Monmouth Rebellion

Monmouth Rebellion

The Morning of Sedgemoor (1905) by Edgar Bundy
DateMay – July 1685
LocationSouth West England
51°06′58″N 2°55′34″W / 51.116°N 2.926°W / 51.116; -2.926Coordinates: 51°06′58″N 2°55′34″W / 51.116°N 2.926°W / 51.116; -2.926
Result Victory for James II
Belligerents
Kingdom of England Royal army of James II Rebel army of Duke of Monmouth
Commanders and leaders
Kingdom of England Earl of Feversham,
Kingdom of England John Churchill,
Kingdom of England Henry FitzRoy,
Kingdom of England Lord Albermarle,
Kingdom of England Duke of Somerset		 Duke of Monmouth,
Lord Grey of Warke,
Robert Ferguson,
Thomas Hayward Dare, †
Nathaniel Wade,
Andrew Fletcher
Strength
3,000 4,000
Casualties and losses
200 1,300 killed
320 executed
750 transported

The Monmouth Rebellion, also known as The Revolt of the West or The West Country rebellion, was an attempt to overthrow James II, the Duke of York who had become King of England, Scotland, and Ireland upon the death of his elder brother Charles II on 6 February 1685. James II was a Roman Catholic, and some Protestants under his rule opposed his kingship. James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, an illegitimate son of Charles II, claimed to be rightful heir to the throne and attempted to displace James II.

Plans were discussed for several different actions to overthrow the monarch, following the failure of the Rye House Plot to assassinate Charles II and James, in 1683, while Monmouth was in self-imposed exile in the Dutch Republic. The Monmouth rebellion was coordinated with a rebellion in Scotland, where Archibald Campbell, the Earl of Argyll, landed with a small force. The Duke of Monmouth had been popular in the South West of England, so he planned to recruit troops locally and take control of the area before marching on London.

Monmouth landed at Lyme Regis on 11 June 1685. In the following few weeks, his growing army of nonconformists, artisans, and farm workers fought a series of skirmishes with local militias and regular soldiers commanded by Louis de Duras, 2nd Earl of Feversham, and John Churchill, who later became the Duke of Marlborough. Monmouth's forces were unable to compete with the regular army and failed to capture the key city of Bristol. The rebellion ended with the defeat of Monmouth's army at the Battle of Sedgemoor on 6 July 1685 by forces led by Feversham and Churchill.

Monmouth was executed for treason on 15 July 1685. Many of his supporters were tried during the Bloody Assizes, led by Judge Jeffreys, and were condemned to death or transportation. James II was then able to consolidate his power. He reigned until 1688, when he was overthrown in a coup d'état by William of Orange in the Glorious Revolution.

Duke of Monmouth

Standard of the troops loyal to the Duke of Monmouth.

Monmouth was an illegitimate son of Charles II. There had been rumours that Charles had married Monmouth's mother, Lucy Walter,[1] but no evidence was forthcoming,[2] and Charles always said that he only had one wife, Catherine of Braganza.[3]

Monmouth had been appointed Commander-in-Chief of the English Army by his father in 1672 and Captain general in 1678, enjoying some successes in the Netherlands in the Third Anglo-Dutch War.[1]

Context

The English Civil War had left resentment among some of the population about the monarchy and the penalties which had been imposed on the supporters of the Commonwealth. The South West of England contained several towns where opposition remained strong.[4] Fears of a potential Catholic monarch persisted, intensified by the failure of Charles II and his wife to produce any children.[5] A defrocked Anglican clergyman, Titus Oates, spoke of a "Popish Plot" to kill Charles and to put the Duke of York on the throne.[6] The Earl of Shaftesbury, a former government minister and a leading opponent of Catholicism, attempted to have James excluded from the line of succession.[7] Some members of Parliament even proposed that the crown go to Charles's illegitimate son, James Scott, who became the Duke of Monmouth.[8] In 1679, with the Exclusion Bill - which would exclude the King's brother and heir presumptive, James, Duke of York, from the line of succession - in danger of passing, Charles II dissolved Parliament.[9] Two further Parliaments were elected in 1680 and 1681, but were dissolved for the same reason.[10]

