A Little More on the Duke of Monmouth
This post first appeared in the blog A Burnt Ship in April 2021
'The Morning of Sedgemoor ' by Edgar Bundy (1905) , Tate Britain, courtesy of 'Wikipedia'
Below are some strangely prophetic words written by Aphra Behn and published in 1681, concerning the Duke of Monmouth. Ironically, after being defeated at the Battle of Sedgemoor, Monmouth was captured dressed as a shepherd whilst on the run.
Young Jemmy: OR, The Princely Shepherd' Aphra Behn
have ruin'd his condition :
For glittering hope he left his shade,
his glorious hours are gone :
By flattering Fools and Knaves betray'd,
poor Jemmy is undone
'Young Jemmy: OR, The Princely Shepherd' Aphra Behn
I have recently covered James Scott Duke of Monmouth , and how his life and the 1685 Monmouth rebellion have been portrayed in literature. The blog post got a healthy number of views, and soon found that enough material to write more on the subject. And from some interesting quarters.
Have to say that compared with fiction and poetry related to the British Civil Wars, closely followed by the 1660's, the Monmouth Rebellion is most certainly overshadowed. A quick look at Historicalnovels.info page on the 17th century would confirm this.
However looking at this genre has got me considering how fiction and poetry can be used as a protest against the Past. I would be surprised to find a novel, poem or ballad which defended Judge Jeffries or argued that the brutal suppression of the Monmouth rebels was justified in order to present the misery of another long drawn out civil war. Or quite simply, that James II was the anointed king and must be obeyed. In the last blogpost,briefly looked at the poetry anthology 'Sedgemoor' by Malcolm Povey, which will return to soon. The poems particularly draw on the aftermath of Sedgemoor and the Bloody Assizes, and compare this with state repression and injustice in the 2000's.
The earlier blogpost got some interesting feedback from the Siegfried Sassoon Fellowship, which I joined in 2008. The SSF have strong contact with other literary societies, including the Thomas Hardy Society. Sassoon and Hardy were friends during the last ten years of Hardy's life. I already knew of Hardy's short story 'The Duke's Reappearance ' but hadn't realised that Thomas Hardy had written a poem, more of a literary ballad about the Monmouth Rebellion titled 'At Shag's Heath' .
This poem concerns a man and woman who are interviewed by militiamen searching for Monmouth, who had earlier called at their cottage and even given the woman a kiss. Whilst the husband tries to put the soldiers off the scent, the woman points the direction in which she has seen Monmouth heading.
Then I believed my husband; aye,
Though he’d spoke lies in jealous-wise!
—To Shag’s nigh copse beyond the road I moved my finger mercilessly;
And there lay hidden where I showed:
My dear King Monmouth, he!
Though Monmouth was caught and the woman rewarded, she was wracked with guilt and decides to end her life.
And so to drown I go:
O wear no weeds, my friends, for me . . .
When comes the waterman, he’ll say,
“Who’s done her thuswise?”—’Twill be, yea,
Sweet, slain King Monmouth—he!
The woman who allegedly betrayed Monmouth was Amy Farrant , who lived near Holt Lodge, on the Dorset side of the New Forest a few miles from Ringwood. It seems more likely that Amy Farrant spotted two men who were possibly rebels heading off into the fields, and informed on them. Not all biographies of Monmouth mention her, but Bryan Bevan in his ' James Duke of Monmouth ' (1973) maintained that state records showed one Amy Farrant received £50 for " giving notice to the Lord Lumley where the Duke of Monmouth was concealed whereby he was apprehended."
I have also noticed an anonymous account titled " An account of the Manner of Taking of the late Duke of Monmouth & by his majesty's command," dated 1685 and available on the Hants Field Club website. Appears to be a digitalised version of the papers and proceedings of this society published in the 1930's. This source also mentions Amy Farrant as an informant.
John Evelyn dealt with the finding and capture of Monmouth without mentioning betrayal.
