The King, the Crown and the Colonel - The National Archives Home > Education > Classroom resources > The King, the Crown and the Colonel The King, the Crown and the Colonel Charles II, Court of the King’s Bench, 1673 (KB 27/1950/2) External links After the execution of Charles I in 1649 many of the Crown Jewels were sold or destroyed. Oliver Cromwell ordered that the orb and sceptres should be broken as they stood for the ‘detestable rule of kings’. All the gemstones were removed and sold and the precious metal was used to make coins. When the monarchy was restored in 1660, two new sceptres and an orb costing £12,185 were made for the coronation of Charles II in 1661. Can you spot any of these items in the picture above? During the ceremony, the new King held the Sceptre with the Cross in his right hand and the Sceptre with the Dove in his left. The sceptre was a rod or staff which represents royal power and the dove refers to the Holy Spirit. The King was crowned with St Edward’s Crown.

At some point the King also held the orb, a hollow golden sphere decorated with a band of jewels and a jewelled cross on top. The orb refers to the King’s role as protector of the church. Charles II allowed the Crown Jewels to be shown to members of the public for a viewing fee paid to a custodian (keeper) who looked after the jewels in the Martin Tower at the Tower of London. In 1671 Thomas Blood was the first and only man who attempted to steal them. After that, the Crown Jewels were kept under armed guard in a part of the Tower known as the Jewel House. Read these sources to find out more about Thomas Blood’s life of crime and his dramatic attempt to steal the Crown Jewels. Tasks Source 4 Background Thomas Blood (c1618-1680) was a rebel, a republican (supporter of government without a king) and a master of disguise. His adventures had involved him dressing as a priest, a doctor of divinity and a Quaker. He took part in numerous plots. Blood was called both ‘Captain’ and ‘Colonel’ at the time.

After his attempt at stealing the Crown Jewels, Blood even acted as a spy for Sir Joseph Williamson, an important politician in Charles II ‘s government, and he often attended court. Thomas Blood was born in Ireland. He fought in the Civil War on the side of Parliament and served as an officer in Cromwell’s army in Ireland. He was granted land in Ireland for his services. After the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Thomas Blood lost all his lands. He took his revenge when he tried to kidnap James Butler, Duke of Ormonde, and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland at Dublin castle in 1663. The plot was discovered and Blood fled to Holland. In 1666 Blood fought on the side of the Scottish Covenanters at Rullion Green to resist changes in the law about the conduct of church services made by Charles II. He returned to England and, not long after, rescued his friend John Mason whilst on his way to trial at York under armed escort. Thomas Blood made a second attempt to kidnap the Duke of Ormonde in London. The plan failed and Blood and his accomplices got away.

It has been suggested that the Second Duke of Buckingham, George Villiers, was behind the plan. In 1671, as part of his attempt to steal the Crown Jewels, Blood and his son had got friendly with the keeper. He even arranged a marriage between his ‘nephew’ and keeper Edward’s daughter. However, Blood and his son were caught and imprisoned in the Tower. Several petitions were sent from Blood, his wife Mary and their son, to the Secretary of State, Lord Arlington. They claimed that their health was ‘much impaired by close confinement in the Tower’. King Charles II visited Blood in the Tower in private. Father and son were pardoned and Blood was given a pension in August of that year. It is not clear why Thomas Blood was treated with such generosity. Perhaps it was a reward for previous services. The poet Andrew Marvell even wrote a poem at the time about Blood’s attempt to steal the Crown Jewels. Blood’s body was dug up after he died in 1680 because of stories that he had faked his own death.

Teachers' notes Key stage 3 The lesson considers the story of Thomas Blood and the questions encourage pupils to investigate the sources and try to work out how and why Thomas Blood tried to steal the Crown Jewels. More activities Pupils could use the sources as stimulus material for to a piece of creative writing on the story of Thomas Blood and the Crown Jewels. Create a drama or role-play activity on Thomas Blood. Pupils could use the following extract from John Evelyn’s Diary 1641-1706 as a stimulus to discussion as to why Thomas Blood was pardoned: ‘How he came to be pardoned, and even received into favour, not onely after this, but severall other exploits almost as daring both in Ireland and here, I could never come to understand. Some believed he became a spie of severall parties, being well with the Sectaries and Enthusiasts, and did his Majesties services that way, which none alive could do so well as he; but it was certainely as the boldest attempt, so the onely treason of this sort that was ever pardon’d.

