James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth
Encyclopedia
James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, 1st Duke of Buccleuch, KG
, PC (9 April 1649 – 15 July 1685), 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
. Monmouth was executed in 1685 after making an unsuccessful attempt to depose his uncle, King James II
, commonly called the Monmouth Rebellion
. Declaring himself the legitimate King, Monmouth attempted to capitalise on his position as the son (albeit illegitimate) of Charles II, and his Protestantism
, in opposition to James, who was Catholic. His full titles were Duke of Monmouth and Earl of Doncaster, in the County of York
(1663), Earl of Dalkeith (1663), Baron Scott of Tindale, in the County of Northumberland (1663) and Baron Scott of Whitchester and Eskdale (1663).
in the Netherlands
, to Lucy Walter
, who had joined her lover, Prince Charles
, son of King Charles I
, in continental exile after his father's execution. Charles acknowledged the child as his, the eldest of 14 children fathered by him outside of wedlock. However, it is not at all certain that Charles was the natural father of the later Duke of Monmouth. According to biographical research of Hugh Noel Williams, Charles had not arrived at The Hague until the middle of September 1648 — seven months before the child's birth — while Lucy Walter, a woman of bad reputation, had in the summer of 1648 been mistress
of Colonel Robert Sidney, a younger son of the Earl of Leicester
. Serious doubts about Monmouth's real paternity arose within days of his birth, and, when Monmouth grew to manhood, contemporaries observed that he bore a much stronger resemblance to Robert Sidney than he did to his reputed father, although somewhat resembling him. If Monmouth was Sidney's son, then his uncles included Philip Sidney, 3rd Earl of Leicester
, Algernon Sydney
, and Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney
, and a great-granduncle had been the poet Sir Philip Sidney
.
As an illegitimate son, the child was not in line for throne, though there were rumours that Charles and Lucy did marry secretly. Monmouth later himself always claimed his parents were married, and that he possessed their marriage lines, but never produced them. Charles, as King, later testified in writing to his Council that he had never been married to anyone except his queen, the Portuguese princess, Catherine of Braganza
, whom he married after his return to England. By this time Lucy Walter was dead.
The infant was entrusted to the care of William Crofts, 1st Baron Crofts, who passed him off as his nephew, and he was therefore in his early years called James Crofts.
In 1663, at the age of 14, shortly after having been brought to England, James was created Duke of Monmouth with the subsidiary titles of Earl of Doncaster and Baron Scott of Tynedale, all three in the Peerage of England
, and married off to the wealthy Anne Scott, 4th Countess of Buccleuch
. James took his wife's surname upon marriage. The day after his marriage, they were made Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch
. Although he showed no aptitude for government, Monmouth, as he continued to be called, was popular, particularly since he was a Protestant, whereas the official heir to the throne, the King's brother James, Duke of York
, openly converted to Catholic
ism in 1668.
In 1665, at the age of 16, Monmouth served in the English fleet under his uncle the Duke of York in the Second Anglo-Dutch War
. Later in the war, he returned to England to assume his first military command as commander of a troop of cavalry. In 1669 he was made colonel of the King's Life Guards, one of the most senior appointments in the army. When the Captain General of the army, George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle
, died in 1670, Monmouth became the senior officer in the army at the age of 21. At the outbreak of the Third Anglo-Dutch War
in 1672, a brigade of 6,000 British troops was sent to serve as part of the French army (in return for money paid to King Charles), with Monmouth as its commander. In the campaign of 1673 and in particular at the Siege of Maastricht
, Monmouth gained a considerable reputation as one of Britain's finest soldiers. He became Chancellor of Cambridge University in 1674.
