Charles II's succession to the throne came at a time of national turbulence: his father had been beheaded, Oliver Cromwell had usurped his right to reign. England was at sea among Europe's constantly shifting allegiances. But Henry Jermyn, a Suffolk commoner, lover to the queen mother and possibly even father to the king, was there to keep the royal family together. Jermyn's deft way of secretly manipulating government and raising an army almost prevented Civil War. He was instrumental in saving the monarchy and set in motion the rise of the British Empire. A duellist, soldier and spymaster, Jermyn was close to the great men of the 17th century: Francis Bacon (his kinsman), Louis XIV, Cardinal Richelieu, Inigo Jones, Samuel Peypys, Christopher Wren and Thomas Hobbes (whose Leviathan he inspired). The King's Henchman is a story of love, family, regicide, adversity and last-minute escapes, set against the backdrop of bloody Civil War. It is also the remarkable love story of a commoner and a royal who together shared a vision for Britain and created St James's Square and Greenwich Park as its first grand expression.
Anthony Adolph wrote the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography entry of Henry Jermyn and has pieced together his life from primary sources over the past 20 years. A genealogist and historian educated at Durham University, he has written several books on genealogy and presented programs for the BBC and Channel 4. He is a distant relative of Oliver Cromwell and lives in Canterbury.
Pedigrees: The Jermyns of Rushbrook The Killigrews of Arwenack Stuarts and Bourbons Foreword Prelude: The great coach (Thursday, 12 September 1678) 1 Education of a courtier (1605-22) 2 The Madrid embassy (1622-23) 3 Courting the Louvre (1624-28) 4 Two disputed cases of paternity (1628-35) 5 Sir William D'Avenant's dream of Madagascar (1635-37) 6 'Speak with Mr Jermyn about it' (1637-40) 7 'Do something extraordinary' (1641) 8 Colonel Lord Jermyn (1641-43) 9 'The strongest pillar in the land' (1644) 10 'Some succour for England' (1644-45) 11 The 'Great Hell-Cat' (1645-46) 12 'The Louvre Presbyter' (1646-1649) 13 'Our own condition is like to be very sad' (1649-56) 14 The Chateau of Colombes (1656-60) 15 Restoration! (1660-62) 16 'Grand Master of the Freemasons' (1662) 17 Somerset House (1662-63) 18 The Second Anglo-Dutch War (1664-66) 19 The road to Breda (1666-67) 20 The Grand Design (1667-68) 21 Saint-Denis (1669) 22 The Secret Treaty of Dover (1669-78) 23 'Joining together to surpass all others' (1678-85) 24 'The Funeral of Glory'? (1685 - present) 317 Elegy: (Wednesday, 2 January 1684) 329 Appendices: 335 The calendar in the seventeenth century Red herrings Acknowledgements Bibliography 337 Notes on sources Index 359
'Enticing - well-written - interesting.' Michael Braddick, TLS 'Energetic and original - A character as flamboyant as Henry Jermyn deserves to be rescued from history, a task that Anthony Adolph relishes - Adolph could hardly have done him more justice - Fascinating.' John Cooper Literary Review 'A rich and heady brew that gallops along at a cracking pace.' 4 stars, Dan Cruickshank Mail on Sunday Review 'Cracking.' A Non-Fiction Book of the Year, Daily Express 'The hidden power behind Charles II's throne.' Spectator Online 'A visual feel for the age and a rare gift for conveying it.' Blair Worden, Spectator 'One of the Britain's leading genealogists.' Sunday Express 'Brilliant.' Gillian Tindall 'A moving love story between a commoner and a royal, as well as a breathtakingly fresh window into the courts of Charles I and Charles II, and the foundation of London's West End.' Fiona Mountain
