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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Somerset => Topic started by: hannah9000 on Monday 02 August 10 11:12 BST (UK)
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Could someone please shed some light re the Monmouth Rebellion.
I've done a fair amount of googling, and I get the general idea of what happened and who was involved.
But, I have descendants who were originally 'Hitchcocks' (as on 1901 census) yet by 1911 they had been told to change their name to 'Duke' (according to my gran) because of the Monmouth rebellion. The 1911 census names them Hitchcock-Duke...I've noticed one of the locals who rebelled was named Hitchcock and I wonder if this has any reflection on the name change?
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A little slow in reacting since the Monmouth Rebellion was 286 years before the name change. The rebellion was an attempt to overthrow James II who was favouring Catholics over Protestants.
It gave the infamous Judge Jeffreys a place in English history - the Bloody Assizes.
Not too long afterwards James was overthrown by William of Orange, his son-in-law who became William III, so I would imagine if your Hitchcocks had sided with James they would have pardoned by William.
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Have you looked at The Monmouth Rebellion and the Bloody Assize under "Somerset History" at http://www1.somerset.gov.uk/archives/
Stan
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Hi, just read your post on the hitchcocks and dukes and the monmouth rebellion and it sounds like we are doing the same family, i have both names in the tree i am doing and also have a hitchcock that was hung by judge jefferys for following the duke of monmouth, would love to find out a bit more and perhaps we can help each other
Tracy xx
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Would this be Humphrey Hitchcock in this list of locals that were executed. http://www.minehead-online.co.uk/rebellion.htm
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Would this be Humphrey Hitchcock in this list of locals that were executed. http://www.minehead-online.co.uk/rebellion.htm
Yes but i cant quite make the connection back that far yet, just waiting on a certificate to come to see if i can go back further, i have a list of them from the same area in the early to late 1700's but need to sort out which families are which and where the name change came in x
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Hello there,l
I would recommend a book by Peter Earle titled, "Monmouth's Rebels: The Road to Sedgemoor 1685". This contains an in depth history of the battle and background. H e has also done considerable research into the people who became involved in Somerset.
I have a copy and will be happy to look for the information you seek.
Jo.
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Hello there,l
I would recommend a book by Peter Earle titled, "Monmouth's Rebels: The Road to Sedgemoor 1685". This contains an in depth history of the battle and background. H e has also done considerable research into the people who became involved in Somerset.
I have a copy and will be happy to look for the information you seek.
Jo.
oh yes please if you dont mind, i am looking for any information on Humphry Hitchcock or hitchcock family from the chard ( Tatworth Thorncombe or south chard) area in somerset, i know he was hung in 1685 by judge jefferys in chard but that is all i know, if there is anything in the book i might have to get a copy. Thanks for having a look for me ,cant wait to hear back from you
Tracy xx
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Hello trlida06,
I had a quick look last night but there is no reference to Hitchcock in the index. This does not mean the name is not in the book as very few of the people's names have been included in the index. I will have a more thorough search when time permits at the weekend.
I would recommend reading this book as it gives such a good account of it all. I have a relative who was tried by Judge Jeffreys at Taunton Assizes, he was sentenced to tranportation to the West Indies. The wealth of background information is invaluable.
Jo.
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Hello trlida06,
I had a quick look last night but there is no reference to Hitchcock in the index. This does not mean the name is not in the book as very few of the people's names have been included in the index. I will have a more thorough search when time permits at the weekend.
I would recommend reading this book as it gives such a good account of it all. I have a relative who was tried by Judge Jeffreys at Taunton Assizes, he was sentenced to tranportation to the West Indies. The wealth of background information is invaluable.
Jo.
Thankyou , it does sound a really good book, I had a quick look for it last night and found it on Amazon, but the family tree i am doing is for somebody else so i am going to see if they want to pay for it, although as i live in chard somerset i am finding it very intersting to do and have always been intrested in local history and love researching local family trees. I will wait to hear from you after the weekend. Thanks again
Tracy xx
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Have you checked at your local library for the book, save you buying it. If they do not have it, they should be able to source it for you.
Just done a search and they do not have it at Chard but there are copies at Taunton and Langport.
