STOP PRESS - The book was highlighted on Radio Cambridge and has received a rave review from GOOGLE NEWS
There is a picture, but difficult to copy as it is so frail. It showed hundreds of uniformed troops disembarking at ‘Lime’ the spelling too was different to my research, mine showed Lyme.
Also the numbers of troops involved, looking at this, you would think that a well trained and uniformed army arrived in Lyme in 1685. In fact just three small ships bought Monmouth to England with only a handful of soldiers. Monmouth had secretly canvassed support for his rebellion whilst serving as a Colonel in the Lifeguards. He really thought that at least 3,000 troops would be waiting for him at King’s Lyme.
Still, the book is now published and is selling very nicely ! Thank you.
BBC Radio Cambridge will be featuring the book live in an hour long interview with the author on the Sue Marchant Show - 9-10 pm 28th January 2009 - you can find a link via the BBC website.
Taken from ‘The Adventures of Michael Fane’
The battle of Sedgemoor is over. James Scott, the Duke of Monmouth, was beheaded at The Tower of London on July 15th 1685 with a dulled axe. His last reported words were “Here are six guineas for you and do not hack me as you did my Lord Russell. I have heard you struck him four or five times. If you strike me twice, I cannot promise you not to stir.” Jack Ketch his executioner was paid to cause as much suffering to the Duke as was possible. Some say it was five swings of the axe others say it was eight, both agree that a butcher’s knife was used to finish the job and that the head was later resewn to the torso so that a portrait could be painted. To this very day the question is still being asked: was it really James Scott who died at the hands of James II?
These are the adventures of Michael Fane – he knew the truth.
To every reader I say, go no further if you are unaware of the penalties that existed during the Bloody Assize. This was a dark chapter in our Country’s history. The punishments listed are real.
The punishments in this book are real enough. Have you ever heard the expression ‘Make a wish’?
People still do this with a dry chicken wishbone. But the expression actually came from poor souls dragged apart in between two horses. To ‘pay with an arm and a leg’ - well Arthur Daley used it a lot. But in reality Percy Kirke used this punishment to anyone suspected of aiding and abetting the Duke of Monmouth. Men and boys literally were delimbed by axe and swung in rope bags. ‘And down came a blackbird to peck of her nose’. This book tells it all. So be ready!