This man had not onely a daring but a villainous unmercifull looke, a false countenance, but very well spoken and dangerously insinuating.’ (Edited by William Bray, published 1819, p437) Pupils could discuss the meaning of this poem by Andrew Marvell (1621-1681), written in August 1672, and compare this version of events with source 2. Whilst valiant Blood, his rents to have regain’d Upon the Royal Diadem distrain’d, He chose the cassock, surcingle and gown, The fittest mask for those who robb the Crown; But his lay pity underneath prevailed, And while he sav’d the Keeper’s life, he failed With the Priests vestments had he but put on A Bishop’s cruelty, the Crown was gone.

Andrew Marvell, Complete Poetry (London: JM Dent & Sons, Ltd, 1984) distrain’d: to seize the property of (a person) in order to compel payment of debts lay pity: brotherly love, compassion, fellow feeling, humanity, kindness, sorrow, sympathy prevailed: to be in force, use, or effect; triumph Royal Diadem: a crown worn as a sign of royalty surcingle: the fastening belt on a clerical robe vestments: a garment, especially a robe or gown worn a by priest External links Colonel Blood and the theft of the Crown Jewels By Ben Johnson | Comments One of the most audacious rogues in history was Colonel Blood, known as the 'Man who stole the Crown Jewels'. Thomas Blood was an Irishman, born in County Meath in 1618, the son of a prosperous blacksmith. He came from a good family, his grandfather who lived in Kilnaboy Castle was a Member of Parliament. The English Civil War broke out in 1642 and Blood came to England to fight for Charles I, but when it became apparent that Cromwell was going to win, he promptly changed sides and joined the Roundheads.

When Charles I was defeated in 1653 Blood was made a Justice of the Peace and was granted a large estate, but when Charles II returned to the throne in 1660 Blood fled to Ireland with his wife and son. In Ireland he joined a plot with the disgruntled Cromwellians and attempted to seize Dublin Castle and take the Governor, Lord Ormonde prisoner. This plot failed and he had to flee to Holland, now with a price on his head. in spite of being one of the most wanted men in England, Blood returned in 1670 taking the name Ayloffe and practised as a doctor in Romford! After another botched attempt to kidnap Lord Ormonde in 1670, where Blood narrowly escaped capture, Blood decided on a bold scheme to steal the Crown Jewels. The Crown Jewels were kept at the Tower of London in a basement protected by a large metal grille. The Keeper of the Jewels was Talbot Edwards who lived with his family on the floor above the basement.

One day in 1671 Blood, disguised as a 'parson' went to see the Crown Jewels and became friendly with Edwards, returning at a later date with his wife. As the visitors were leaving, Mrs. Blood had a violent stomach-ache and was taken to Edward's apartment to rest. The grateful 'Parson Blood' returned a few days later with 4 pairs of white gloves for Mrs. Edwards in appreciation of her kindness to his wife. The Edwards family and 'Parson Blood' became close friends and met frequently. Edwards had a pretty daughter and was delighted when 'Parson Blood' proposed a meeting between his wealthy nephew and Edward's daughter. On 9th May 1671, 'Parson Blood' arrived at 7am. with his 'nephew' and two other men. While the 'nephew' was getting to know Edward's daughter the others in the party expressed a desire to see the Crown Jewels. Edwards led the way downstairs and unlocked the door to the room where they were kept. At that moment Blood knocked him unconscious with a mallet and stabbed him with a sword.

