The Results of the Rye House Plot and their Influence upon the Revolution of 1688

Doreen J. Milne

doi:10.2307/3678564

The Results of the Rye House Plot and their Influence upon the Revolution of 1688

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 February 2009

Doreen J. Milne

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For a detailed account of the activity known as the Rye House Plot the evidence available is inadequate, and the aura of mystery which surrounded the plot at its discovery on 12 June 1683 has never been wholly dispelled since. Its importance, however, lies less in the details of what it actually was than in what Charles II and his government asserted it to be, and in the use to which they put it to destroy the influence of the Whigs. It was through popular reaction to this use of it that the plot exerted the influence it did upon the revolution of 1688.

Type: Research Article
Information: Transactions of the Royal Historical Society , Volume 1 , December 1951 , pp. 91 - 108

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3678564 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © Royal Historical Society 1951

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^{page 91 note 1} For accounts of this, see Sprat, T., A True Account and Declaration of the Horrid Conspiracy against the late King (1685)Google Scholar, and its appendix: Copies of the Informations and Original Papers relating to the Proof of the Horrid Conspiracy against the late King (1685), which were printed, with omissions, from the manuscript ‘Copies of the Informations’ in State Papers Dom., Car. II, 426.

^{page 91 note 2} Unprinted part of John Rumsey's information of 25 June 1683.

^{page 92 note 1} For accounts of the activity of the Whig leaders, in addition to Copies of the Informations, see The Speech of the late Lord Russel to the Sheriffs (1683), reprinted in State Trials, ed. W. Cobbett, ix. 685–95; The Apology of Algernon Sydney in the day of his death, reprinted ibid., cols. 916–50; Nathaniel Wade's ‘Confession’ in Brit. Mus., MS. Harleian 6845, fos. 266–72; Robert Ferguson's ‘Concerning the Rye House Business’ in S. P. Dom., Jas. II, i, reprinted in J. Ferguson, Robert Ferguson the Plotter (Edinburgh, 1887), pp. 409–37; Grey, Forde Lord, Secret History of the Rye House Plot and of Monmouth's Rebellion (1754)Google Scholar.

^{page 92 note 2} Burnet, G., History of My Own Time, ed. Airy, O., ii. 355–6Google Scholar; State Trials, ix. 693.

^{page 93 note 1} Nothing is said about actual preparations by either Howard or Grey, both of whom later gave evidence against their associates and neither of whom would have concealed a point, the discovery of which would have been so likely to earn them official favour.

^{page 93 note 2} For the Green Ribbon Club, see Sitwell, G. R., Letters of the Sitwells and Sacheverells (Scarborough, 1900–1901)Google Scholar.

^{page 93 note 3} At least four of the minor plotters, West, Ayloffe, Walcot, and Wade, were interested in emigration to Carolina (Brit. Mus., MS. Harleian 6845, fo. 266 v.).

^{page 93 note 4} Ibid., fo. 268; Copies of the Informations, p. 4.

^{page 93 note 5} The Tryal…of William Lord Russell (1683), reprinted in State Trials, ix. 577–668; The Arraignment, Tryal & Condemnation of Algernon Sidney (1684), reprinted ibid., cols. 817–903.

^{page 93 note 6} Ibid., cols. 595, 633.

^{page 94 note 1} Hist. MSS. Comm., Rep. XII, House of Lords Manuscripts 1689–1690 (1889), p. 298.

^{page 94 note 2} See Robert Cragg's information, ibid., pp. 392–405; Grey, , Secret History, pp. 73 ffGoogle Scholar.

^{page 94 note 3} Lauder, J. of Fountainhall, Historical Observes of Memorable Occurents in Church and State (Bannatyne Club, 1840), p. 149Google Scholar; Memoirs of Thomas Bruce, Earl of Ailesbury (Roxburghe Club, 1890), i. 23Google Scholar.

^{page 94 note 4} These figures are based on a division list for the first exclusion bill in Dr. Williams's Library, Morrice MS. P., pp. 238–40, according to which 39 supporters of the bill were returned in 1685. Cf. Burnet's, remark, ‘The king said, there were not above forty members but such as he himself wished for’ (History of the Reign of James II (1852), p. 18)Google Scholar. This, however, need not refer only to supporters of the exclusion bill.