After the Rye House Plot of 1683, an attempt to assassinate both Charles and James, Monmouth went into self-imposed exile in the Netherlands, and gathered supporters in The Hague.[11] Monmouth was a Protestant and had toured the South West of England in 1680, where he had been greeted amicably by crowds in towns such as Chard and Taunton.[12] So long as Charles II remained on the throne, Monmouth was content to live a life of pleasure in Holland, while still hoping to accede peaceably to the throne. The accession of James II and coronation at Westminster Abbey on 23 April 1685 put an end to these hopes.[13]

Plan

James Scott, Duke of Monmouth on horseback (Henri Gascar, 1672)

The Monmouth rebellion was planned in Holland and coordinated with another rebellion in Scotland led by Archibald Campbell, the Earl of Argyll.[14][15] Several areas of England were considered as potential locations for rebellion, including Cheshire and Lancashire along with the South West, as these were seen as having the highest number of opponents of the monarchy.[16] Argyll and Monmouth both began their expeditions from Holland, where James's nephew and son-in-law, William of Orange, had not detained them or put a stop to their recruitment efforts.[17] Argyll sailed to Scotland and, on arriving there, raised recruits mainly from his own clan, the Campbells,[18] as part of the Scottish revolt. He had previously been involved in the Rye House Plot of 1683.[19][20]

Another important member of the rebellion was Robert Ferguson, a fanatical Scottish Presbyterian minister. He was also known as "the plotter". It was Ferguson who drew up Monmouth's proclamation, and he who was most in favour of Monmouth being crowned King.[21] Thomas Hayward Dare was a goldsmith from Taunton and a Whig politician, a man of considerable wealth and influence who had been jailed during a political campaign calling for a new parliament. He was also fined the huge sum of £5,000 for uttering "seditious" words. After his release from jail, he fled to Holland and became the paymaster general to the Rebellion.[22]

To raise the funds for ships and weaponry, Monmouth pawned many of his belongings. His wife Anne Scott, 1st Duchess of Buccleuch, and her mother also pawned their jewellery to hire the Dutch warship Heldevenberg.[23]

From Lyme Regis to Sedgemoor

Route of Monmouth's army

On 30 May 1685[24] Monmouth set sail for South West England, a strongly Protestant region, with three small ships, four light field guns, and 1500 muskets.[25] He landed on 11 June with 82 supporters, including Lord Grey of Warke,[26] Nathaniel Wade, and Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun.[27] They gathered about 300 men on the first day at Lyme Regis in Dorset,[28] where a long statement prepared by Ferguson denounced the king.[29][30]

King James had previously received intelligence about the impending plot, and the ships leaving Holland ten days before.[31] He was warned of Monmouth's arrival soon after the first landing. The mayor of the town, Gregory Alford,[32] informed the local militias while Samuel Damsell and another customs officer rode from Lyme to London, arriving on 13 June, having ridden 200 miles (322 km).[33] To face Monmouth's rebels, John Churchill was given command of the regular foot in the King's army, and the honour of leading the campaign passed to Earl of Feversham.[34] It would take a few days to assemble the army and travel from London to the west country, therefore initial defence was left to local militias.

Over the next couple of days volunteers arrived in Lyme offering to serve under Monmouth. By 15 June he had a force in excess of 1,000 men.[35] On 13 June he lost two of his leading supporters when Dare and Fletcher disputed who should ride one of the best horses provided by local supporters. Fletcher shot and killed Dare and was then put under arrest and sent back to the frigate Helderenberg.[36] The next day, 40 cavalry and 400 foot soldiers, under the command of Lord Grey and Wade, moved on to the nearby town of Bridport, where they encountered 1,200 men from the local royalist Dorset militia.[37] The skirmish ended with the retreat of Grey and the cavalry followed by Wade with the foot soldiers.[38] Many of the militiamen deserted and joined Monmouth's army.[39] Following this confrontation, Lord Albermarle led a royalist force from Exeter towards the forces of the Duke of Somerset, who were approaching Lyme Regis from the opposite direction.[40]