The grille was removed from in front of the jewels and the crown, orb and sceptre were taken out. The crown was flattened with the mallet and stuffed into a bag, and the orb stuffed down Blood's breeches. The sceptre was too long to go into the bag so Blood's brother-in-law Hunt tried to saw it in half! At that point Edwards regained consciousness and began to shout "Murder, Treason!". Blood and his accomplices dropped the sceptre and attempted to get away but Blood was arrested as he tried to leave the Tower by the Iron-Gate, after unsuccessfully trying to shoot one of the guards. In custody Blood refused to answer questions, instead repeating stubbornly, "I'll answer to none but the King himself". Blood knew that the King had a reputation for liking bold scoundrels and reckoned that his considerable Irish charm would save his neck as it had done several times before in his life. Blood was taken to the Palace where he was questioned by King Charles, Prince Rupert, The Duke of York and other members of the royal family.

King Charles was amused at Blood's audacity when Blood told him that the Crown Jewels were not worth the £100,000 they were valued at, but only £6,000! The King asked Blood "What if I should give you your life?" and Blood replied humbly, "I would endeavour to deserve it, Sire!" Blood was not only pardoned, to the disgust of Lord Ormonde, but was given Irish lands worth £500 a year! Blood became a familiar figure around London and made frequent appearances at Court. Edwards who recovered from his wounds, was rewarded by the King and lived to a ripe old age, recounting his part in the story of the theft of the Jewels to all the visitors to the Tower. In 1679 Blood's phenomenal luck ran out. He quarrelled with his former patron the Duke of Buckingham. Buckingham demanded £10,000 for some insulting remarks Blood had made about his character. As Blood became ill in 1680 the Duke never got paid, as Blood died on August 24th of that year at the age of 62.

The Crown Jewels have never been stolen since that day - as no other thief has tried to match the audacity of Colonel Blood! Unearth Colonel Blood's Devious Attempt To Steal The Crown Jewels | Historic Royal Palaces Colonel Blood attempts to steal the Crown Jewels from the Martin Tower. Tower of London, 9 May 1671 Colonel Thomas Blood arrangedto see the Crown Jewels which were kept at the time in the Martin Tower on the inner wall of the Tower. He and his gang overpowered the elderly Jewel House keeper, tied him up and when he struggled, hit him on the head and stabbed him. Excuse me sir, but is that an orb down your breeches? Blood crushed the Imperial State Crown and hid it under his cloak. His son started to saw the Sceptre in half. Their friend Robert Perot stuck the Orb down his breeches. A foiled attempt Just as they were about to escape, the keeper’s son returned unexpectedly and raised the alarm. Blood was arrested, but once again, the enigmatic adventurer got away with it – and more. No-one’s sure quite why, but ‘the merry monarch’, Charles II, pardoned Blood and gave him a pension!

A review of security After Blood’s escapade, security was tightened, iron bars replaced the wooden ones around the Regalia, and, from then on, visitors were not allowed to touch the Crown Jewels. Clare People: Colonel Thomas Blood Colonel Thomas Blood (1618 - 1680) Thomas Blood was born around 1618 in Co. Clare. His father was an ironmaster who also owned lands in Co. Meath and Co. Wicklow. His grandfather was Edmund Blood of Kilnaboy and Applevale. Thomas spent most of his early life in England. In 1648 he married a Miss Holcroft in Lancashire and shortly afterwards he returned to Ireland as an officer in the Cromwellian army. He received grants of land in lieu of payment for army service. These services are thought to have involved espionage during the English Civil War. However, in 1660 when the Monarchy was restored, Colonel Blood, as he liked to be known, lost all his lands. In revenge in 1663 he conspired to capture James Butler, the Duke of Ormond. He was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and was based at Dublin Castle.

In disguise, and with the help of accomplices, he tried to force his way into the castle but the plot had been discovered. Most of the gang were arrested but Blood, using various disguises as a Quaker and as a Priest, eventually escaped to Holland, where he stayed for a while. He had earlier made a daring attempt to free his accomplices but had failed. His brother Lackie ( some historians claim that Lackie was his brother-in-law ) was tried, convicted and executed for High Treason. Colonel Blood now had a price on his head in England. Thomas was a mysterious character. He was linked to various dissident groups who were hostile to the Government, though he was also involved in Government Counsels. It is thought that he worked as a Double-Agent, playing both sides against each other. In 1667, Blood was involved in an attempt to rescue an old friend of his, Captain Mason. Mason was being escorted by government men to York. A battle ensued and Blood was wounded but he succeeded in rescuing Mason. Several troopers were killed and again a price was put on Colonel Blood's head. Five hundred pounds was offered for his capture. Once more, Blood was on the run from Government forces.

