Monmouth Rebellion

The Monmouth Rebellion in June 1685 was an attempt to depose James II, who in February had succeeded his brother Charles II as king of England, Scotland and Ireland. Dissident Protestants led by James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, eldest illegitimate son of Charles II, opposed James largely due to his Catholicism.

The failure of Parliamentary efforts to exclude James from the succession in 1681 resulted in the 1683 Rye House Plot, an alleged attempt to assassinate Charles II and James. Monmouth, implicated as a co-conspirator, went into exile in the Dutch Republic. On 11 June 1685, he landed at Lyme Regis in South West England where he had widespread popular support, planning to take control of the area and march on London.

The rebellion was coordinated with Argyll's Rising in Scotland, which took place at the same time. Over the next few weeks, Monmouth's army skirmished with troops commanded by Louis de Duras, 2nd Earl of Feversham, and John Churchill. However, he failed to attract wider backing and was defeated at the Battle of Sedgemoor on 6 July 1685.

Monmouth was captured and beheaded for treason on 15 July 1685, while around 1,000 of his supporters were executed or transported in what became known as the Bloody Assizes. James II reigned until 1688, when he was deposed by another nephew, William III of Orange, in the Glorious Revolution.