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Hello trlida06,
I am reporting back following a review of the book on the Monmouth Rebellion. I am sorry to say that I couldn't find any mention of your ancestor in it. That is not to say he isn't there but other than re reading the book entirely, it is the best I can do.
My advice would be to borrow this book from the library and have a read of it. I found it was as good as it gets on this subject.
Jo.
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I don't know if this is any help or not, but before my grandad died, he did alot of research into the Monmouth Rebellion and amongst his possessions that i inherited i have a folder of names of the rebels.
These appear:
Humphrey Hitchcock (from Thorncombe in Dorset)
John Hitchcock (from Chard Town Tithing in Somerset)
There are no Dukes or Hitchcock-Duke
There is a John Duce (from Colyton in Devon)
Kim
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Thankyou all so much for your help. i will have to go to Taunton Library to have a look at the book if it is not in Chard,I had the name Humphry Hitchcock as one that was hanged but not John so that is intresting to know, will have to have a look in to that and see what happened to him
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Hello trlida06,
I am reporting back following a review of the book on the Monmouth Rebellion. I am sorry to say that I couldn't find any mention of your ancestor in it. That is not to say he isn't there but other than re reading the book entirely, it is the best I can do.
My advice would be to borrow this book from the library and have a read of it. I found it was as good as it gets on this subject.
Jo.
Thanks so much for having a look for me i will have to go to
Taunton library to see if i can borrow it from there and read the whole thing x
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I don't know if this is any help or not, but before my grandad died, he did alot of research into the Monmouth Rebellion and amongst his possessions that i inherited i have a folder of names of the rebels.
These appear:
Humphrey Hitchcock (from Thorncombe in Dorset)
John Hitchcock (from Chard Town Tithing in Somerset)
There are no Dukes or Hitchcock-Duke
There is a John Duce (from Colyton in Devon)
Kim
That is intresting to know as i only had Humphrey and no John, will have to have a look it to that
Thankyou x
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You could ask Chard if they can get the book in for you.
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Thanks for that, i went into Chard library this morning they are going to get it sent over from Taunton for me to borrow
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The Duke of Monmouth hide in a house in Ringwood (plaque on the fron of this house) Alice de Lisle was also involved. Both were put to death, by judge John Jeffery.
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The Duke of Monmouth hide in a house in Ringwood (plaque on the fron of this house) Alice de Lisle was also involved. Both were put to death, by judge John Jeffery.
Thanks for that, i will have to get a picture of it. x
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Hello to all,
I have just been given details of a link to a site with quite a lot of information on the Monmouth Rebellion:
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=82513
It will keep us all busy reading it!
Jo.
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looks like a lot of people are related to hitchcocks who were involved in the rebellion.
For my part I have been trying to find a link between my great grandmother Mary Jane Hitchcock and a couple of likely candidates who were in the rebellion and sentenced at the bloody assizes.
1. was a chap called Humphrey Hitchcock who was hanged.
2. the other was one william hitchcock who lived out his life on barbados after transportation there on a ship called the "Betty"
sadly I have been unable to establish a link between these and my later relatives but there is a family legend that says one of our hitchcock relatives impersonated the duke of Monmouth in order to distract the kings men by wearing his clothes and taking off in a coach as a distraction.
He either worked a mill or lived at an inn of this we are unsure and have no idea which inn or mill it might have been.
After this the Hitchcock name picked up the additional monica of duke appearing as Hitchcock Duke in many records.
My grandfather told my Dad that his cousin one Polly Duke was held up in school as an example of a descendant of a Monmouth Rebel during a history lesson.
If anyone can shed any light on this or knows of any connection I would be interested to find out and swap notes etc.
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Thankyou all so much for your help. i will have to go to Taunton Library to have a look at the book if it is not in Chard,I had the name Humphry Hitchcock as one that was hanged but not John so that is intresting to know, will have to have a look in to that and see what happened to him
John Hitchcock was transported to Barbados on the ship Betty under Jerome Nepho or Nipho.
He lived out the rest of his life there and I have been trying to see if he had any offspring before or after he left without success as I have the same legend in my family tree see my other post earlier tonight.Many of my relatives came from chard.