He assumed the name Thomas Allen and resided quietly in Kent for a time. In 1670, Colonel Blood made another attempt at capturing the Duke of Ormond while the Duke was on a visit to England. Blood's plan was to hang the Duke in Tyburn but he was rescued and despite Blood's pistol attack on him he escaped unharmed. It is possible that Blood was acting on orders from George Villiers, the Second Duke of Buckingham. Ormond's son accused Villiers of employing Blood to carry out the abduction. Some believe that Blood was acting in revenge for the treatment of his gang in Dublin. Others claim that Blood intended keeping Ormond in custody until he agreed to restore his Irish Estates to him. In 1671 came the most famous of Blood's adventures - the stealing of the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London. His plans were elaborately laid. He went to the Tower disguised as a Parson. He gained the confidence of Talbot Edwards, the Keeper, and promised to arrange a marriage between his imaginary nephew and Edwards' daughter. Blood and his accomplices became well acquainted with the security arrangements. On May 9th 1671 the daring plan went into action.

Blood persuaded Edwards to show the Crown Jewels to his friends. The gang bound and gagged Edwards and made off with the loot. Edwards managed to raise the alarm and the thieves were captured. Blood was imprisoned in the Tower. He refused to speak to anyone except the King. Charles agreed to see him at Whitehall. On July 18th 1671 Thomas Blood was released from his prison cell. His treasonable act should have led to his death but he found favour with King Charles and had his Irish Estates restored to him. Not only that, he was granted a pension of five hundred pounds per annum. The mystery remains as to what Colonel Blood had done to gain the King's pardon. At some time in his life Blood must have served the King well as a Secret Agent. This was his reward. The Duke of Buckingham seems to have been a patron or protector of Blood but a dispute arose between them. The Duke took action against him but before the action could be heard Colonel Thomas Blood died at his home in Bowling Alley, Westminster on August 24th 1680. His reputation for trickery was such that his body was later exhumed by the authorities to verify the fact that he had died.

The fictional hero, Captain Blood, created by Rafael Sabatini, may have been based on this larger than life Clareman. Stealing The Crown Jewels | History Today Stealing The Crown Jewels What was behind Colonel Thomas Blood’s failed attempt to steal the Crown Jewels during the cash-strapped reign of Charles II and how did he survive such a treasonable act? Nigel Jones questions the motives of a notorious 17th-century schemer. Illustration of Colonel Thomas Blood by G.Scott, 1813 Money was always a problem for the merry monarch. Generous with courtiers, supporters and mistresses, the pensions that Charles II (r.1660-85) actually owed to lesser mortals were often either in arrears – or never paid at all. But Charles knew the value of majesty to monarchy and after his penurious years of exile did not stint in putting on a show. He spent the huge sum of £32,000 on remaking the Crown Jewels, which had been broken up, melted down or sold off by Cromwell’s Commonwealth.

A couple of silver spoons and the famous egg-sized ‘Black Prince’s Ruby’ (actually a spinel, which adorned the state crown and was worn on the helmet of Henry V at Agincourt in 1415 and by Richard III at Bosworth in 1485) were all that survived. Fortunately, however, detailed descriptions of the vanished jewels remained in their former home, the Tower of London, from which they were accurately reconstituted. Want the full article and website archive access? Already a member? Log in now Colonel Thomas Blood – Exequy's Blog Bio , Crime , History Colonel Thomas Blood (1618 – 24 August 1680) was an Anglo-Irish officer and self-styled colonel best known for his attempt to steal the Crown Jewels of England from the Tower of London in 1671. Described in an American source as a “noted bravo and desperado”, he was known for his attempt to kidnap, and later, to kill his enemy, the Duke of Ormonde.