In 1678 Monmouth was commander of the Anglo-Dutch brigade, now fighting for the United Provinces
against the French. He distinguished himself at the battle of St Denis
, further increasing his reputation. The following year, after his return to Britain, he commanded the small army raised to put down the rebellion of the Scottish
Covenanter
s. Despite being heavily outnumbered, he decisively defeated the (admittedly poorly equipped) Covenanter rebels at the Battle of Bothwell Bridge
on 22 June 1679. By this time it was becoming apparent that Charles II would have no legitimate heir, and Monmouth was regarded by many as preferable to the Duke of York.
in 1683, Monmouth was obliged to go into exile in the Dutch United Provinces
(Violet Wyndham gives the date of his exile as 1679). On his father's death in 1685 Monmouth led the "Monmouth Rebellion
", landing with three ships at Lyme Regis
in Dorset
in an attempt to take the throne from his uncle. He declared himself King and was crowned in Chard
and was the subject of more coronations in Taunton
(20 June) and Bridgwater
. On 6 July 1685 the two armies met at the Battle of Sedgemoor
, the last clear-cut pitched battle
on open ground between two military forces fought on English
soil. Monmouth's makeshift force could not compete with the regular army, and was soundly defeated. Monmouth himself was captured and arrested in Dorset. Following this, Parliament
passed an Act of Attainder, 1 Ja. II c. 2. Despite begging for mercy, he was executed by Jack Ketch
on 15 July 1685, on Tower Hill. Shortly beforehand, Bishops Turner
of Ely
and Ken
of Bath and Wells
visited the condemned man to prepare him for eternity, but withheld the eucharist
as he refused to acknowledge that either his rebellion or his relationship with Lady Wentworth
had been sin
ful. 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, while Charles Spencer
, in his book Blenheim, claims it was seven). One of his co-conspirators was Thomas Chamberlain of Oddington
, from the family of Tankerville, Gloucestershire
, and Barons of Wyckham: in lieu of beheading he was transported to Virginia and there served in the Army.
His dukedoms of Monmouth and Buccleuch were forfeited, but the subsidiary titles of the dukedom of Monmouth were later restored to the Duke of Buccleuch
.
of the Duke—for a son of a King, and someone who had claimed the throne, albeit in vain, this was unheard of. So his body was exhumed, the head stitched back on the body, and it was sat for its portrait to be painted. However, there are at least two formal portraits of Monmouth tentatively dated to before his death currently in the National Portrait Gallery in London, and another painting once identified with Monmouth that shows a sleeping or dead man that could have given rise to the story. The oval portrait shown above is dated by the National Portrait Gallery to about 1683, two years before his death, and depicts James in military garb, wearing a blue officer's sash and light armor. The battle scene portrait is thought to depict James at the siege of Maastricht and is credited to artist Jan Wyck, circa 1675.
One of the many theories about the identity of The Man in the Iron Mask
is that he was Monmouth. It seems to be based on the reasoning that James II would not execute his own nephew, so someone else was executed, and James II arranged for Monmouth to be taken to France and put in the custody of his cousin Louis XIV of France
. However, the earliest French records referring to The Man In The Iron Mask date back to 1669, years before Monmouth's arrest.
His affair with mistress
Eleanor Needham, daughter of Sir Robert Needham
of Lambeth
resulted in the birth of three children:
Toward the end of his life he conducted an affair with Henrietta, Baroness Wentworth
.
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Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, PC (9 April 1649 – 15 July 1685), was an English nobleman. Originally called James Crofts or James Fitzroy, he was born in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The 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...
, the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles 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...
and his mistress
Mistress (lover)
A mistress is a long-term female lover and companion who is not married to her partner; the term is used especially when her partner is married. The relationship generally is stable and at least semi-permanent; however, the couple does not live together openly. Also the relationship is usually,...
, Lucy Walter
Lucy Walter
Lucy Walter or Lucy Barlow was a mistress of King Charles II of England and mother of James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth. She is believed to have been born in 1630 or a little later at Roch Castle near Haverfordwest, Wales into a family of middling gentry...
. Monmouth was executed in 1685 after making an unsuccessful attempt to depose his uncle, King James II
James II of England
James 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...
, commonly called the Monmouth Rebellion
Monmouth Rebellion
The 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...
. Declaring himself the legitimate King, Monmouth attempted to capitalise on his position as the son (albeit illegitimate) of Charles II, and his Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
, in opposition to James, who was Catholic. His full titles were Duke of Monmouth and Earl of Doncaster, in the County of York
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
(1663), Earl of Dalkeith (1663), Baron Scott of Tindale, in the County of Northumberland (1663) and Baron Scott of Whitchester and Eskdale (1663).
