1685 in England
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 1685 in England: |
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| 1683 1683 in England Events from the year 1683 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 9 January - Charles II gives orders establishing the dates on which he will perform the "Touching the King's Evil" ceremony.... | 1684 1684 in England Events from the year 1684 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:*15 March - Highwayman John Nevison hanged for murder.*10 May - Titus Oates arrested for perjury.*31 July - The village of Churchill, Oxfordshire, is largely destroyed by fire.... | 1685 | 1686 1686 in England Events from the year 1686 in the Kingdom of England.- Events :* 10 July - Court of Ecclesiastical Commission created.* 17 July - King James appoints four Catholics to the Privy Council of England.-Undated:... | 1687 1687 in England Events from the year 1687 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 2 April - King James II of England issues the Declaration of Indulgence, suspending laws against Catholics and non-conformists.... |
Events from the year 1685 in the Kingdom of England
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
.
Incumbents
- Monarch - King Charles IICharles II of EnglandCharles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
(to 6 February), King James IIJames II of EnglandJames II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
Events
- 6 February - James Stuart, Duke of YorkDuke of YorkThe Duke of York is a title of nobility in the British peerage. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of the British monarch. The title has been created a remarkable eleven times, eight as "Duke of York" and three as the double-barreled "Duke of York and...
becomes King James II of EnglandJames II of EnglandJames II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
. - 23 April - Coronation of King James II.
- May - Titus OatesTitus OatesTitus Oates was an English perjurer who fabricated the "Popish Plot", a supposed Catholic conspiracy to kill King Charles II.-Early life:...
found guilty of perjuryPerjuryPerjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
for his part in the alleged "Popish PlotPopish PlotThe Popish Plot was a fictitious conspiracy concocted by Titus Oates that gripped England, Wales and Scotland in Anti-Catholic hysteria between 1678 and 1681. Oates alleged that there existed an extensive Catholic conspiracy to assassinate Charles II, accusations that led to the execution of at...
". - 19 May - Beginning of the first session of the Loyal ParliamentLoyal ParliamentThe Loyal Parliament was the first and only Parliament of England of King James II, in theory continuing from May 1685 to July 1688, but in practice sitting during 1685 only. It gained its name because at the outset most of its members were loyal to the new king...
. - 11 June - Monmouth RebellionMonmouth RebellionThe Monmouth Rebellion,The Revolt of the West or The West Country rebellion of 1685, was an attempt to overthrow James II, who had become King of England, King of Scots and King of Ireland at the death of his elder brother Charles II on 6 February 1685. James II was a Roman Catholic, and some...
: James Scott, 1st Duke of MonmouthJames Scott, 1st Duke of MonmouthJames Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, 1st Duke of Buccleuch, KG, PC , was an English nobleman. Originally called James Crofts or James Fitzroy, he was born in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II and his mistress, Lucy Walter...
, illegitimate son of King Charles II of EnglandCharles II of EnglandCharles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
, ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, lands at Lyme RegisLyme RegisLyme Regis is a coastal town in West Dorset, England, situated 25 miles west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. The town lies in Lyme Bay, on the English Channel coast at the Dorset-Devon border...
with an invasion force brought from the NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
to challenge his uncle, James IIJames II of EnglandJames II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
, for the Crown of England. - 20 June - Monmouth Rebellion: James, Duke of MonmouthJames Scott, 1st Duke of MonmouthJames Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, 1st Duke of Buccleuch, KG, PC , was an English nobleman. Originally called James Crofts or James Fitzroy, he was born in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II and his mistress, Lucy Walter...
declares himself at TauntonTauntonTaunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
to be King and heir to his father's Kingdoms as James II of England and Ireland and James VII of Scotland. - 6 July - Monmouth Rebellion: The Battle of SedgemoorBattle of SedgemoorThe Battle of Sedgemoor was fought on 6 July 1685 and took place at Westonzoyland near Bridgwater in Somerset, England.It was the final battle of the Monmouth Rebellion and followed a series of skirmishes around south west England between the forces of James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth and the...
