Renegade Nell is a fun period dramedy that follows Nell Jackson, a woman who turns to highway robbery after being accused of a murder she didn’t commit. Throughout the series, the term “Jacobites” is mentioned, and this is sure to be a term Outlander fans recognize.
The term Jacobite is one filled with distain in Renegade Nell for many people. They are the people who support the idea of a Catholic king on the throne instead of Queen Anne. They believe that James is the rightful heir, being the male issue of King James II of England.
While the term is mostly given to the Scots, there were plenty of English and Irish Jacobites as well. And while the people of Renegade Nell aren’t same people who ended up fighting in the Battle of Culloden, they are connected.
Renegade Nell is set decades before Outlander
The Jacobites in Renegade Nell are in 1705. It’s when Queen Anne just took over the throne, and this was when the Jacobites started to gain more power and more voice. After all, by this point, Anne was in her late 30s and hadn’t had a child of her own that lived past childhood. Only one son lived to be a child, and he died at the age of 11.
The Jacobites of Outlander are decades later, as we pick up with their story in 1743. They do want the same thing as the Jacobites of 1705. They want James on the throne to become King James III of England and VIII of Scotland. By the time of Outlander, Anne has died and we’re now in the reign of King George II.
There were some important moments that happened to lead up to the Battle of Culloden in 1746. The first is the Acts of Union in 1707, which made England and Scotland Great Britain. In 1708, Anne refused to allow militias due to advice given to her. It was the last time Royal Assent was not given to a law.
Then in 1715, Anne died and the crown passed to the German king George of Hanover. He didn’t speak any English, and it made for ruling difficult. This happened due to the 1701 Act of Settlement to prevent a Catholic monarch on the throne. It was the time when there was a lot of issue between Catholics and Protestants.
In 1715, the first Jacobite rebellion rose up. This is somewhat connected to Outlander, as Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat was involved. The 1743 rebellion saw Bonnie Prince Charlie come across in attempt to get the crown for his father. It ended with the Battle of Culloden.
So, yes, the terms in Renegade Nell and Outlander are the same. The Renegade Nell Jacobites are a precursor to the Outlander ones.