Hugh Speke facts for kids
Hugh Speke (born in 1656, died around 1724) was an English writer. He was known for sharing his strong opinions and getting involved in political events during his time.
Early Life and Political Involvement
Hugh Speke was born in 1656. His parents were George and Mary Speke from a place called Whitelackington in Somerset, England. His father was involved in politics. He was part of a group called the Green Ribbon Club. This club was a Whig organization. The Whigs were a political group who wanted to limit the power of the king.
Hugh's father supported the Duke of Monmouth. The Duke of Monmouth was a Protestant who many people wanted to be king instead of James, Duke of York. Hugh's father also voted for something called the Exclusion Bill in 1681. This bill tried to stop James, Duke of York, from becoming king because he was Catholic.
Time in Prison
Hugh Speke studied at St John's College, Oxford. Like his father, he joined the Green Ribbon Club. In 1683, he was sent to prison. This happened because he claimed that Arthur Capell, Earl of Essex had been murdered. The Earl of Essex was another supporter of the Duke of Monmouth. Speke believed he was killed by people who supported James, Duke of York.
Speke was put on trial and told to pay a fine. However, he refused to pay the money. Because of this, he stayed in prison for three years. During his time in prison, a big event called Monmouth's rebellion happened. This was when the Duke of Monmouth tried to take the throne. Sadly, Hugh's brother, Charles, was hanged at Ilminster because of his involvement in this rebellion.
While in prison, Hugh Speke managed to keep a printing press. He used it to print a special message. This message was called Address to all the English Protestants in the Present Army. It was written by a Whig writer named Samuel Johnson. The message encouraged soldiers to go against the king's orders.
Later Life and Secret Work
In 1687, Hugh Speke was finally released from prison. The next year, in 1688, he worked for King James II. He acted as a spy in the camp of William of Orange. William of Orange was a Dutch prince who later became king of England.
In December 1688, a document was found in London. It looked official and told Protestants to take away weapons from their Roman Catholic neighbors. This document was shared widely. It caused a lot of damage to property in London. Later, it was discovered that this document was a fake.
It seems Hugh Speke was the one who created this fake document. However, this was not known until 1709. That year, he wrote about it in his book, Memoirs of the Most Remarkable Passages and Transactions of the Revolution. He later released a changed version of this book called The Secret History of the Happy Revolution in 1688 in 1715.
Hugh Speke tried to get rewards from both Queen Anne and King George I for his past actions. He passed away quietly before the year 1725.