Louis de Duras, 2nd Earl of Feversham

Monmouth learned of the approach of royalist reinforcements and departed, but instead of marching to London, he headed north with his force towards the county of Somerset. On 15 June he fought with the militia at Axminster, taking the town before the militias could join up.[41] More recruits joined his disorganised force, which was now around 6,000, consisting mostly of nonconformists, artisans, and farm workers armed with farm tools (such as pitchforks).[42] One famous supporter was the young Daniel Defoe.[43]

Monmouth again denounced the king in Chard[44] and was the subject of a coronation in Taunton on 20 June 1685, against the wishes of some of his republican supporters such as Wade.[45] The Taunton Corporation was forced to witness the event at sword point outside the White Hart Inn, to encourage the support of the country gentry.[46] In Taunton, Monmouth was joined by many new supporters and formed a new regiment of 800 men.[45] The king's force of Dragoons under Churchill continued to close on Monmouth, arriving in Chard on 19 June. With the assistance of the local militias they attempted to stop new recruits arriving in Taunton to join Monmouth.[47] Feversham meanwhile moved with his forces into Bristol, on the assumption that this would be Monmouth's next target, and took overall charge of the campaign.[48]

Monmouth and his growing force then continued north via Bridgwater, where he took up residence at Bridgwater Castle (21 June),[49] Glastonbury (22 June) and Shepton Mallet (23 June) in worsening weather.[50] Meanwhile, the Royal Navy captured Monmouth's ships, cutting off any hope of an escape back to the continent.[51] The Royalist forces of Churchill, who was now in Chard, and of Feversham, in Bristol, also received reinforcements who had marched from London.[52]

The old Keynsham bridge seen in 2011. The course of the river has been diverted

On 24 June, Monmouth's army encamped at Pensford, and a small force skirmished with the Gloucester Militia to take control of Keynsham, a vital crossing point over the River Avon.[53] Monmouth intended to attack the city of Bristol (the largest and most important city after London at that time). However, he heard the city had been occupied by Henry Somerset, 1st Duke of Beaufort. There were inconclusive skirmishes with a force of Life Guards commanded by Feversham.[54] These attacks gave the impression that there was a much larger royalist force in the vicinity then there actually was. Several historians have speculated that if Monmouth had marched as quickly as possible for Bristol at this point, when it was only protected by the Gloucestershire militia, he would probably have been able to take the city and the final outcome of the rebellion might have been very different. Once Bristol had been taken, more recruits would have been attracted to the Rebellion and a later march on London would have been possible.[55][56][57][58][59][60]

Monmouth left his headquarters at Keynsham Abbey and moved towards Bath, which had also been occupied by royalist troops, making entry into the city impossible. Monmouth camped in Philips Norton (now Norton St Philip), where his forces were attacked on 27 June by the leading elements of Feversham's forces, which had now combined into a larger force, but were still awaiting their artillery.[61] The Duke of Grafton led some cavalry, dragoons, and 500 musketeers into the village, where they were surrounded by the rebels and had to hack through hedges to escape. They were rescued by Churchill and withdrew with approximately 20 losses on each side; however each side believed that the other had taken greater losses.[61]

The George Inn at Norton St Philip

Monmouth then marched overnight to Frome arriving on 28 June. The morale of Monmouth's forces started to collapse as news of the failure of the rebellion in Scotland arrived that day, while the makeshift army was camped in Frome.[62][63] Argyll's small force had been involved in minor skirmishes at Greenock and Ellangreig. He took Ardkinglass castle, but after disagreements with key supporters about when and where to fight the royalists commanded by Rosse and William Cleland, his supporters dwindled away and the Scottish rebellion failed.[20]

The rebels, heading for Warminster got as far as Trowbridge, but royalist forces cut off the route and Monmouth turned back towards Somerset through Shepton Mallet, arriving in Wells on 1 July.[64] The soldiers damaged the Bishop's Palace and west front of Wells Cathedral, tearing lead from the roof to make bullets, breaking the windows, smashing the organ and the furnishings, and for a time stabling their horses in the nave.[65]