between the armies of King James II and rebel forces under Monmouth. Monmouth's army is defeated and the DukeJames Scott, 1st Duke of MonmouthJames Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, 1st Duke of Buccleuch, KG, PC , was an English nobleman. Originally called James Crofts or James Fitzroy, he was born in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II and his mistress, Lucy Walter...
himself is captured shortly after the battle. - 15 July - The Duke of Monmouth is beheadedDecapitationDecapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
at Tower Hill, London. - 25 August to 23 September - Lord Chief Justice JeffreysGeorge Jeffreys, 1st Baron JeffreysGeorge Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys of Wem, PC , also known as "The Hanging Judge", was an English judge. He became notable during the reign of King James II, rising to the position of Lord Chancellor .- Early years and education :Jeffreys was born at the family estate of Acton Hall, near Wrexham,...
holds the Bloody AssizesBloody AssizesThe Bloody Assizes were a series of trials started at Winchester on 25 August 1685 in the aftermath of the Battle of Sedgemoor, which ended the Monmouth Rebellion in England....
to try Monmouth's supporters, beginning at WinchesterWinchesterWinchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
and ending at WellsWellsWells is a cathedral city and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset, England, on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. Although the population recorded in the 2001 census is 10,406, it has had city status since 1205...
. Over a thousand receive sentences of hangingHangingHanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
or transportationPenal transportationTransportation or penal transportation is the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. Examples include transportation by France to Devil's Island and by the UK to its colonies in the Americas, from the 1610s through the American Revolution in the 1770s, and then to Australia between...
. - September - Edward Hemming establishes the first organised street lighting, using oil lampOil lampAn oil lamp is an object used to produce light continuously for a period of time using an oil-based fuel source. The use of oil lamps began thousands of years ago and is continued to this day....
s, in London. - 20 November - The Loyal ParliamentLoyal ParliamentThe Loyal Parliament was the first and only Parliament of England of King James II, in theory continuing from May 1685 to July 1688, but in practice sitting during 1685 only. It gained its name because at the outset most of its members were loyal to the new king...
is prorogued and never meets again. - undated - The Toyé family arrive in England as HuguenotHuguenotThe Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
refugeeRefugeeA refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s, establishing the jewelleryJewelleryJewellery or jewelry is a form of personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.With some exceptions, such as medical alert bracelets or military dog tags, jewellery normally differs from other items of personal adornment in that it has no other purpose than to...
and clothingClothingClothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
business which, as Toye, Kenning and SpencerToye, Kenning and SpencerToye, Kenning & Spencer plc is a British jewellery and clothing manufacturer base in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, Covent Garden, London and Bedworth England. Founded in 1685, the company remains family run by members of the Toye family....
, will still be operating in the hands of the original family in the 21st century.
Births
- 10 February - Aaron Hill, writer (died 17501750 in Great BritainEvents from the year 1750 in Great Britain.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George II*Prime Minister - Henry Pelham, Whig-Events:* 17 January - John Canton reads a paper before the Royal Society on a method of making artificial magnets....
) - 12 March - George BerkeleyGeorge BerkeleyGeorge Berkeley , also known as Bishop Berkeley , was an Irish philosopher whose primary achievement was the advancement of a theory he called "immaterialism"...
, philosopher (died 17531753 in Great BritainEvents from the year 1753 in Great Britain.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George II*Prime Minister - Henry Pelham, Whig-Events:* 29 January - After a month's absence, Elizabeth Canning returns to her mother's home in London and claims that she was abducted...
) - 30 June - John GayJohn GayJohn Gay was an English poet and dramatist and member of the Scriblerus Club. He is best remembered for The Beggar's Opera , set to music by Johann Christoph Pepusch...
, writer (died 17321732 in Great BritainEvents from the year 1732 in Great Britain.-Incumbents:*Monarch - George II of the United Kingdom*Prime Minister - Robert Walpole, Whig-Events:* 7 December - The original Covent Garden Theatre Royal is opened....
