Monmouth Rebellion - From Lyme Regis To Sedgemoor

From Lyme Regis To Sedgemoor

In May 1685, Monmouth set sail for South West England, a strongly Protestant region, with three small ships, four light field guns and 1500 muskets. He landed with 82 supporters, including Lord Grey of Warke, and gathered about 300 men at Lyme Regis in Dorset on 11 June. King James was soon warned of Monmouth's arrival; two customs officers from Lyme arrived in London on 13 June having ridden 200 miles (322 km) post haste.

Other important members of the rebellion were:

• 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.
• Thomas Hayward Dare. 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 gaol, he fled to Holland and became the paymaster general to the Rebellion.
• The Duke of Argyll. Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll was to lead the Scottish revolt and had already been involved in one unsuccessful attempt, known as the Rye House Plot of 1683.

Instead of marching on London, Monmouth marched north towards Somerset, and on 14 June clashed with the Dorset Militia at Bridport. Many of the militiamen deserted and joined Monmouth's army, before he fought another skirmish on the 15th at Axminster. The recruits joined his disorganised force, which was now around 6,000, mostly nonconformist, artisans and farmer workers armed with farm tools (such as pitchforks): one famous supporter was the young Daniel Defoe.

Monmouth declared himself King and was crowned in Chard and was the subject of more coronations in Taunton on 20 June 1685, when Taunton Corporation was made to witness the event at swords point outside the White Hart Inn. This was done to encourage the support of the country gentry. He then continued north, via Shepton Mallet (23 June). Meanwhile, the Royal Navy captured Monmouth's ships, cutting off any hope of an escape back to the continent should he be defeated.

On 24 June, Monmouth's army encamped at Pensford, and the next day arrived in Keynsham, intending to attack the city of Bristol (at the time was the second largest and second most important city after London). However, he found the city had been occupied by Henry Somerset, 1st Duke of Beaufort, and the men of the Gloucester Militia. There were inconclusive skirmishes with a force of Life Guards commanded by Louis de Duras, 2nd Earl of Feversham (an elderly nephew of Turenne, who had spent some time in English service and later became a Knight of the Garter). Monmouth then moved towards Bath, which had also been occupied by Royalist troops, He camped in Philips Norton (now Norton St Philip), where his forces were attacked on the 27th June by Feversham's forces. Monmouth then marched overnight to Frome, heading for Warminster.

Monmouth was counting on a rebellion in Scotland, led by Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll, weakening the King's support and army. Argyll landed at Campbeltown on 20 May and spent some days raising a small army of supporters, but was unable to hold them together while marching through the lowlands towards Glasgow. Argyll and his few remaining companions were captured at Inchinnan on 19 June, and he was taken to Edinburgh, where he was executed on 30 June. Expected rebellions in Cheshire and East Anglia also failed to materialise.

The morale of Monmouth's forces started to collapse as news of the setback in Scotland arrived on 28 June, while the makeshift army was camped in Frome.

The rebels 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. The soldiers damaged the 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.

Eventually Monmouth was pushed back 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.