The Monmouth Rebellion, Colyton Parish History Society

Some Colyton Rebels and their Fate

After the rebellion, out of the 105 listed Colyton men, it is believed around 70 were captured and faced 'The Hanging Judge' Jeffreys at the 'Bloody Assizes held' around Dorset, Devon and Somerset. 23 were sentenced to transportation and slavery in the west Indies.

Two rebels, Peter Bagwell and John Whicker actually escaped and, after many adventures, eventually made it back to Colyton. After pardons were granted others returned to their homes whilst it is thought some chose to established themselves elsewhere. Fifteen were sentenced to be hanged of which two, yeoman John Sprague

and weaver William Clegg, were sent back to Colyton to face their grizzly fate at the end of the rope. The intention was clearly to put the maximum fear into the townsfolk to ensure they should never rise up in rebellion again.

At least three of those listed, Edward Venn, Phillip Cox and William Greenway, failed to survive the hard and punishing sea journey. Their bodies, with minimum ceremony, were simply tipped overboard.

The book The Most Rebellious Town in Devon gives a full account of that period of history and the rebels' individual experiences. Click the Publications button on the menu for full details.

Sentenced to be Transported to Slavery

Rebel	Trade	Fate
Francis Bagwell	Serge weaver	Tried at Wells
Roger French		Eventually returned to Colyton from the West Indies
John Facey	Yeoman
Richard Daniell
John Bagwell	Yeoman and cordwainer
Peter Bagwell	Yeoman	Eventually returned to Colyton from the West Indies
John Butcher	Yeoman	Tried at Wells. Escaped between there and Sherborne. Included in the 1686 pardon.
Phillip Cox	Husbandman
John Facey	Yeoman
Roger French aged 36		Tried at Dorchester, was left out of the ship bound for Barbados, (there is a Colyton burial note dated 1698).
William Greenaway	Worsted comber
John Heathfield	Cordwainer
Bernard Lowman
George Macey	Yeoman
William Marthers	Carpenter
John Moggridge	Weaver
Robert Sandy
John Skiffes		Eventually returned to Colyton from the West Indies
Peter Ticken
John Truren	Worsted comber	Tried at Dorchester but also left out of the ship. He and his wife are recorded as died in Dorchester goal and buried January 20th 1686.
Edward Venn
Nicholas Warren		Tried at Dorchester but also left out of the ship.
Benjamin Whicker		Eventually returned to Colyton from the West Indies
John Whicker (father of Benjamin)		Eventually returned to Colyton from the West Indies

Go to top of page

Rebels Sentenced to Hang

Rebel	Trade	Fate
Osmond Barratt	Soapboiler and husbandman	Tried at Taunton and hanged at Ilchester.
William Clegg	Weaver	Tried at Exeter and returned to Colyton to be hanged.
Robert Cooke	Yeoman	Tried at Wells and hanged at Norton St. Phillip.
Richard Hall	Cordwainer	Tried at Dorchester and hanged at Sherborne.
Nicholas Hoare	Tanner	Tried at Dorchester and hanged at Poole.
John Knowles	Yeoman aged 39	Tried at Exeter and hanged at Honiton.
Humphrey Mitchell	Yeoman aged 27	Tried at Taunton and hanged at Nether Stowey.
James Pyes	Carpenter	Tried at Wells and hanged at Glastonbury.
Joseph Restorick	Husbandsman	Tried at Dorchester and hanged at Poole
Roger Satchell	Cordwainer and yeoman	Tried at Dorchester and hanged at Weymouth.
John Savage	Yeoman and tailor	Tried at Dorchester and hanged at Sherborne.
George Seaward (Seward/ Selwood)	Yeoman	Tried and hanged at Dorchester.
Joseph Speed	Shoemaker and cordwainer	Tried and hanged at Dorchester.
John Sprague (Sprake)	Yeoman	Tried at Exeter and returned to Colyton to be hanged.
John Starr (Starke)	Yeoman	Tried at Wells and hanged at Pensford.

Click HERE for a full list of Colyton rebels.