Feversham aimed to contain the rebels in the South West until the rest of his forces, including three battalions from Holland arrived. In the light of propaganda suggesting the rebels had an army of 40,000 and that 500 royalist troops had been lost at Norton St Philip, Feversham was ordered to engage Monmouth's forces. On 30 June the final parts of Feversham's army, including his artillery, arrived and eventually Monmouth was pushed back via Shepton Mallet to the Somerset Levels, where Alfred the Great had found refuge in his conflicts with the Vikings. Becoming hemmed in at Bridgwater on 3 July, he ordered his troops to fortify the town.[66]

Battle of Sedgemoor

Battle of Sedgemoor memorial
Main article: Battle of Sedgemoor

Monmouth was finally defeated by Feversham with John Churchill, his second in command, on 6 July at the Battle of Sedgemoor.

Once Monmouth's force had entered and started to fortify Bridgwater, he sent some of his cavalry to collect six cannon from Minehead. He planned to stay in Bridgwater until they returned and then break out and head for Bristol. Feversham and his army of 500 horse and 1,500 militiamen camped on the edge of Sedgemoor at the village of Westonzoyland. Monmouth could view them from the tower of Church of St Mary and may have inspected them more closely from the Church of St Mary in Chedzoy, before deciding to attack them.[67]

The Duke eventually led his untrained and ill-equipped troops out of Bridgwater at around 10:00 pm to undertake a night-time attack on the King's army. They were guided by Richard Godfrey, the servant of a local farmer, along the old Bristol road towards Bawdrip. With their limited cavalry in the vanguard, they turned south along Bradney Lane and Marsh Lane and came to the open moor with its deep and dangerous rhynes (drainage ditches).[68]

A wounded supporter of Monmouth taking refuge in a hay barn after the battle by Edgar Bundy

There was a delay while the rhyne was crossed and the first men across startled a royalist patrol. A shot was fired and a horseman from the patrol galloped off to report to Feversham. Lord Grey of Warke led the rebel cavalry forward and they were engaged by the King's Regiment of Horse which alerted the rest of the royalist forces.[69] The superior training of the regular army and their horses routed the rebel forces by outflanking them. His untrained supporters were quickly defeated by the professionals, and hundreds were cut down by cannon- and musket-fire.

The death count on the rebel side has variously been given as between 727 and 2,700, with royalist losses of 27 who were buried in the churchyard of the Church of St Mary the Virgin in Westonzoyland, which was used as a prison for rebel soldiers.[70]

After Sedgemoor

Monmouth's execution on Tower Hill, 15 July 1685 (O.S).

Monmouth fled from the field of battle, but was captured in a ditch on 8 July (either at Ringwood in the New Forest, or at Horton in Dorset[71]). Parliament had passed an Act of Attainder, on 13 June sentencing Monmouth to death as a traitor,[72] Therefore, no trial was needed before his execution. Despite begging for mercy and claims of conversion to Roman Catholicism, he was beheaded at Tower Hill by Jack Ketch on 15 July 1685. It is said that it took multiple blows of the axe to sever his head. (Though some sources say it took eight blows, the official Tower of London website says it took five blows,[73] while Charles Spencer, in his book Blenheim, claims it was seven.)[74] His dukedoms of Monmouth and Buccleuch were forfeited, but the subsidiary titles of the dukedom of Monmouth were restored to the Duke of Buccleuch.[75]

Judge Jeffreys

The subsequent Bloody Assizes of Judge Jeffreys were a series of trials of Monmouth's supporters in which 320 people were condemned to death and around 800 sentenced to be transported to the West Indies.[76]

James II took advantage of the suppression of the rebellion to consolidate his power. He asked Parliament to repeal the Test Act and the Habeas Corpus Act, used his dispensing power to appoint Roman Catholics to senior posts, and raised the strength of the standing army. Parliament opposed many of these moves, and on 20 November 1685 James dismissed it. In 1688, when the birth of James Francis Edward Stuart heralded a Catholic succession, James II was overthrown in a coup d'état by William of Orange in the Glorious Revolution at the invitation of the disaffected Protestant Establishment.[77]

