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Duke of Monmouth is beheaded...



Item # 661537

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July 16, 1685

THE LONDON GAZETTE, England, July 16, 1685 

* James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth
* Tower Hill execution - beheading


The report of great significance is the rather brief, yet very historic, found on page 2 & datelined from Whitehall, July 15: "This day the late Duke of Monmouth, being attained of High Treason by Act of Parliament, was Beheaded on a scaffold for that purpose; erected on Tower Hill."
This is prefaced with another Whitehall report dated July 13 which foretold his doom, with: "This afternoon the late Duke of Monmouth and the late Lord Gray, with the German, were brought hither by water from Foxhall; and about eight in the evening were carried to the Tower in the Kings Barges, guarded by several other barges with soldiers."
This beheading report was just one date before the printing of this newspaper and certainly the earliest report of this notable event in any newspaper.
The Duke of Monmouth with the illegitimate son of Charles II and lead what was called the Monmouth Rebellion in an attempt to claim the throne of England from his uncle, James II.
As if to emphasize the heir to the throne of England, and to lend support from the fledgling colony of Virginia in America, a front page item datelined "Virginia, May 13" reads: "The Lord Howard of Essingham, His Majesties Lieutenant & Governor General of this Colony...with notice of the death of his late Majesty of blessed Memory our present sovereign King James the Second has been proclaimed here with the greatest solemnity this place is capable of..." with a bit more.
Complete as a single sheet newspaper, 6 3/4 by 11 1/4 inches, very nice condition with uncommonly wide margin throughout as more typically these issues were trimmed close.

Category: The 1600's and 1700's