He had switched allegiances from Royalist to Roundhead during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, and despite his subsequent notoriety received a Royal free pardon and found favour at the court of King Charles II. Early life Sources suggest that Blood was born in the County Clare, in the Kingdom of Ireland, the son of a successful land-owning blacksmith of English descent, and was partly raised at Sarney, near Dunboyne, in the County Meath. He was apparently a Protestant Presbyterian. His family was respectable and prosperous (by the standards of the time); his father held lands in the Counties Clare, Meath and Wicklow. His grandfather was a member of the Irish Parliament, and had lived at Kilnaboy Castle (also in County Clare). He received his education in Lancashire, England. At the age of 20, he married Maria Holcroft, the daughter of John Holcroft, a gentleman from Golborne, Lancashire, and returned to Ireland. At the outbreak of the First English Civil War in 1642, Blood returned to England and initially took up arms with the Royalist forces loyal to Charles I. As the conflict progressed he switched sides and became a lieutenant in Oliver Cromwell’s Roundheads.

In 1653 at the cessation of hostilities Cromwell awarded Blood land grants as payment for his service and appointed him a justice of the peace. Following the Restoration of King Charles II to the Crowns of the Three Kingdoms in 1660, Blood fled with his family to Ireland. The confiscations and restitutions under the Act of Settlement 1662 (which sought to cancel and annul some of the grants of land and real properties allocated as reward to new holders being Cromwellians under the Act of Settlement 1652) brought Blood to financial ruin, and in return Blood sought to unite his fellow Cromwellians in Ireland to cause insurrection. Irish discontent As part of the expression of discontent, Blood conspired to storm Dublin Castle, usurp the government, and kidnap James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, for ransom. On the eve of the attempt, the plot was foiled. Blood managed to evade the authorities by hiding with his countrymen in the mountains, and ultimately managed to escape to the United Dutch Provinces in the Low Country. A few of Blood’s collaborators were captured and executed.

As a result, some historians speculated that Blood swore vengeance against Ormonde. While in the Dutch Republic, Blood gained the favour of Admiral de Ruyter, an opponent of the English forces in the Anglo-Dutch Wars, and was implicated in the Scottish Pentland Rising of 1666 by the Scottish Presbyterian Covenanters. At some point during this period, Blood became associated with the wealthy George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, who 19th-century commentators believed used Blood as a means to punish his own political and social adversaries, since his own class ranking did not allow him to meet them “in the field”. In 1670, despite his status as a wanted man, Blood returned to England and is believed to have taken the name Ayloffe and practised as a doctor or an apothecary in Romford Market, east of London. A second attempt, this time on the life of the Duke of Ormonde, followed. Since Ormonde’s return to England, he had taken up residence at Clarendon House. Blood had followed Ormonde’s movements and noted that he frequently returned late in the evening accompanied by a small number of footmen.

On the night of 6 December 1670, Blood and his accomplices attacked Ormonde while the latter travelled St James’s Street. Ormonde was dragged from his coach, bound to one of Blood’s henchmen, and taken on horseback along Piccadilly with the intention of hanging him at Tyburn. The gang pinned a paper to Ormonde’s chest spelling out their reasons for his capture and execution. With one of his servants who had given chase on horseback, Ormonde succeeded in freeing himself and escaped. The plot’s secrecy meant that Blood was not suspected of the crime, despite a reward being offered for the capture of the attempted assassins. In the King’s presence, James’s son, Thomas Butler, accused the Duke of Buckingham of being behind the crime. Thomas threatened to shoot Buckingham dead in revenge, if his father, James, was murdered. Theft of the Crown Jewels Blood did not lie low for long, and within six months he made his notorious attempt to steal the Crown Jewels. In April or May 1671 he visited the Tower of London dressed as a parson and accompanied by a female companion pretending to be his wife.

