James Scott, Duke of Monmouth

Timeline

1. 1649–1679London · EnglandScott was acknowledged by Charles II as an illegitimate son and created a duke, frequenting the court for many years; from 1672 to 1674 he led troops in the Third Anglo-Dutch War. In the 1670s he became involved in the parliamentary faction seeking to exclude Catholics, was seen as a potential royal successor, and entered political rivalry with James, Duke of York.
2. 1679–1685West of England · South WestIn 1679 he was forced into exile in Holland over involvement in an anti-Catholic conspiracy. After James II, brother of Charles II, acceded in 1685, Monmouth landed at Lyme Regis with a small force in an attempt to seize the throne, but his army was routed at the Battle of Sedgemoor. He was captured soon after, tried, and executed for treason on Tower Hill in London.