MONMOUTH'S REBELLION

King Charles II had many children, and all of them born out of wedlock. With his legitimate wife, Catherine of Braganza, he had none whatsoever. So, when Charles died, there was no legitimate offspring to whom the crown could pass. Hence, it passed to his brother, James II. James had been married to a lady named Anne Hyde. They produced two children, Mary and Anne. However, when Anne Hyde died, James married Mary of Modena, a staunch Catholic. It was not long before James converted to Catholicism - and that went down like a lead brick with most of England.

But back to Charles II. The eldest of his children was James Scott, who Charles had created Duke of Monmouth. Young James had been born in The Netherlands during Charles' absence from England following the execution of his father Charles I. The mother was a lady called Lucy Walter.

James Duke of Monmouth raised an army against his uncle James II. Monmouth landed at Lyme Regis and set about the removal of his now Catholic uncle from the throne. The endeavour was a fiasco.

Our mostly fictitious friends in Bovey were somewhat ambivalent about the whole thing - except for two or three - who actually did something about it. I hope you get some enjoyment following their escapades. I shall soon follow it with Volume 7, all about what became known as The Glorious Revolution - and that one did succeed!