"Monmouth had gone sixteen miles on foot, changing his habit for a poor coat, and was found by Lord Lumley in a dry ditch covered with fern-brakes, but without sword, pistol, or any weapon, and so might have passed for some countryman, his beard being grown so long and so gray as hardly to be known, had not his George discovered him, which was found in his pocket. It is said he trembled exceedingly all over, not able to speak." John Evelyn's diary entry for 8th July 1685 /page 226
What is intrigues me is that Dorset, well certainly east of Bridport, did not rise for Monmouth. But the Bloody Assizes presided by the notorious Judge Jeffries partly held in Dorchester, and the summary executions and other severe punishments, left its mark, even referred to in Thomas Hardy's 'Mayor of Casterbridge' . In fact there were rebels publicly executed as far east as Poole, and the trial and execution of Alice Lisle in Winchester for allegedly assisting two rebels; on the run. The authorities seemed keen to make a gruesome display of their power in areas which were not directly involved in the uprising. Moreover, the rebel being hung drawn and quartered with body parts displayed in different communities, was a vicious warning to the populace. Such practise might be considered part of life in London, especially if one lived in walking distance from Tyburn Tree, but would be quite alien to the West Country and southern counties.
Finally looking at fiction as a protest again the past, I was reminded of the novel 'The Maids of Taunton' by Eva Mcdonald (1963 and re-published in 1980) . A fictional recreation of the true story of how a class of schoolgirls in Taunton were encouraged by their teacher to embroider a banner to welcome Monmouth when he arrived in the town in 1685, which they presented to him the day before he proclaimed himself as king. Once the rebellion collapsed, James II decided that the 27 girls should face charges of treason, and gave them as a Christmas present to the Queen's maids of honour. The idea being that money could be extorted from their distraught parents to prevent the girls from being transported. If that didn't work, the girls-aged between 8 and 10, could be sold to be as bonded servants and sent across the Atlantic. Their teacher died of small pox in prison, one of the girls , aged 8, died of fright in prison. The local MP, Sir Frances Warre of Hestercombe, MP for Bridgewater was called in to help the assist the Maids of Honour get their money. William Penn represented the Taunton girls' families , and a compromise was obtained. ( See footnote #461 to Thomas Babbington McCauley History of England from the Accession of James II Volume 1)
Thomas Hardy's short story 'The Duke's Reappearance' is fascinating. First published in the 'Saturday review magazine in 1896 and then reprinted as part of an anthology titled 'At Changed Man and Other Tales' (1913) . One Christopher Swetman who lives in King's-Hintock with two pretty daughters finds that a straggler from the battlefield calls at his door. Swetman tries to establish the stranger's identity which he will not divulge it. A compromise is reached, the stranger appears to be an amenable guest and the Swetman decides that he must act as a good host, and does not pry further. Even exchanging some of his clothes. However, the stranger compromises the rules of hospitality by making a pass at one of the girls. The guest agrees to leave, but advises that in the clothes he has left behind are some gold pieces from abroad and departs. Later Swetman hears that Monmouth has been captured and executed. The one night hears the sound of the stranger coming into his house to find the gold coins that he has left behind and begins to speculate that Monmouth was alive after all.
Should just mention that have already looked at Arthur Conan Doyle's Monmouth Rebellion novel Micah Clarke from 1889 in a post published in 2018.
Television
Should just mention another field of research would be how Monmouth was portrayed in television drama. The BBC drama from 1969 'The First Churchills' featured Monmouth fighting the Dutch in 1673, and of course the Battle of Sedgemoor and it's aftermath. Monmouth's last interval with James II included. Episodes come and go from Youtube , but episodes 5 and 6 are most relevant. Was pointed out to me that some BBC programmes were shortened when released on VHS, so perhaps some scenes of the Rebellion were cut.
Another television programme - 'Pretenders'- , made for a young adult audience and screened in 13 episodes in 1972. Two children get caught up in the Monmouth rebellion, one of them claims to be the illegitimate son of the Duke himself. I have not seen any of this series, there is a brief review on Nostaglia Central.
Classical Music
The 20th century classical composer Robin Milford (1903- 1959) composed an Elegy for James Duke of Monmouth , but have not really found out much about him or his interest in Monmouth. I have contacted the Robin Milford Trust for further information, and will report back.
I think that have linked most references but should mention two literary societies
Other Michael Bully websites
A Burnt Ship Blog that covers literature & fiction related to 17th century warfare
World War 2 Poetry (No longer updated)
13th century history (No longer updated)
A Burnt Ship @ Shipburnt
MonmouthRebellion1685@outlook.com
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