Parentage and early life
Scott was born in RotterdamRotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The 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 Lucy Walter
Lucy Walter
Lucy Walter or Lucy Barlow was a mistress of King Charles II of England and mother of James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth. She is believed to have been born in 1630 or a little later at Roch Castle near Haverfordwest, Wales into a family of middling gentry...
, who had joined her lover, Prince Charles
Charles II of England
Charles 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...
, son of King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
, in continental exile after his father's execution. Charles acknowledged the child as his, the eldest of 14 children fathered by him outside of wedlock. However, it is not at all certain that Charles was the natural father of the later Duke of Monmouth. According to biographical research of Hugh Noel Williams, Charles had not arrived at The Hague until the middle of September 1648 — seven months before the child's birth — while Lucy Walter, a woman of bad reputation, had in the summer of 1648 been mistress
Mistress (lover)
A mistress is a long-term female lover and companion who is not married to her partner; the term is used especially when her partner is married. The relationship generally is stable and at least semi-permanent; however, the couple does not live together openly. Also the relationship is usually,...
of Colonel Robert Sidney, a younger son of the Earl of Leicester
Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester
Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester was an English aristocrat and diplomat.-Life:He was the son of Robert Sidney, 1st Earl of Leicester, and his first wife, Barbara Gamage...
. Serious doubts about Monmouth's real paternity arose within days of his birth, and, when Monmouth grew to manhood, contemporaries observed that he bore a much stronger resemblance to Robert Sidney than he did to his reputed father, although somewhat resembling him. If Monmouth was Sidney's son, then his uncles included Philip Sidney, 3rd Earl of Leicester
Philip Sidney, 3rd Earl of Leicester
Philip Sidney, 3rd Earl of Leicester was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1640 and 1659 and inherited the peerage of Earl of Leicester in 1677. He supported the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War...
, Algernon Sydney
Algernon Sydney
Algernon Sidney or Sydney was an English politician, republican political theorist, colonel, and opponent of King Charles II of England, who became involved in a plot against the King and was executed for treason.-Early life:Sidney's father was Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester, a direct...
, and Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney
Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney
Henry Sydney , 1st Earl of Romney was born in Paris, a son of Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester, of Penshurst Place in Kent, England, by Lady Dorothy Percy, a daughter of Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland and sister of Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland.Henry was a brother of...
, and a great-granduncle had been the poet Sir Philip Sidney
Philip Sidney
Sir Philip Sidney was an English poet, courtier and soldier, and is remembered as one of the most prominent figures of the Elizabethan Age...
.
As an illegitimate son, the child was not in line for throne, though there were rumours that Charles and Lucy did marry secretly. Monmouth later himself always claimed his parents were married, and that he possessed their marriage lines, but never produced them. Charles, as King, later testified in writing to his Council that he had never been married to anyone except his queen, the Portuguese princess, Catherine of Braganza
Catherine of Braganza
Catherine of Braganza was a Portuguese infanta and queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland as the wife of King Charles II.She married the king in 1662...
, whom he married after his return to England. By this time Lucy Walter was dead.
The infant was entrusted to the care of William Crofts, 1st Baron Crofts, who passed him off as his nephew, and he was therefore in his early years called James Crofts.
Officer and commander
Peerage of England
The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. In that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were replaced by one Peerage of Great Britain....
, and married off to the wealthy Anne Scott, 4th Countess of Buccleuch
Anne Scott, 1st Duchess of Buccleuch
Anne Scott, 1st Duchess of Buccleuch was a wealthy Scottish peeress.Anne was the daughter of Francis Scott, 2nd Earl of Buccleuch. In 1661, she succeeded to her sister's titles of 4th Countess of Buccleuch, 5th Baroness Scott of Buccleuch and 5th Baroness Scott of Whitchester and Eskdaill...
. James took his wife's surname upon marriage. The day after his marriage, they were made Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch
Duke of Buccleuch
The title Duke of Buccleuch , formerly also spelt Duke of Buccleugh, was created in the Peerage of Scotland on 20 April 1663 for the Duke of Monmouth, who was the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II of Scotland, England, and Ireland and who had married Anne Scott, 4th Countess of Buccleuch.Anne...