The Crown Jewels could be viewed by the payment of a fee to the custodian. While viewing the Crown Jewels, Blood’s “wife” feigned a stomach complaint and begged the newly appointed Master of the Jewel House, 77-year-old Talbot Edwards, to fetch her some spirits. Given the proximity of the jewel keeper’s domestic quarters to the site of the commotion, Edwards’ wife invited them upstairs to their apartment to recover, after which Blood and his wife thanked the Edwardses and left. Over the following days Blood returned to the Tower to visit the Edwardses and presented Mrs Edwards with four pairs of white gloves as a gesture of thanks. As Blood became ingratiated with the family, an offer was made for a fictitious nephew of Blood’s to marry the Edwardses’ daughter, whom Blood alleged would be eligible, by virtue of the marriage, to an income of several hundred pounds. On 9 May 1671, in furtherance of the deception, Blood convinced Edwards to show the jewels to him, his supposed nephew, and two of his friends while they waited for a dinner that Mrs Edwards was to put on for Blood and his companions.

The jewel keeper’s apartment was in Martin Tower above a basement where the jewels were kept behind a metal grille. Reports suggest that Blood’s accomplices carried canes that concealed rapier blades, daggers, and pocket pistols. In entering the Jewel House, one of the men made a pretence of standing watch outside while the others joined Edwards and Blood. The door was closed and a cloak thrown over Edwards, who was struck with a mallet, knocked to the floor, bound, gagged and stabbed to subdue him. After removing the grille, Blood used the mallet to flatten St. Edward’s Crown so that he could hide it beneath his clerical coat. Another conspirator, Blood’s brother-in-law Hunt, filed the Sceptre with the Cross in two (as it did not fit in their bag), while the third man, Parrot, stuffed the Sovereign’s Orb down his trousers. Meanwhile Edwards refused to stay subdued and fought against his bindings. Accounts vary as to whether Edwards’ struggle caused sufficient disturbance to raise the alarm or whether the attempt was foiled in more fortuitous circumstances. Popular reports describe Edwards’ son, Wythe, returning from military service in Flanders, happening upon the attempted theft.

At the door of the Jewel House, Wythe was met by the impromptu guard, who challenged him, before the young Edwards entered and went upstairs. The “guard” then alerted his fellow gang members. At around the same time, the elder Edwards managed to free his gag, and raised the alarm shouting, “Treason! Murder! The crown is stolen!” As Blood and his gang fled to their horses waiting at St Catherine’s Gate, they dropped the sceptre and fired on the warders who attempted to stop them, wounding one. One drawbridge guard was struck with fear and failed to discharge his musket. As they ran along the Tower wharf it is said they joined the calls for alarm to confuse the guards until they were chased down by Captain Beckman, brother-in-law of the younger Edwards. Although Blood shot at him, he missed and was captured before reaching the Iron Gate. Having fallen from his cloak, the crown was found while Blood refused to give up, struggling with his captors and declaring, “It was a gallant attempt, however unsuccessful! It was for a crown!” The globe and orb were recovered although several stones were missing and others were loose. Hunt and Perrot were also taken, but not punished.

Aftermath Following his capture, Blood refused to answer to anyone but the king and was consequently taken to the palace in chains, where he was questioned by King Charles, Prince Rupert, and others. King Charles asked Blood, “What if I should give you your life?”, and Blood replied, “I would endeavour to deserve it, Sire!”. To the disgust of Ormonde, Blood was not only pardoned but also given land in Ireland worth £500 a year. The reasons for the king’s pardon are unknown. Some historians have speculated that the king may have feared an uprising in revenge by followers of Blood, who were thought to have taken an oath to their leader. Others speculate that the king had a fondness for audacious scoundrels such as Blood, and that he was amused by the Irishman’s claim that the jewels were worth only £6,000 as opposed to the £100,000 at which the Crown had valued them. There is also a suggestion that the king was flattered and amused by Blood’s revelation that he had previously intended to kill him while he was bathing in the Thames but had been swayed otherwise, having found himself in “awe of majesty”.