) - 3 July - Sir Robert Rich, 4th BaronetSir Robert Rich, 4th BaronetField Marshal Sir Robert Rich, 4th Baronet was a British cavalry officer.-Career:Rich was commissioned into the 1st Foot Guards in 1700...
, cavalry officer (died 17681768 in Great BritainEvents from the year 1768 in Great Britain.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George III*Prime Minister - William Pitt the Elder, Whig , Duke of Grafton, Whig-Events:...
) - 18 August - Brook TaylorBrook TaylorBrook Taylor FRS was an English mathematician who is best known for Taylor's theorem and the Taylor series.- Life and work :...
, mathematician (died 17311731 in Great BritainEvents from the year 1731 in Great Britain.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George II*Prime Minister - Robert Walpole, Whig-Events:* 16 March - Treaty of Vienna signed between the Holy Roman Empire, Great Britain, the Dutch Republic and Spain....
) - 17 December - Thomas TickellThomas TickellThomas Tickell was a minor English poet and man of letters.-Life:The son of a clergyman, he was born at Bridekirk near Cockermouth, Cumberland. He was educated at St Bees School 1695-1701, and in 1701 entered the Queen's College, Oxford, taking his M.A. degree in 1709...
, writer (died 17401740 in Great BritainEvents from the year 1740 in Great Britain.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George II*Prime Minister - Robert Walpole, Whig-Events:...
)
Deaths
- 2 January - Sir Harbottle Grimston, 2nd Baronet, politician (born 1603)
- 6 February - King Charles II of EnglandCharles II of EnglandCharles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
(born 1630) - 24 February - Charles Howard, 1st Earl of CarlisleCharles Howard, 1st Earl of CarlisleCharles Howard, 1st Earl of Carlisle was an English politician and military leader.The first in the Howard line of earls, he was the son and heir of Sir William Howard, of Naworth in Cumberland, by Mary, daughter of William, Lord Eure, and great-grandson of Lord William Howard, "Belted Will" , the...
, politician and military leader (born 1629) - 14 April - Thomas OtwayThomas OtwayThomas Otway was an English dramatist of the Restoration period, best known for Venice Preserv'd, or A Plot Discover'd .-Life:...
, dramatist (born 16521652 in EnglandEvents from the year 1652 in the Commonwealth of England.-Events:* 19 May - First Anglo-Dutch War: Battle of Goodwin Sands fought off Dover between Lt.-Admiral Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp's 42 Dutch ships and 21 English ships divided into two squadrons, one commanded by Robert Blake and the other...
) - 15 July - James Scott, 1st Duke of MonmouthJames Scott, 1st Duke of MonmouthJames Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, 1st Duke of Buccleuch, KG, PC , was an English nobleman. Originally called James Crofts or James Fitzroy, he was born in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II and his mistress, Lucy Walter...
, illegitimate son of Charles II (born 16491649 in EnglandEvents from the year 1649 in England.-Incumbents:Monarch - King Charles I of England ; Interregnum-Events:* 3 January - An explosion of several barrels of gunpowder in Tower Street, London kills 67 people and destroys 60 houses....
) - 28 July - Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of ArlingtonHenry Bennet, 1st Earl of ArlingtonHenry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington KG, PC was an English statesman.- Background and early life :He was the son of Sir John Bennet of Dawley, Middlesex, and of Dorothy Crofts. He was the younger brother of John Bennet, 1st Baron Ossulston; his sister was Elizabeth Bennet who married Robert Kerr,...
, statesman (born 1618) - 12 December - John PellJohn Pell-Early life:He was born at Southwick in Sussex. He was educated at Steyning Grammar School, and entered Trinity College, Cambridge, at the age of thirteen. During his university career he became an accomplished linguist, and even before he took his B.A. degree corresponded with Henry Briggs and...
, mathematician (born 1610)