Literary references

The Monmouth Rebellion and the events surrounding it have formed the basis for several works of fiction. John Dryden's work Absalom and Achitophel is a satire partially concerned with equating biblical events with the Monmouth Rebellion.[78] The Monmouth Rebellion plays a key role in Peter S. Beagle's novel Tamsin, about a 300-year-old ghost who is befriended by the protagonist.[79] Arthur Conan Doyle's historical novel Micah Clarke deals directly with Monmouth's landing in England, the raising of his army, its defeat at Sedgemoor, and the reprisals which followed.[80] Several characters in Neal Stephenson's trilogy The Baroque Cycle, particularly Quicksilver and The Confusion, play a role in the Monmouth Rebellion and its aftermath.[81]

Dr. Peter Blood, main hero of Rafael Sabatini's novel Captain Blood, was sentenced by Judge Jeffreys for aiding wounded Monmouth rebels. Transported to the Caribbean, he started his career as a pirate there.[82] John Masefield's 1910 novel Martin Hyde: The Duke's Messenger tells the story of a boy who plays a central part in the Monmouth Rebellion, from the meeting with Argyll in Holland to the failed rebellion itself.[83] The Royal Changeling, (1998), by John Whitbourn, describes the rebellion with some fantasy elements added, from the viewpoint of Sir Theophilus Oglethorpe.[84] See also Lorna Doone, Richard Doddridge Blackmore's romantic novel of 1869. Farmer John Ridd rescues his brother-in-law Tom Faggus from the battlefield of Sedgwick, but is captured as a rebel, and is brought before Judge Jefferies. The events immediately before and after the Battle of Sedgemoor, and leading up to James II's exile following The Glorious Revolution provide the setting for Robert Neill's historical novel Lilliburlero.[85]