. Although he showed no aptitude for government, Monmouth, as he continued to be called, was popular, particularly since he was a Protestant, whereas the official heir to the throne, the King's brother James, Duke of York
James II of England
James 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...
, openly converted to Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
ism in 1668.
In 1665, at the age of 16, Monmouth served in the English fleet under his uncle the Duke of York in the Second Anglo-Dutch War
Second Anglo-Dutch War
The Second Anglo–Dutch War was part of a series of four Anglo–Dutch Wars fought between the English and the Dutch in the 17th and 18th centuries for control over the seas and trade routes....
. Later in the war, he returned to England to assume his first military command as commander of a troop of cavalry. In 1669 he was made colonel of the King's Life Guards, one of the most senior appointments in the army. When the Captain General of the army, George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle
George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle
George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle, KG was an English soldier and politician and a key figure in the restoration of Charles II.-Early life and career:...
, died in 1670, Monmouth became the senior officer in the army at the age of 21. At the outbreak of the Third Anglo-Dutch War
Third Anglo-Dutch War
The Third Anglo–Dutch War or Third Dutch War was a military conflict between England and the Dutch Republic lasting from 1672 to 1674. It was part of the larger Franco-Dutch War...
in 1672, a brigade of 6,000 British troops was sent to serve as part of the French army (in return for money paid to King Charles), with Monmouth as its commander. In the campaign of 1673 and in particular at the Siege of Maastricht
Siege of Maastricht
The Siege of Maastricht was one of the key elements in King Louis XIV's plans to attack the Netherlands, in order to revenge the humiliating conditions enforced on him by the Triple Alliance when he tried to fully conquer the Spanish Netherlands...
, Monmouth gained a considerable reputation as one of Britain's finest soldiers. He became Chancellor of Cambridge University in 1674.
In 1678 Monmouth was commander of the Anglo-Dutch brigade, now fighting for the United Provinces
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
against the French. He distinguished himself at the battle of St Denis
Battle of Saint-Denis (1678)
The Battle of Saint-Denis was fought on August 14-15 1678 between a French army commanded by the Marshal Luxembourg and a Dutch army under William III near Saint-Denis, a village outside Mons, then part of the Spanish Netherlands...
, further increasing his reputation. The following year, after his return to Britain, he commanded the small army raised to put down the rebellion of the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland 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...
Covenanter
Covenanter
The Covenanters were a Scottish Presbyterian movement that played an important part in the history of Scotland, and to a lesser extent in that of England and Ireland, during the 17th century...
s. Despite being heavily outnumbered, he decisively defeated the (admittedly poorly equipped) Covenanter rebels at the Battle of Bothwell Bridge
Battle of Bothwell Bridge
The Battle of Bothwell Bridge, or Bothwell Brig, took place on 22 June 1679. It was fought between government troops and militant Presbyterian Covenanters, and signalled the end of their brief rebellion...
on 22 June 1679. By this time it was becoming apparent that Charles II would have no legitimate heir, and Monmouth was regarded by many as preferable to the Duke of York.
Rebellion and execution
Following the discovery of the so-called Rye House PlotRye House Plot
The Rye House Plot of 1683 was a plan to assassinate King Charles II of England and his brother James, Duke of York. Historians vary in their assessment of the degree to which details of the conspiracy were finalized....
in 1683, Monmouth was obliged to go into exile in the Dutch United Provinces
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
(Violet Wyndham gives the date of his exile as 1679). On his father's death in 1685 Monmouth led the "Monmouth Rebellion
Monmouth Rebellion
The 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...
", landing with three ships at Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis
Lyme 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...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
in an attempt to take the throne from his uncle. He declared himself King and was crowned in Chard
Chard, Somerset
Chard is a town and civil parish in the Somerset county of England. It lies on the A30 road near the Devon border, south west of Yeovil. The parish has a population of approximately 12,000 and, at an elevation of , it is the southernmost and highest town in Somerset...
and was the subject of more coronations in Taunton
Taunton
Taunton 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....
(20 June) and Bridgwater
Bridgwater
Bridgwater is a market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and a major industrial centre. Bridgwater is located on the major communication routes through South West England...
