Sherborne and the Monmouth Rebellion

The Monmouth Rebellion set the nephew, the Duke of Monmouth, against his uncle, King James, and resulted in the last major battle fought on English soil. Monmouth was defeated, and this account details the effect of the Rebellion and its aftermath on Sherborne and its surrounding area. After the battle of Sedgemoor on Monday, 6 July 1685, great efforts were made to round up the rebels still at large. Those not put to death by the army appeared before the 'Bloody Assizes' and twelve were executed at Sherborne on Tuesday, 15 September 1685. Others were marched through the town for transportation and servitude in the West Indies, the piteous procession watched by the Sherborne local populace.

The account also tells how Sherborne was caught up in the sequel in 1688 when William, Prince of Orange, invaded - his invasion resulting in the so called 'Glorious Revolution' and the crowning of William and his wife, Mary, as joint King and Queen, in place of her father, James.