James
Scott, Duke of Monmouth and Buccleuch (Circa 1682) By Sir Peter Lely
James Scott, Duke of Monmouth (Chris Graham)
James Scott, or James Croft, was born the illegitimate
son of King Charles II on April 9th, 1649 in the Netherlands where
his father was hiding in exile following the execution of King Charles I. His
mother was a mistress of Charles II, Lucy Walter, otherwise known as Mrs.
Barlow. Lucy and young James traveled frequently and in 1656 they found
themselves in London and unfortunately captured by the Republican government
and imprisoned in the Tower of London. Upon their release they moved to
Flanders, where young James was subsequently kidnapped by an agent of Charles
and taken to Paris to be placed in the care of his paternal grandmother
Henrietta Maria of France live in the house of William Crofts, whose surname
young James eventually adopted. In 1662 after James’ father, King Charles II,
took the throne, James was brought to London where he was named Duke of
Monmouth, Earl of Doncaster, and Baron Scott of Tinsdale. All of this at the
tender age of 14. Later, in 1663, James married Anne Scott, the 4th
countess of Buccleuch. The two had seven children, whose decedents are still
holding royal positions to this day (Sarah, Duchess of York and Princess Alice,
Duchess of Gloucester). At age 16 James began various careers in the military
and government. He served in the Royal Navy under his Uncle, The Duke of York,
the future King James II. Charles II also sent James to Paris as an ambassador
in 1672. That same year, he commanded British troops in aid of King Louis XIV
of France, Charles II’s first cousin, against the Dutch. James’ other various
titles included Lord High Chamberlain of Scotland, Master of
the Horse, Chancellor of Cambridge University and Captain-General of all the land
forces of England, Scotland, and Wales. Since King Charles II had no legitimate
children, his brother, The Duke of York, claimed rightful ownership of the
throne. However, there was a public demand for a protestant heir and James of
Monmouth fit the bill perfectly. Unfortunately, Charles II issued a
proclamation that his only marriage was to his current wife Catherine of
Braganza, and since their marriage was childless, James had no right to the
throne. He was then sent to Scotland to suppress an uprising which earned him
more fame and favor among the people and was therefore sent to the Netherlands in
temporary exile. He was in exile on February 6, 1685 when his father died and
his uncle became King James II. In retaliation, James gathered an army and planned
an invasion of England to secure the throne. He landed in June of 1685 and
promptly proclaimed himself King. In July, his army fought that of James II and
was soundly defeated. James fled the battlefield disguised as a peasant and was
discovered hiding in a ditch three days later. He was arrested and sentenced to
death, but not before groveling at the feet of his uncle and begging for his
life. James, Duke of Monmouth was beheaded on Tower Hill on July 15, 1685.
Sources claim it took anywhere from five to eight blows of the axe before the
job was done.
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