parliament that sought to deny James the right to the throne. Since James had not produced a male heir, and his daughters were both reliable Protestants, he was restored to his position as Lord High Admiral and permitted to ascend to the throne on the death of Charles. In his short reign as king, James sought to pass laws permitting religious tolerance, hoping to attract the support of protestant dissenters as well as Catholics. The Puritans however, were too rabidly anti-catholic to fall for such measures and preferred to support the Anglicans who opposed James, rather than permit the toleration of Catholics. Instead of dividing his protestant opponents therefore, his efforts at "toleration" ended up united them against him.

The situation did not become a crisis however, until his Catholic second wife produced a male heir, in 1688. This precipitated a succession crisis and James was quickly deposed in favor of his daughter and son in law, William III and Mary II. Although Ireland declared in his favor, he deserted their cause after the Battle of the Boyne, because he recognized that the Irish were too disorganized and ill-equipped to stand against William's forces. He spent the rest of his life in exile in France.

It is interesting to note that neither his son, nor his grandson was willing to renounce their Catholic faith as a condition of making good their claim to the English throne. The Stuart claim was far stronger than that of any of their Hanoverian cousins, and there were many factions in England that would gladly have supported their claim had they been willing to renounce their faith.

Key events during the life of James II of England:

Year	Event
1633	Birth of James II to Charles I and Henrietta.
1644	Created Duke of York.
1648	Escaped to Holland after capture during English Civil War.
	Served in French army under Turenne.
1660	Marriage to Anne Hyde
1661	Charles II restored to throne of England.
1665	Lord High Admiral during Anglo-Dutch Wars.
1669	Secretly converted to Catholicism.
1673	Marries Mary of Modena, a Catholic Princess.
1677	Daughter Mary, marries William of Orange, a Protestant Prince.
	Protestant conspiracies against James fail.
1685	Ascends to the throne of England
1685	Monmouth mounts a rebellion to depose James II, but fails.
1687	Declaration of Indulgence grants freedom of religion to Catholics and dissenters.
1688	Birth of son precipitates a succession crisis.
1688	Deposed in England, in favor of daughter Mary II. Declared King of Ireland.
1689	Departs Ireland after the Battle of Boyne.
1701	Death of James II.

Other Resources

Story Links	Book Links
James II. and the 'Glorious Revolution'  in	The Story of England  by  Samuel B. Harding
Institution of the Penal Code  in	Ireland: Peeps at History  by  Beatrice Home
Fiery Cross  in	Our Island Story  by  H. E. Marshall
James VII.—A Forlorn Hope  in	Scotland's Story  by  Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall
William's Invitation  in	The Awakening of Europe  by  M. B. Synge
James II and the Glorious Revolution  in	The Tudors and the Stuarts  by  M. B. Synge

Image Links
James II. receiving the News of the Landing  in  The Story of the English	James II. landing at Kinsale  in Ireland: Peeps at History	James II  in Ireland: Peeps at History
The flight of James II.: After the Battle of Boyne  in Ireland: Peeps at History

Contemporary	Short Biography
Charles II	Restored to the throne after death of Cromwell. Presided over the great fire and plague of London.
William III	King of Netherlands, called to be king of England when James II, his father-in-law, was deposed.
Anne of England	Last of the Stuart queens, lived during the War of the Spanish Succession.
Mary II	Daughter of James II, Queen of England with her husband William III of Orange.
Duke of Marlborough	Most renowned general of his age. Prevailed against the French at the Battle of Blenheim.
Old Pretender	Son of James II, led Jacobites in a bid to restore Stuarts to the throne of England.
Henrietta	Daughter of Henry IV of France, and Queen of Charles I, and mother of Charles II and James II.