It has also been suggested that his actions may have had the connivance of the king, because the king was very short of money at the time. Following his pardon, Blood became a familiar figure around London and made frequent appearances at Court, where he was employed to advocate in the claims of suitors to the Crown. In John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester’s History of Insipids, he wrote of Blood: Blood, that wears treason in his face, Villain complete in parson’s gown, How much he is at court in grace For stealing Ormond and the crown! Since loyalty does no man good, Let’s steal the King, and outdo Blood! In 1679 Blood fell into dispute with the Duke of Buckingham, his former patron, and Buckingham sued Blood for £10,000, for insulting remarks Blood had made about his character. In the proceedings that followed, Blood was convicted by the King’s Bench in 1680 and granted bail, although he never paid the damages. Death Blood was released from prison in July 1680 but had fallen into a coma by 22 August. He died on 24 August at his home in Bowling Alley, Westminster.

His body was buried in the churchyard of St Margaret’s Church (now Christchurch Gardens) near St. James’s Park. It is believed that his body was exhumed by the authorities for confirmation: such was his reputation for trickery, it was suspected he might have faked his death and funeral to avoid paying his debt to Buckingham. Blood’s epitaph read: Here lies the man who boldly hath run through More villainies than England ever knew; And ne’er to any friend he had was true. Here let him then by all unpitied lie, And let’s rejoice his time was come to die. Assuming his body was exhumed, Blood’s grave is now alleged to be in the graveyard of St Andrew’s church in Hornchurch. Next to the church building nearest the main road is an unmarked grave, apart from a faded skull and cross bones. Legacy Blood’s son Holcroft Blood became a distinguished military engineer and commanded the Duke of Marlborough’s artillery at the Battle of Blenheim. Descendants including Bindon Blood, Maurice Petherick, and Brian Inglis, had distinguished careers in British and Irish society.

Odd This Day: May 9, 1671 - Thomas Blood attempts to steal the British crown jewels May 9, 2016 Odd This Day: Irish adventurer Thomas Blood, disguised as a priest, (almost) steals the British crown jewels On this day in 1671, a bold and daring attempt to steal the British crown jewels was narrowly thwarted, adding to a long list of bold, daring, and thwarted crimes perpetrated by one “Colonel” Thomas Blood. The attempted theft came a few years after the restoration of the monarchy under King Charles II, marked by a return to a lavish royal lifestyle, including the remaking of the crown jewels after the originals had been destroyed by Oliver Cromwell’s government. The Irish born Blood began the era as a loyal royalist, but switched sides at some point to support the rebellion. Following the defeat of Cromwell and hi subsequent decline in wealth, Blood turned to side-career of crime. First, he attempted to overthrow the government in Dublin and kidnap a duke (thwarted), and made a later (also thwarted) attempt to murder that same duke.

But his most bold and most daring attempt was a heist of the very symbol of the decadence of kings: the new crown jewels. By means of an admirably elaborate set up, and in the garb of a parson, Blood and a lady friend ingratiated themselves with the elderly Talbot Edwards, Master of the Jewel House and his wife, at their quarters at the Tower of London over several visits. As the couples grew friendly, Blood suggested an alliance – would the Edwards’ daughter possibly be interested in a strategic marriage to their wealthy, but sadly single (and also entirely made up) nephew? Perhaps he could bring this nephew by and see how things went with the young people? On May 9, the Edwards and the Bloods met for a friendly dinner, and little hopeful matchmaking. For pre-dinner entertainment, Blood suggested a visit with the crown jewels with his “nephew” and a few friends. Once inside the jewel house, the men struck their unwitting host with a mallet, covered him with a cloak, bound and gagged him, and then proceeded to ransack the treasures. Clearly not planning on ransoming the goods, the looters smashed St.

Edward’s Crown with that same mallet, cut the Sceptre with the Cross into two easier to conceal pieces, and the awkwardly large Sovereign’s Orb was crammed down one of the conspirator’s pants. Here, accounts vary, but somehow, mid-theft, royal orb already snugly placed in the pants, they were interrupted from their work and the alarm raised. Quickly, they fled for their getaway horses, dropping loot and firing on warders as they ran, until they were finally captured and the battered and damaged jewels secured. Proving that possibly, at least in this case that crime may actually pay, not only was Blood personally pardoned by the king for his offenses, he was awarded property in Ireland worth £500 a year, and became something of a notorious man about town in London.

