The March to Finchley is
based on a particular historical moment, probably witnessed by
Hogarth himself, but portrayed in the painting from a four-year
perspective. It depicts British troops being marched out of London
to their place of rendezvous on Finchley Common, about ten miles to
the north, in December 1745, to defend the city against the threat
of a Jacobite invasion. Charles Edward Stuart (1720-88), the Young
Pretender, or ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie', as he came to be known, had
landed in Scotland on 23 July 1745 and defeated government forces
at the …
2290 words
Citation: Gordon, Ian. "The March to Finchley". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 October 2003 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=229, accessed 21 April 2025.]