^{page 95 note 1} First printed in 1688, and reprinted in H. C. Foxcroft, Life and Letters of Sir George Savile, first Marquis of Halifax (1898), ii. 280–342; and in The Works of George Savile, first Marquess of Halifax, ed. Raleigh, W. (1912), pp. 47–103Google Scholar.

^{page 95 note 2} Hatton Correspondence (Camden Soc., 1878), ii. 22Google Scholar; Brit. Mus., Add. MS. 29582, fo. 15 r.; Diary and Correspondence of John Evelyn, ed. Wheatley, H. B. (1906), ii. 409, 412–13Google Scholar.

^{page 95 note 3} Gazette. no. 1848 (2–6 August 1683).

^{page 95 note 4} I. e., those parts of the manuscript ‘Copies of the Informations’ which were omitted from the printed version.

^{page 95 note 5} Brit. Mus., Add. MS. 32519, fo. 29 r.; Bodleian MS. Carte 219, fo. 482 r.; Sprat, , True Account, pp. 15–16, 19, 28–9Google Scholar.

^{page 96 note 1} Letter of Lady Russell, 24 March 1687, in Russell, Lord J., Life of William Lord Russell (1820), ii. 132Google Scholar.

^{page 96 note 2} Quoted in von Ranke, L., History of England principally in the Seventeenth Century (English trans., 1875), iv. 181 nGoogle Scholar.

^{page 96 note 3} P. R. O., Baschet's transcripts of Barillon's despatches, 155, 9/19 July 1683.

^{page 96 note 4} Character of a Trimmer, in Foxcroft, , Halifax, ii. 303Google Scholar.

^{page 97 note 1} Evelyn, , Diary, ii. 409Google Scholar; but cf. Hist. MSS. Comm., Ormonde Manuscripts, N.S., vii. 65.

^{page 97 note 2} Evelyn, , Diary, ii. 411Google Scholar.

^{page 97 note 3} Fountainhall, , Historical Observes, pp. 109–10Google Scholar.

^{page 97 note 4} Burnet, , Own Time, ii. 376Google Scholar.

^{page 97 note 5} Bodleian MS. Carte 216, fo. 361 r. Sir Robert Reading to Arran, 29 September 1683.

^{page 97 note 6} North, R., Examen (1740), p. 406Google Scholar.

^{page 97 note 7} Morrice MS. P., p. 395.

^{page 97 note 8} Ibid.

^{page 97 note 9} Evelyn, , Diary, ii. 409, 423Google Scholar.

^{page 98 note 1} The text of the letters is given in State Trials, ix. 1344–7.

^{page 98 note 2} Fountainhall, , Historical Observes, p. 119Google Scholar.

^{page 98 note 3} Cal. S. P. Dom., May 1684–February 1685, pp. 271, 285, 302–3, 309.

^{page 98 note 4} True Account, p. 2.

^{page 98 note 5} Mortice MS. P., p. 395.

^{page 99 note 1} Own Time, ii. 445–7.

^{page 99 note 2} Morrice MS. P., p. 389. For different versions given by Howard, , see Copies of the Informations, pp. 67–73Google Scholar, State Trials, ix. 602 ff., 849 ff., 1065 ff.; for contradictions by other witnesses, ibid., ix. 596–602, xi. 422–3, 443–4.

^{page 99 note 3} Ibid., ix. 1105–23.

^{page 100 note 1} Character of a Trimmer, in Foxcroft, , Halifax, ii. 286Google Scholar.

^{page 100 note 2} House of Lords Manuscripts 1689–1690, pp. 298–300.

^{page 100 note 3} The Tryal of Henry Baron Delamere (1686). Reprinted in State Trials, xi. 510–600.

^{page 100 note 4} Ibid., cols. 586, 592.

^{page 100 note 5} Memoirs of Sir John Reresby, ed. Browning, A. (1936), p. 407Google Scholar.

^{page 101 note 1} Brit. Mus., Add. MS. 28569, fo. 58 r.

