Colyton and The Monmouth Rebellion

Taken from 'The United Counties Miscellany – A Magazine for SOMERSET, DORSET AND DEVON' Volume I. Printed and Published by D. P. R Pulman, Crewkerne, Somerset, England. 1849-50. Page 157.

The United Counties Miscellany – A Magazine for SOMERSET, DORSET AND DEVON' Volume I

A FEW REMINISCENCES OF THE REBELLION OF MONMOUTH, RELATING TO COLYTON.

      “The following particulars were received from a gentleman of Colyton, far advanced in life, who heard them, when young, from his grandmother, a person of great age, and she was told them by her grandmother. Although perhaps much credit ought not to be placed on them, yet on the whole they should not be treated as merely legendary, inasmuch as many of the circumstances related are known to have really happened:-

       In an old house that used to stand in the front street of Colyton (recently burnt down), an ancient building having a double gable in front, and familiarly known by the name of the 'Birdcage', there lived a man, in the time of the rebellion, name Clapp, a partisan of Monmouth. After the Duke's defeat at Sedgemoor, the soldiers in the service of James II. came to Colyton, as they did to other towns, in search of such as had been favorable in Monmouth's cause. They searched this house, and Clapp was in bed at the time of their arrival. Hearing their approach he had barely time to escape through a trap door into the roof, which was situate in the ceiling of the passage leading to his bed room. The soldiers entered the room, and remarked that he could not be gone far as the bed was warm. They did not notice the trap door in the passage, and he most fortunately escaped. The bed, an antique piece of furniture, is in possession of a gentleman residing in the neighbourhood. Another man, residing at the lower end of town, now known as 'Bulls Court', was surprised in the midst of his family, and had just time to run out in his garden and throw himself down among some cabbages, when the soldiers entered his house. They inquired of his children where he was, and they innocently told them. Having found him they took him out before his own door, and execute him on the spot. They then quartered him, and drove off one of the quarters in a wheelbarrow. Coming up over a little rising ground in the town, now know as the Dolphin Hill, there lived, just on the brow, a shoemaker, himself implicated, and being fearful of his own fate, called out to the soldiers as they passed, 'ah ! You have caught one of the rascals', or words to that effect. They immediately ordered him out, and compelled him to drive the portion of his unfortunate neighbour round the town himself, as a warning to others. A third, living at the higher Paper Mill (since pulled down), hid himself under the water wheel. The soldiers searched the premises, but did not find him. However, in passing out, one of the soldiers noticed something white floating under the wheel, and thus discovered the poor fellow, his shirt sleeve having attracted their observation. He shared the same dreadful fate of all who were in any way implicated in the rebellion.

       Two others were more fortunate. On Chantry Bridge two dragoons were stationed to prevent any suspected person leaving the town. A man passed out, himself a delinquent, as they were called, although not known to the soldiers as such, and having made some common observations passed on. His anxiety, however, was so great that as soon as he had passed them he ran off as fast as he could. The dragoons instantly gave chase, striking at him with their swords, just as he jumped over a gate and escaped. The other was chased round the back street, and he hid himself under some straw in a narrow court, where some persons were thatching. The dragoon repeatedly thrust his sword down through the straw, and once it passed completely through the man's thigh. The dragoon, however, did not discover him, and he also escaped. A man named Speed, who carried on the wool trade at the lower end of town, is said to have been boiled in his own furnace. This however may not be correct. In the 'Western Martyrology, or Bloody Assize', a work published in 1705, mention is made of a Mr. Joseph Speed and George Seaward, tried at Dorchester and executed, Sept. 7, 1685. Two men, named John Sprague and William Clegg, were tried at Exeter and executed at Colyton. They were attended to the place of execution by the vicar, who prayed with them. They made a long speech, which is given in the before-named work. A place called 'The Elms' is supposed to be the spot where they suffered. It is now occupied as a shrubbery, in the possession of Capt. Powell. An old inhabitant, recently dead, recollected when the elm trees were standing there. Some large iron staples were affixed to them, which she was told were put there for the purpose of executions. Richard Hall and John Savage, two other inhabitants of Colyton, were executed at Sherborne ; and a Mr. Roger Satchell, a very active partisan, for whom great application was made to Jeffery to save his life, without avail, suffered at Weymouth.

       Thus ends the list of these dreadful transactions, at any rate as far as our present knowledge of them extends. The mind recoils from such terrible scenes, and with our present enlightened ideas, we can scarcely form a true estimate of them. Truly enough was this period called 'troublesome times', when such a monster as Jeffery had rule, or such fiends as 'Kirke's Lambs' scoured the country, ravaging and destroying, in may instances, the peaceful population. We can scarcely be too thankful that we live in the present age, although, with shame be it said, the late transactions in Hungary have in many particulars too nearly paralleled them”.

    Colyton.                                                                                                            W. H. R.

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Names above cross-referenced with 'The Monmouth Rebels 1685' – Published by the Somerset Record Society. Vol 77.

CLAPP, John, aged 51, mercer of Colyton, 'absent'; a married man with ten children; 'seen in Monmouth's camp' by John Baites; presented (as yeoman) at Exeter but at large; came home from Sedgemoor and hid in the roof when the house was searched. In May 1689 he and four friends organised a petition for the return of men from Colyton and Honiton who had been transported. 

 

SPEED, Joseph, aged 40+, of Colyton, shoemaker, cordwainer, 'absent'; imprisoned in Dorset; tried at Dorchester, Sept. 5; hanged there, Sept. 7. Dying speech 'to fight for the Protestant Religion'. Also presented at Exeter and misreported at large.

SEAWARD (Seward, Selwood), George, aged 42, of Colyton, yeoman, 'absent'; imprisoned in Dorset; tried at Dorchester Sept. 5; pleaded not guilty; hanged at Dorchester, Sept. 7. Also presented at Exeter and misreported as large.

SPRAKE, John [above listed as John Sprague], of Colyton, yeoman, a married man with children, 'absent'; tried at Exeter; hanged at Colyton in October. Dying speech: 'Protestantism being in danger'. Also presented at Exeter and misreported at large.

CLEGG, William, aged 46, weaver, of Colyton, 'absent'; tried at Exeter; hanged at Colyton in Cot. Land forfeit and for sale.

HALL, Richard, aged 25, cordwainer, of Colyton, imprisoned in the High Gaol, Devon; 'absent'; tried at Dorchester, Sept. 10; hanged at Sherborne, Sept 15. Also presented at Exeter and misreported at large.

SAVAGE, John, of Colyton, yeoman, 'absent'; tailor, imprisoned in the High Gaol, Devon' tried at Dorchester, Sept 10; hanged at Sherborne, Sept. 15. Also presented at Exeter and misreported at large.

SATCHELL, Roger, cordwainer, yeoman, of Colyton, 'absent'; 'seen in Monmouth's camp'; captured at Chard; imprisoned at Ilchester; tried at Dorchester Sept. 10; hanged at Weymouth Sept. 15. Short dying speech. Estate worth £20 a year seized and for sale. Also presented at Exeter and misreported at large.

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