Informers and arrests Rye House Plot

late 17th century composite engraving john savage, , comprising 7 portraits of figures of plot of whom dead 1685 (sir thomas armstrong, earl of argyll, earl of essex, henry cornish, william russell, lord russell, duke of monmouth, , algernon sidney), 1 of edmund berry godfrey, unexplained death triggered popish plot allegations against catholics.



title page of thomas sprat s official account of plot.

news of plot leaked when josiah keeling gave information on sir leoline jenkins; , plot publicly discovered 12 june 1683. keeling had contacted courtier, put him in touch george legge, 1st baron dartmouth, , dartmouth had brought him jenkins, secretary of state. keeling s testimony used @ trials of walcott, hone, sidney, , charles bateman; , earned him pardon. started lengthy process of incriminated persons confessing, in hope of clemency. using brother, keeling able further direct evidence of conspiracy, , jenkins brought in rumsey , west, told him knew, 23 june; west had volunteered information via laurence hyde, 1st earl of rochester, on 22nd. on several days west explained rye house plot , part in purchasing arms, supposed america. did little incriminate monmouth group; testimony later used against walcott , sidney. west received pardon in december 1684.

thomas walcott arrested on 8 july, , first conspirator go trial. meeting of plotters had been held @ house on 18 june; rather escape, chose write jenkins, offer of full confession in return pardon. among plotters, john row bristol considered particularly unreliable, , had direct connection monmouth household offer information; number of steps taken silence him, , life under threat more once. after meeting nelthorpe , edward norton called on william russell, lord russell, appeal take arms immediately; when russell unwilling, nelthorpe left country.

walcott named henry care, publisher of weekly pacquet leading anti-catholic , whig paper of time; care ceased publishing pacquet on 13 july, , began co-operating court. among later informing against walcott zachary bourne. bourne conspirator, arrested trying leave country nonconformist ministers matthew meade, whom arrest warrant issued on 27 june, , walter cross; informed against minister, stephen lobb, prepared recruiting uprising. on 6 july arrest of lobb ordered, , picked in august.

a royal declaration of heinous nature of plot issued on 27 july. many more arrested. although principal conspirators minor figures, , not directly concerned in monmouth cabal , court party made no distinction between groups. ministers involved may have known ferguson not west; meade had sheltered covenanter john nisbet, , may have known of plans rebellion. william carstares, church of scotland minister , intermediary whig grandees, found in kent on 23 july.