^{page 101 note 2} Brit. Mus., Add. MS. 29582, fo. 211 r.

^{page 101 note 3} Ibid., fo. 280 r.

^{page 101 note 4} Holdsworth, W. S., History of English Law, iv. 499, ix. 206–7Google Scholar.

^{page 102 note 1} 7–8 Wm. III, c. 3, §§ 2 and 4. The witnesses had to be to the same overt act, or to two overt acts in the same kind of treason.

^{page 102 note 2} Ibid., §§ 1 and 7.

^{page 102 note 3} 12–13 Wm. III, c. 2, § 3.

^{page 102 note 4} Bodleian MS. Aubrey 12, fo. 271 r.

^{page 102 note 5} For these addresses, see the Gazette, especially nos. 1839–68 (2 July–15 October 1683).

^{page 102 note 6} Brit. Mus., Add. MS. 29582, fo. 43 r. Fell to Hatton, 9 August 1683.

^{page 102 note 7} Character of a Trimmer, in Foxcroft, , Halifax, ii. 339–40Google Scholar.

^{page 103 note 1} SirTemple, William, Memoirs from 1639, in Works (1731), i. 351Google Scholar.

^{page 103 note 2} A Just and Modest Vindication of the Proceedings of the two last parliaments (1681), p. 48.

^{page 103 note 3} An Impartial Enquiry into the Administration of Affairs in England (1683), pp. 2, 25, 63–4.

^{page 103 note 4} State Trials, ix. 617–18.

^{page 103 note 5} Fountainhall, , Historical Observes, p. 100Google Scholar.

^{page 104 note 1} Baschet, 155, 23 July/2 August 1683.

^{page 104 note 2} So persistent were the rumours of a Parliament that in May 1684 circular letters denying them were sent to the lords-lieutenant (Cal. S. P. Dom., May 1684–February 1685, pp. 22, 23, 39).

^{page 104 note 3} Fountainhall, , Historical Observes, p. 117Google Scholar.

^{page 104 noe 4} Character of a Trimmer, in Foxcroft, , Halifax, ii. 313–14Google Scholar.

^{page 104 note 5} Burnet, , Own Time, ii. 378Google Scholar.

^{page 104 note 6} Cal. S. P. Dom., 1683 July–September, pp. 181, 187, 201.

^{page 104 note 7} Brit. Mus., Add. MS. 32518, fo. 124 r.

^{page 105 note 1} Gazette, no. 1848; Evelyn, , Diary, ii. 415Google Scholar.

^{page 105 note 2} Figgis, J. N., Theory of the Divine Right of Kings (2nd edn., 1914), pp. 210–11Google Scholar.

^{page 105 note 3} Baschet, 155, 12/22 July 1683

^{page 105 note 4} Fountainhall, , Historical Observes, p. 207Google Scholar.

^{page 106 note 1} Burnet, , Own Time, ii. 355–6Google Scholar; Supplement to Burnet's History, ed. Foxcroft, H. C. (1902), pp. 277–8Google Scholar.

^{page 106 note 2} Ibid., p. 35.

^{page 106 note 3} Cal. S. P. Dom., May 1684–February 1685, pp. 187–8; Kitchin, G., Sir Roger L'Estrange (1913), pp. 335–6Google Scholar.

^{page 106 note 4} Observator, ii. nos. 158–60.

^{page 106 note 5} Foxcroft, , Halifax, ii. 273–4Google Scholar.

^{page 107 note 1} Character of a Trimmer, ibid., p. 286.

^{page 107 note 2} Bodleian MS. Ballard 12, fo. 7 r.

^{page 108 note 1} Hist. MSS. Comm., Ormonde Manuscripts, N.S., iv. 513; Burnet, , Own Time, ii. 365–6Google Scholar. Airy's note that Burnet is wrong in stating this is itself wrong.

^{page 108 note 2} In May, March, April-May, and June 1689 respectively. Lords Journals, xiv. 142, 151, 189, 209, 210, 237, 252.

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The Results of the Rye House Plot and their Influence upon the Revolution of 1688

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