The Monmouth Rebellion

“Unlike his uncle, who was next in line to the throne, Monmouth was a highly popular figure”

WHAT WAS THE MONMOUTH REBELLION?

The Monmouth Rebellion was an attempt by James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, to overthrow his uncle James from the thrones of England and Ireland (where he ruled as James II) and Scotland (where he ruled as James VII). Also known as the ‘West Country Rebellion’ or ‘Pitchfork Rebellion’, it took place between June and July 1685, culminating in the battle of Sedgemoor: the last pitched battle fought on English soil.

WHAT WAS THE DUKE OF MONMOUTH’S BACKGROUND?

Born in 1649, Monmouth was the eldest illegitimate son of the previous reigning monarch, Charles II, by his mistress Lucy Walters. He spent many of his early years in the Dutch Republic (where Charles II had spent part of his exile during the Civil Wars and Interregnum period), before being brought to England after his father’s restoration to the throne. In 1663, aged just 14,