Keynsham Rebels Spring Rising: (A Historical Novel of the Battle of 1685 in Keynsham, and after)

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In the summer of 1685, James Scott, Duke of Monmouth, led a rebellion against newly crowned King James II. Monmouth landed in Dorset and quickly gathered supporters across the West Country. Many of his followers were not professional soldiers. They marched through towns and villages across the region hoping to gain enough support to challenge the royal army.Keynsham, between Bristol and Bath, lay on the route north towards the important port city of Bristol. Contemporary accounts describe clashes between royal cavalry and rebel forces near the town. These encounters were not always formal battles, but they could still be deadly.Monmouth hoped to capture Bristol, which would have provided political legitimacy for his cause. The strength of royal forces in the region, combined with setbacks along the march, forced him to reconsider his plans. The rebel army returned to Somerset. They later fought at Norton St Philip, before eventually confronting the King’s army on the Somerset Levels. The rebellion ended on 6 July 1685 at the Battle of Sedgemoor.Many individuals who fought in the rebellion remain unknown. Local records, letters, and court documents preserve glimpses of the people who lived through those turbulent weeks. This story combines historical fragments with fiction to imagine the lives of individuals caught up in these events.Keynsham RebelsWhen Jon discovers a seventeenth-century musket ball beside the River Avon in Keynsham, he expects little more than a small historical curiosity. Instead, a cut on his finger awakens something far stranger.As fever takes hold, Jon begins experiencing vivid visions of the past – glimpses of a rebel army camped in the same meadow more than three centuries earlier during the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685.At the centre of those visions is Johan, a mysterious sailor also known as Juan, a battle-hardened rebel helping inexperienced farmers and miners prepare to face royal cavalry.With the help of local archivist Elena, Jon pieces together the forgotten story of a skirmish that helped change the course of the rebellion.But history is rarely simple.As new discoveries emerge, from ancient records to unexpected modern sources, the line between past and present begins to blur. And the quiet meadow beside the Avon may still hold more than one truth.Inspired by real events from the Monmouth Rebellion, Keynsham Rebels is a haunting story of memory, history, and the quiet lives that shaped the landscapes around us.Keynsham Spring Rising1685. A rebellion has failed. Or has it?A wounded rebel. A baker's granddaughter. A Dutch miller in Keynsham with secrets of his own.Three centuries later, Jon is digging a well in his garden and discovers a clue that could challenge everything people think they know about the Monmouth Rebellion and the forgotten Battle of Keynsham. Archivist Elena keeps him on track.As historian Alice and broadcaster Anya take their controversial theory to theatres and television screens, the line between accepted history and uncomfortable truth begins to blur.Inspired by real events from the Monmouth Rebellion, part historical adventure, part modern mystery, and rooted deeply in the landscapes of the west country, Keynsham Spring Rising is a story of courage, coincidence, friendship and the enduring power of place. Following Keynsham Rebels, Keynsham Spring Rising continues the story of memory, history, and the quiet lives that shaped history around us.Some stories are written in books.Others are underground. Read more