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HUGH SPEKE (1656-c. 1724)

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Originally appearing in Volume V25, Page 633 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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HUGH See also:SPEKE (1656-c. 1724)  , See also:English writer and agitator, was a son of See also:George See also:Speke (d . 169o) of See also:White Lackington, See also:Somerset . The older Speke was a member of the See also:Green Ribbon See also:Club, the See also:great Whig organization which was founded in '675, and was a supporter of the See also:duke of See also:Monmouth, voting for the Exclusion See also:Bill in 1681 . Educated at St See also:John's See also:College, See also:Oxford, See also:Hugh Speke joined the Green Ribbon Club, and in 1683 he was put in See also:prison for asserting that See also:Arthur See also:Capell, See also:earl of See also:Essex, another of Monmouth's supporters, had been murdered by the See also:friends of the duke of See also:York . He was tried and sentenced to pay a See also:fine, but he refused to find the See also:money, and remained in prison for three years, being in captivity during Monmouth's See also:rebellion, in consequence of which his See also:brother See also:Charles was hanged at Ilminster . In prison Speke kept a See also:printing-See also:press, and from this he issued the Address to all the English Protestants in the See also:Present See also:Army, a manifesto written by the Whig divine See also:Samuel See also:Johnson (1649-1703), urging the soldiers to See also:mutiny . In 1687 he was released, and in 1688 he served See also:James II. as a See also:spy in the See also:camp of See also:William of See also:Orange . In See also:December of this See also:year a document, apparently See also:official, was found by a See also:London bookseller . This called upon the Protestants to disarm their See also:Roman See also:Catholic neighbours; it was freely circulated, and much damage was done to See also:property in London before it was found that it was a See also:forgery . It appears to have been the See also:work of Speke, although this was not known until 1709, when he asserted his authorship in his See also:Memoirs of the Most Remarkable Passages and Transactions of the Revolution . He afterwards issued these memoirs with modifications as The See also:Secret See also:History of the Happy Revolution in 1688 (1715) . After imploring both See also:Anne and George I. to See also:reward his past services, Speke died in obscurity before 1725 .

End of Article: HUGH SPEKE (1656-c. 1724)
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Additional information and Comments

My father's name was Hugh Spake. His brothers were Charles, George, Boyd, Earl, and Grady. I think their family originally settled in Phil., Pa. in the 1800's from England, Scottland, Ireland, but the name was spelled either Speke, Speight,......Can anyone out there help me find the origin of my family? I know there are George, Charles Spake living in Tn. and N.C., not my father's brothers, which, in itself is strange. John Speke was an explorer, but I don't know if there is a connection. This article was very informative and really has my interest up. Thank you so much!
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