A Dictionary of British and Irish History

W

WADE, GEORGE

(b. 1673 at Killavalley, West Meath, Ireland; d. 14 March 1748 at London, England, aged 75). A career soldier in the British ARMY, Wade became commander‐in‐chief of North Britain (1724–40) and built 240 mi (385 km) of roads and 40 bridges in the HIGHLANDS of Scotland (1726–38), to facilitate the rapid movement of troops in case of rebellion. He was made lieutenant general (1727), general (1739), and became a privy councillor in 1742. In 1743–4 Wade commanded British troops in the War of the AUSTRIAN SUCCESSION in Flanders. As commander‐in‐chief in England (from 1744) he was confronted with the JACOBITE REBELLION of 1745 but was unable to cope and was replaced by the duke of CUMBERLAND.

WALES

Effectively a jurisdiction within the UNITED KINGDOM comprising the western part of southern BRITAIN and offshore islands. Area: 8000 sq mi (20,700 sq km). Est. popn in 2015: 3,099,000. Wales includes mountainous areas and coastal plains. Until the 19th century it was mostly Welsh‐speaking. In 2015, around 100 languages were spoken.

Before the 8th century AD, W Britain was culturally part of southern Britain (see PREHISTORIC BRITAIN; ROMAN BRITAIN), including Christianity from the 3rd century (see CONVERSION OF WALES). After Roman rule ended (5th century), kingdoms emerged, notably: GWYNEDD, POWYS, CEREDIGION, DYFED, BRYCHEINIOG, GLYWYSING, GWENT.

The spread of Germanic rule and culture (including language) in southern Britain (5th–7th centuries) isolated W Britain as ...