THIS WEEK’S GREAT DAY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18786, 15 June 1929, Page 23 (Supplement)

THIS WEEK’S GREAT DAY.

MEMORABLE EVENTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE EMPIRE

1 By

Charles Conway.

JUNE 11: THE MONMOUTH REBELLION.

TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY-FOUR YEARS AGO, on June 11, 1685, the Duke of Monmouth landed on the English coast at Lyme Regis, in Dorsetshire, and there raised his standard of rebellion against his uncle, James 11. The Duke was an illegitimate son of Charles 11.. and at the time of his father’s death, four months earlier, he was an exile in Holland. Knowing that James TI. was extremely unpopular with the British people, owing to his being a Roman Catholic, Monmouth was convinced that if he appeared in England as a champion of the Protestant faith and made a bid for the throne, he would secure overwhelming support. He, therefore, lost no time in planning with the Duke of Argyle and. otheT refugees from England and Scotland to raise a rebellion in both countries. On May 2 Argyle sailed for Scotland, where he landed with a tew companions and sent the fiery cross throughout the country to assemble his vassals. He succeeded in raising an army of about 2500 men, but they were speedily routed by the Scottish militia, and Argyle was captured and executed. Ignorant of what had happened in Scotland Monmouth sailed for England on May 30, and when he landed he had with him only eighty officers and 150 men. When he raised his standard in the market-place at Lyme Regis he issued a proclamation, wherein he stated that he was able to prove that he was born in lawful wedlock, and that, being the legitimate son of the late King, he was the rightful heir to the thorne. lie further alleged that James had poisoned Charles 11. and had been guilty of numerous other crimes. This proclamation produced a great effect on the dissenting clergy and the lower classes of the community in the district, and Monmouth soon found himself at the head of about 4000 men. with whom he advanced to Taunton and Bridgwater, at both of which towns he was received with enthusiasm. To his surprise and dismay Monmouth speedily realised that, although the common people were, rallying to his standard everywhere he appeared, the gentry and leading families were holding aloof, and that outside the districts through which he had passed there was no sign of any rising in his favour, not even among the'lower classes. In the meantime the King’s army was approaching, and at Norton St Philip, on the borders of Wiltshire, Monmouth’s men had a skirmish with a small detachment of the Royal troops, in which the former gained a slight advantage. The rebels, however, were short of effective arms, the major portion of them fighting with weapons which they had improvised from scythes and other farming implements, and being undisciplined and ignorant of military tactics they were powerless to follow up their advantage. Monmouth retreated to Frome, where he first heard of the disaster which had befallen Argyle’s rebellion in Scotland, and, although by that time he was well supplied with men and money, he was unable to secure arms and ammunition, with the result that thousands of his recruits deserted him, solely owing to the lack of weapons with which to fight. On July 5, when Monmouth’s force had been reduced to 2500 foot and 600 horsemen, he was reluctantly persuaded to attack the King’jf army which was encamped at Sed :mooi, near Bridgwater. The attack was made in the early hours cf the morning ot July 6. but” the rei- were unable to cross a deep ditch which prelected the camp, and were mowed down by the King’s artillery. The majority of Monmouth's men were either killed or captured, and Monmouth, who succeeded in escaping from the field, was subsequently caught, taken to London and executed. [Copyrighted.]