. On 6 July 1685 the two armies met at the Battle of Sedgemoor
Battle of Sedgemoor
The 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...
, the last clear-cut pitched battle
Pitched battle
A pitched battle is a battle where both sides choose to fight at a chosen location and time and where either side has the option to disengage either before the battle starts, or shortly after the first armed exchanges....
on open ground between two military forces fought on English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
soil. Monmouth's makeshift force could not compete with the regular army, and was soundly defeated. Monmouth himself was captured and arrested in Dorset. Following this, Parliament
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
passed an Act of Attainder, 1 Ja. II c. 2. Despite begging for mercy, he was executed by Jack Ketch
Jack Ketch
John Ketch was an infamous English executioner employed by King Charles II. An immigrant of Irish extraction, he became famous through the way he performed his duties during the tumults of the 1680s, when he was often mentioned in broadsheet accounts that circulated throughout the Kingdom of...
on 15 July 1685, on Tower Hill. Shortly beforehand, Bishops Turner
Francis Turner (bishop)
Francis Turner D.D. was Bishop of Ely, one of the seven bishops who petitioned against the Declaration of Indulgence and one of the nine bishops who refused to take the oath of allegiance to William III.-Family and education:...
of Ely
Bishop of Ely
The Bishop of Ely is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Ely in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese roughly covers the county of Cambridgeshire , together with a section of north-west Norfolk and has its see in the City of Ely, Cambridgeshire, where the seat is located at the...
and Ken
Thomas Ken
Thomas Ken was an English cleric who was considered the most eminent of the English non-juring bishops, and one of the fathers of modern English hymnology.-Early life:...
of Bath and Wells
Bishop of Bath and Wells
The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England.The present diocese covers the vast majority of the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew in...
visited the condemned man to prepare him for eternity, but withheld the eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
as he refused to acknowledge that either his rebellion or his relationship with Lady Wentworth
Henrietta Wentworth, 6th Baroness Wentworth
Henrietta Maria Wentworth, 6th Baroness Wentworth was an English suo jure peeress.The only child of Thomas Wentworth, 5th Baron Wentworth and his wife, Philadelphia Carey, Henrietta spent her early years at the family home, Toddington Manor, Bedfordshire...
had been sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
ful. 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
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
website says it took five blows, while Charles Spencer
Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer
Charles Edward Maurice Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, DL , styled Viscount Althorp between 1975 and 1992, is a British peer and brother of Diana, Princess of Wales...
, in his book Blenheim, claims it was seven). One of his co-conspirators was Thomas Chamberlain of Oddington
Oddington, Gloucestershire
Lower Oddington and Upper Oddington are a pair of adjoining villages in the English county of Gloucestershire. Together they form the civil parish of Oddington.They are located to the south of the A436 road east of the town of Stow-on-the-Wold....
, from the family of Tankerville, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, and Barons of Wyckham: in lieu of beheading he was transported to Virginia and there served in the Army.
His dukedoms of Monmouth and Buccleuch were forfeited, but the subsidiary titles of the dukedom of Monmouth were later restored to the Duke of Buccleuch
Duke of Buccleuch
The title Duke of Buccleuch , formerly also spelt Duke of Buccleugh, was created in the Peerage of Scotland on 20 April 1663 for the Duke of Monmouth, who was the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II of Scotland, England, and Ireland and who had married Anne Scott, 4th Countess of Buccleuch.Anne...
.
Popular legends
According to legend, a portrait was painted of Monmouth after his execution. The tradition states that it was realised after the execution that there was no official portraitPortrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
of the Duke—for a son of a King, and someone who had claimed the throne, albeit in vain, this was unheard of. So his body was exhumed, the head stitched back on the body, and it was sat for its portrait to be painted. However, there are at least two formal portraits of Monmouth tentatively dated to before his death currently in the National Portrait Gallery in London, and another painting once identified with Monmouth that shows a sleeping or dead man that could have given rise to the story. The oval portrait shown above is dated by the National Portrait Gallery to about 1683, two years before his death, and depicts James in military garb, wearing a blue officer's sash and light armor. The battle scene portrait is thought to depict James at the siege of Maastricht and is credited to artist Jan Wyck, circa 1675.
