On Sunday 6 January 1661, Venner and fifty followers, all dressed in armor, broke into Saint Paul's cathedral, and waved their manifesto, which proclaimed Christ as king and challenged passers-by to declare their allegiance.
A man who declared for King Charles was shot through the heart and killed. This gave the alarm to the guards at the Exchange, and four files of musketeers were sent to dislodge them from St Paul's. The Fifth Monarchists stood firm and forced the guards to flee, causing further alarm in the city.
A detachment from the London Trained Bands under the Lord Mayor, Major General Sir Richard Browne, attacked them and they retreated to Ken Wood near Highgate.
The rebels marched back to the city early in the morning of 9 January and fought a ferocious battle with soldiers where they lost twenty-six men for twenty soldiers killed.
They attacked again at Wood Street and Threadneedle Street forcing the King's Life Guard of Foot (a force of 1200 men commanded by John Russell) to retreat. An attempt was made to liberate the prisoners in the Wood Street Compter but a company of Trained Bands advanced to engage them.
Eventually, twenty-two rebels were killed and twenty taken prisoner. The city forces lost a similar number.
The surviving Fifth Monarchists were brought to trial at the Old Bailey. After finally pleading not guilty, he admitted having participated in the insurrection, but not as leader, for that had been Jesus's role. Venner was found guilty of treason and sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered along with one of his lieutenants, Roger Hodgkin. Nine others were sentenced to be hanged.
Venner was executed on 19 January 1661 near the Fifth Monarchist meeting house in Swan Alley. Venner and twelve conspirators’ heads were placed on spikes on London Bridge. By 21 January after they had been executed, and the government demolished their meeting-house.
The following months there were purges of Fifth Monarchist from the British Army and militias, and to a lesser degree in the British Navy, by means of court-martials, summary executions and dishonorable discharges.
The Fifth Monarchists were almost finished, but they fought on in minor skirmishes during 1661 and more plots were discovered in 1662.
Venner's Uprising
