Cumberland

Cumberland, WILLIAM AUGUSTUS, DUKE OF, second son of George II., was born in 1721. He adopted a military career, was wounded at Dettingen in 1743, and defeated, not ingloriously, at Fontenoy, by Marshal Saxe, in 1745. He was next sent to crush the Young Pretender's rebellion, which he did effectually at Culloden (1746); and by a series of severe measures against the broken and dispirited Highlanders he earned for himself the lasting title of 'the Butcher,' to set off against his reward of £25,000 a year and the thanks of parliament. In 1747 he was defeated by Saxe at Lawfeldt, and in 1757 had to surrender and disarm his army at Kloster-Zeven; after which he retired into private life, and died 31st Oct. 1765. See the military Life by Rev. A. N. Campbell-Maclachlan based on the duke's General Orders of 1745-47 (1876).—For other dukes and earls of Cumberland, see HANOVER and CLIFFORD.