One of the many theories about the identity of The Man in the Iron Mask
Man in the Iron Mask
The Man in the Iron Mask is a name given to a prisoner arrested as Eustache Dauger in 1669 or 1670, and held in a number of jails, including the Bastille and the Fortress of Pignerol . He was held in the custody of the same jailer, Bénigne Dauvergne de Saint-Mars, for a period of 34 years...
is that he was Monmouth. It seems to be based on the reasoning that James II would not execute his own nephew, so someone else was executed, and James II arranged for Monmouth to be taken to France and put in the custody of his cousin Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
. However, the earliest French records referring to The Man In The Iron Mask date back to 1669, years before Monmouth's arrest.
Children
His marriage to Anne Scott resulted in the birth of eight children:- Charles Scott, Earl of Doncaster (24 August 1672 – 9 February 1673/1674).
- James Scott, Earl of DalkeithJames Scott, Earl of DalkeithSir James Scott, Earl of Dalkeith KT was the son of James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth and Anne Scott, 1st Duchess of Buccleuch. He was also the grandson of Charles II of England. On 2 January 1693/94 he married Lady Henrietta Hyde Sir James Scott, Earl of Dalkeith KT (23 May 1674 – 14 March 1705)...
(23 May 1674 – 14 March 1705). He was married on 2 January 1693/1694 to Henrietta Hyde, daughter of Laurence Hyde, 1st Earl of RochesterLaurence Hyde, 1st Earl of RochesterLaurence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester KG PC was an English statesman and writer. He was originally a supporter of James II but later supported the Glorious Revolution in 1688.-Early life:...
. They were parents to Francis Scott, 2nd Duke of BuccleuchFrancis Scott, 2nd Duke of BuccleuchFrancis Scott, 2nd Duke of Buccleuch KT FRS was a Scottish nobleman.-Biography:He was the son of Sir James Scott, Earl of Dalkeith and Lady Henrietta Hyde, daughter of Laurence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester. He was baptised on 20 January 1694/95 in St...
. - Lady Anne Scott (17 February 1675 – 13 August 1685).
- Henry Scott, 1st Earl of DeloraineHenry Scott, 1st Earl of DeloraineMajor-General Henry Scott, 1st Earl of Deloraine KB was a Scottish peer and army officer.Scott was the second surviving son of James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth and his wife, Anne. In 1693, he married Anne Duncombe , the daughter of William Duncombe of Batthesden, Lord Chief Justice of Ireland...
(1676 – 25 December 1730). - Francis Scott (1678 – buried 8 December 1679).
- Lady Isabella Scott (d. 18 February 1748).
- Lady Charlotte Scott (buried 5 September 1683).
- Richard Scott, Earl of Winserton (d. 14 August 1739)
His affair with mistress
Mistress (lover)
A mistress is a long-term female lover and companion who is not married to her partner; the term is used especially when her partner is married. The relationship generally is stable and at least semi-permanent; however, the couple does not live together openly. Also the relationship is usually,...
Eleanor Needham, daughter of Sir Robert Needham
Robert Needham
Sir Robert Needham was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1645 to 1648.Needham was the son of Thomas Needham of Pool Park and his wife Eleanor Bagenal, daughter of Sir Henry Bagenal and widow of Sir Robert Salisbury. He was knighted on 4 June 1630.In September 1645,...
of Lambeth
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
resulted in the birth of three children:
- James Crofts (died March, 1732, Major General)
- Henriette Crofts (c. 1682 – 27 February 1730). She was married around 1697 to Charles Paulet, 2nd Duke of BoltonCharles Paulet, 2nd Duke of BoltonCharles Paulet, 2nd Duke of Bolton KG PC was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Member of Parliament for Hampshire and a supporter of William III of Orange....
. - Isabel Crofts (died young).
Toward the end of his life he conducted an affair with Henrietta, Baroness Wentworth
Henrietta Wentworth, 6th Baroness Wentworth
Henrietta Maria Wentworth, 6th Baroness Wentworth was an English suo jure peeress.The only child of Thomas Wentworth, 5th Baron Wentworth and his wife, Philadelphia Carey, Henrietta spent her early years at the family home, Toddington Manor, Bedfordshire...
.
