‘A Desperat Wepon’: Re-Hafted Scythes at Sedgemoor, in Warfare and at the Tower of London

A pair of re-hafted scythes, likely captured from the Duke of Monmouth's rebels at Sedgemoor in 1685 and displayed at the Tower of London for over two centuries, represent a lesser-studied but historically significant weapon used by irregular forces. These blades, part of an inventory listing 81 such weapons in 1686, highlight the Duke's improvisational tactics due to equipment shortages. The scythes, effective in skirmishes and battles since the late Middle Ages, were valued for their propaganda potential and displayed until the 1990s. Their reintroduction to public view underscores the need for further study of this weapon type, which played a role in British and European conflicts.

Impey, E. (2019). ‘A DESPERAT WEPON’: RE-HAFTED SCYTHES AT SEDGEMOOR, IN WARFARE AND AT THE TOWER OF LONDON. The Antiquaries Journal, 99, 225–270. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0003581519000143