Page:The histories of Launceston and Dunheved, in the county of Cornwall.djvu/357

 MONMOUTH'S REBELLION. 321 without precedent or example in any Christian kingdom or Comonwealth, from the birth of Christ unto this year, 1655." We have introduced Mr. Ruddle's name because he was the first successor to the ministers appointed by the Protectorate, and because he obtained some local celebrity by "laying a ghost," which had for awhile troubled the inhabitants of our adjoining parish of Southpetherwin. It was, moreover, during his curacy that, on the 6th February, 1684-5, Charles II. died, and James II. ascended the throne. On the happening of these events, the Duke of Monmouth, a natural son of Charles, claimed the crown. Monmouth had, to some extent, agitated the kingdom during the lifetime of his father, and on James's accession collected numerous forces. Much national uneasiness existed also about this time by reason of continual rumours of popish plots against the State. An arch-contributor to such rumours, the Rev. Titus Oates, was, on the 8th May, 1685, convicted of perjury for his false accusations of some eminent papists. On the 5th July, 1685, the bloody battle of Sedgmoor, near Bridgewater, was fought, and Mon- mouth was there defeated and captured. His rebellion, and the dread of secret papistical murders, had aroused watchfulness, and occasioned preparations for war, even at Launceston. The mayor maintained a guard here, provided red coats for soldiers, and kept himself in communication with Plymouth and Exeter. For some reason Mr. Ruddle was, during the year 1684-5, assisted in the church services by other ministers, one of whom, Mr. Dyngley, preached and administered the sacra- ment here on the very day of the Sedgmoor battle. The mayor of Launceston thus records the interest which his borough took in the defeat of Monmouth : " The re- joicing of Munmouth being taken, £1 5s. 4d.; " "for a seame of wood on ye newes of ye taking Monmouth is. 2d.;" "for wood for a bunfier is. 2d.;" and "for the Y