Duke of Monmouth in fiction
- The Monmouth rebellion sets the stage for the premise of a group of classic adventure novels Captain BloodCaptain Blood (novel)Captain Blood: His Odyssey is an adventure novel by Rafael Sabatini, originally published in 1922.- Synopsis :The protagonist is the sharp-witted Dr...
and Mistress Wilding by Rafael SabatiniRafael SabatiniRafael Sabatini was an Italian/British writer of novels of romance and adventure.-Life:Rafael Sabatini was born in Iesi, Italy, to an English mother and Italian father...
. - The Monmouth Rebellion features in the novel Lorna DooneLorna DooneLorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor is a novel by Richard Doddridge Blackmore. It is a romance based on a group of historical characters and set in the late 17th century in Devon and Somerset, particularly around the East Lyn Valley area of Exmoor....
by R. D. Blackmore. - The Monmouth Rebellion is the setting for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel Micah ClarkeMicah ClarkeMicah Clarke by Arthur Conan Doyle is an historical adventure novel set during the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685 in England.The book follows the exploits of Conan Doyle's fictional character Micah Clarke...
. - John MasefieldJohn MasefieldJohn Edward Masefield, OM, was an English poet and writer, and Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1930 until his death in 1967...
's 1910 novel Martin Hyde: The Duke’s Messenger tells the story of a boy who plays a central part in the 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...
. Martin always calls the Duke "my King". - The Duke of Monmouth is a minor character in The Anubis GatesThe Anubis GatesThe Anubis Gates is a time travel fantasy novel by Tim Powers. It won the 1983 Philip K. Dick Award and 1984 Science Fiction Chronicle Award.- Plot summary :...
by Tim PowersTim PowersTimothy Thomas "Tim" Powers is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Powers has won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels Last Call and Declare...
. - Duke of Monmouth is one of the secondary characters in Neal StephensonNeal StephensonNeal Town Stephenson is an American writer known for his works of speculative fiction.Difficult to categorize, his novels have been variously referred to as science fiction, historical fiction, cyberpunk, and postcyberpunk...
's work QuicksilverQuicksilver (novel)Quicksilver is a historical novel by Neal Stephenson, published in 2003. It is the first volume of The Baroque Cycle, his late Baroque historical fiction series, succeeded by The Confusion and The System of the World . Quicksilver won the Arthur C. Clarke Award and was nominated for the Locus...
. - The Duke of Monmouth is the titular character, though not the central one, in the 1998 novel The Royal Changeling by John WhitbournJohn WhitbournJohn Whitbourn is an author and tenth-generation inhabitant of southern England's Downs Country. He has produced a variety of novels and short stories focusing on alternative histories set in a 'Catholic' universe...
. - The Duke of Monmouth is the subject of Jude Morgan's novel, The King's Touch, published in 2003
- Monmouth is a central character portrayed by Christian CoulsonChristian CoulsonChristian Coulson is an English actor best known for playing Tom Marvolo Riddle in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.-Early life:...
(with Ryan Nelson also portraying Monmouth as a young child) in 2003 British television mini-series Charles II: The Power and The PassionCharles II: The Power and The PassionCharles II: The Power and the Passion is an award-winning British television mini-series, broadcast on BBC One in 2003, and produced by the BBC in association with the A&E Network in the United States...
. - Joe FrankJoe FrankJoe Frank is an American radio personality, known best for his often philosophical, humorous, surrealist, and sometimes absurd monologues and radio dramas.-Early life:...
performed a 1985 radio broadcast "Pretender" based on the life of Monmouth. - The Duke of Monmouth appears as a secondary character in Karleen Koen's Dark Angels published in 2006.
- He is mentioned briefly in the film Kind Hearts and CoronetsKind Hearts and CoronetsKind Hearts and Coronets is a 1949 British black comedy feature film. The plot is loosely based on the 1907 novel Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal by Roy Horniman, with the screenplay written by Robert Hamer and John Dighton and the film directed by Hamer...
when the hangman says "The last execution of a duke in this country was very badly botched".
Ancestors
Further reading
- Violet Wyndham, Protestant Duke: Life of the Duke of Monmouth (ISBN 0-297-77099-3).
External links
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