References

  1. 1 2 Fraser, 1979 page 175
  2. ↑ Bevan1973 pages 11–25
  3. ↑ Tincey, 2005 page 12
  4. ↑ Dunning, 1984 page 22
  5. ↑ Bevan, 1973 page 98
  6. ↑ Miller, 2000 page 87
  7. ↑ Miller, 2000 pages 99–105
  8. ↑ Harris, 2006 page 74
  9. ↑ Miller, 2000 pages 93–95
  10. ↑ Miller, 2000 page 103
  11. ↑ Milne, Doreen J. (1951). "The Results of the Rye House Plot and Their Influence upon the Revolution of 1688: The Alexander Prize Essay". Transactions of the Royal Historical Society 5: 91–108.
  12. ↑ Clarke, 1985 pages 6–7
  13. ↑ Harris, 2006 page 45
  14. ↑ Miller, 2000 pages 140–143
  15. ↑ Harris, 2006 pages 73–86
  16. ↑ Earle 1977 page 55
  17. ↑ Miller, 2000 pages 139–140
  18. ↑ Harris, 2006 pages 75–76
  19. ↑ "The Rebellion of the 9th Earl of Argyll, 1685.". The Reformation. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  20. 1 2  "Campbell, Archibald (d.1685)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  21. ↑ Ferguson, 2008 page 215
  22. ↑ "Rebellion". The Glorious Revolution. Retrieved 14 November 2010.
  23. ↑ Bevan, 1973 page 192
  24. ↑ Dillon, Patrick (2007). The Last Revolution: 1688 and the Creation of the Modern World. Random House. p. 25. ISBN 9781844134083.
  25. ↑ "The Campaign". UK Battlefields Resource Centre. Retrieved 14 June 2008.
  26. ↑ Foard, Glen. "Sedgemoor Battle and Monmouth Rebellion Campaign". UK Battlefields Resource Centre. The Battlefields Trust. Retrieved 14 June 2008.
  27. ↑ Wyndham, 1976 page 131
  28. ↑ Dunning, Robert. "Monmouth Rebellion — Why Monmouth?". Somerset Timeline. Retrieved 14 June 2008.
  29. ↑ Harris, 2006 pages 82–85
  30. ↑ Wyndham, 1976 pages 132–133
  31. ↑ Clarke, 1985 page 10
  32. ↑ Earle, 1977 page 57
  33. ↑ Clarke, 1985 pages 10–13
  34. ↑ Tincey, 2005 pages 157–158
  35. ↑ Dunning, 1984 page 24
  36. ↑ Tincey, 2005 page 41
  37. ↑ Clarke, 1985 page 16
  38. ↑ Tincey, 2005 pages 42–46
  39. ↑ Whiles, 1985 page 7
  40. ↑ Clarke, 1985 page 18
  41. ↑ Tincey, 2005 pages 47–49
  42. ↑ "Monmouth's rebellion and the Battle of Sedgemoor". Historic UK. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  43. ↑ Earle, 1977 page 180
  44. ↑ "Chard website". Wessex Tourist Board. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  45. 1 2 Dunning, 1984 page 26
  46. ↑ Dunning, Robert. "Monmouth Rebellion — Rebellion moves on". Somerset Timeline. Retrieved 14 June 2008.
  47. ↑ Tincey, 2005 pages 52–54
  48. ↑ Tincey, 2005 pages 54–56
  49. ↑ "Bridgewater Castle and the Battle of Sedgemoor". UK tourist information. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  50. ↑ Wyndham, 1976 pages 135–137
  51. ↑ Dunning, Robert. "Monmouth and Argyll Rebellions.". Somerset Timeline. Somerset County Council. Retrieved 14 June 2008.
  52. ↑ Tincey, 2005 pages 58–61
  53. ↑ Tincey, 2005 page 61
  54. ↑ Tincey, 2005 pages 61–67
  55. ↑ Tincey, 2005 pages 64–67
  56. ↑ Dunning, 1984 page 28
  57. ↑ Wyndham, 1976 pages 139–141
  58. ↑ Clarke, 1985 page 24
  59. ↑ Earle, 1977 pages 97–98
  60. ↑ Sawers, 2007 pages 12–13
  61. 1 2 Tincey, 2005 pages 68–73
  62. ↑ "Monmouth's Rebellion". UK Battlefields Resource Centre. Retrieved 14 June 2008.
  63. ↑ Tincey, 2005 page 74
  64. ↑ Whiles, 1985 page 10
  65. ↑ "The Monmouth rebellion and the bloody assize". Somerset County Council. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
  66. ↑ "Rebels return to Bridgwater". Somerset Timeline. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  67. ↑ Tincey, 2005 pages 84–89
  68. ↑ Vale, Jessica. "Monmouth Rebellion — Battle of Sedgemoor". Somerset Timeline. Retrieved 21 June 2008.
  69. ↑ Whiles, 1985 page 24
  70. ↑ Robert Dunning (Editor) (2004). "Westonzoyland". A History of the County of Somerset: Volume 8: The Poldens and the Levels. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  71. ↑ "Monmouth Rebellion: Dorset Connections". The Dorset Pages. Retrieved 14 June 2008.
  72. ↑ John Raithby (editor) (1819). "James the Second, 1685: An Act to Attaint James Duke of Monmouth of High-Treason. Chapter II. Rot. Parl. nu. 2.". Statutes of the Realm: volume 6: 1685–94. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  73. ↑ "Prisoners at the Tower" (PDF). Historic Royal Palaces. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  74. ↑ Spencer, 2004 page 54
  75. ↑ Bevan, 1973 page 237
  76. ↑ "The Bloody Assize". Somerset County Council. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  77. ↑ Jones, C (1973). "The Protestant Wind of 1688: Myth and Reality". European Studies Review III: 201–221.
  78. ↑ "Absalom and Achitophel". LibriVox. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  79. ↑ "Tamsin". SF Reviews. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  80. ↑ Doyle, Arthur Conan (1889). Micah Clarke,. Longman.
  81. ↑ "Neal Stephenson". SF Reviews. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  82. ↑ Vallar, Cindy. "Captain Blood The History behind the Novel". Pirates and Privateers. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  83. ↑ Masefield, John (1910). Martin Hyde: The Duke's Messenger. Wells Gardner, Darton and Co.
  84. ↑ Sionnaigh, Séamas Ó. "John Whitbourn's 'The Royal Changeling' (1998)". Prog464. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  85. ↑ Neill, Robert (1975). Lilliburlero. Hutchinson & Co (Publishers) Ltd.

Bibliography

External links

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