Further Reading: Thomas Blood (1618 - 1680) - Genealogy Thomas Blood Dunboyne, Meath, County Meath, Ireland Death: in London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom Immediate Family: 1680 - Bowling Alley, Westminster, England Father: William Blood, Thomas Blood, Holcroft Blood Brother: Colonel Thomas Blood (1618 – 24 August 1680) was an Anglo-Irish officer and self-styled colonel best known for his attempt to steal the Crown Jewels of England from the Tower of London in 1671. Described in an American source as a "noted bravo and desperado",[1] he was known for his attempt to kidnap, and later, to kill his enemy, the Duke of Ormonde. He had switched allegiances from Royalist to Roundhead during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, and despite his subsequent notoriety received a Royal free pardon and found favour at the court of King Charles II.

Sources suggest that Blood was born in the County Clare, in the Kingdom of Ireland, the son of a successful land-owning blacksmith of English descent, and was partly raised at Sarney, near Dunboyne, in the County Meath. He was apparently a Protestant Presbyterian.[3] His family was respectable and prosperous (by the standards of the time); his father held lands in the Counties Clare, Meath and Wicklow. His grandfather was a member of the Irish Parliament, and had lived at Kilnaboy Castle (also in County Clare). He received his education in Lancashire, England. At the age of 20, he married Maria Holcroft, the daughter of John Holcroft, a gentleman from Golborne, Lancashire, and returned to Ireland. At the outbreak of the First English Civil War in 1642, Blood returned to England and initially took up arms with the Royalist forces loyal to Charles I. As the conflict progressed he switched sides and became a lieutenant in Oliver Cromwell's Roundheads. In 1653 at the cessation of hostilities Cromwell awarded Blood land grants as payment for his service and appointed him a justice of the peace.

Following the Restoration of King Charles II to the Crowns of the Three Kingdoms in 1660, Blood fled with his family to Ireland. The confiscations and restitutions under the Act of Settlement 1662 (which sought to cancel and annul some of the grants of land and real properties allocated as reward to new holders being Cromwellians under the Act of Settlement 1652) brought Blood to financial ruin, and in return Blood sought to unite his fellow Cromwellians in Ireland to cause insurrection. As part of the expression of discontent, Blood conspired to storm Dublin Castle, usurp the government, and kidnap James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, for ransom. On the eve of the attempt, the plot was foiled. Blood managed to evade the authorities by hiding with his countrymen in the mountains, and ultimately managed to escape to the United Dutch Provinces in the Low Country. A few of Blood's collaborators were captured and executed. As a result, some historians speculated that Blood swore vengeance against Ormonde.

While in the Dutch Republic, Blood gained the favour of Admiral de Ruyter, an opponent of the English forces in the Anglo-Dutch Wars, and was implicated in the Scottish Pentland Rising of 1666 by the Scottish Presbyterian Covenanters. At some point during this period, Blood became associated with the wealthy George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, who 19th-century commentators believed used Blood as a means to punish his own political and social adversaries, since his own class ranking did not allow him to meet them "in the field". In 1670, despite his status as a wanted man, Blood returned to England and is believed to have taken the name Ayloffe and practised as a doctor or an apothecary in Romford Market, east of London. A second attempt, this time on the life of the Duke of Ormonde, followed. Since Ormonde's return to England, he had taken up residence at Clarendon House. Blood had followed Ormonde's movements and noted that he frequently returned late in the evening accompanied by a small number of footmen.

On the night of 6 December 1670, Blood and his accomplices attacked Ormonde while the latter travelled St James's Street. Ormonde was dragged from his coach, bound to one of Blood's henchmen, and taken on horseback along Piccadilly with the intention of hanging him at Tyburn. The gang pinned a paper to Ormonde's chest spelling out their reasons for his capture and execution. With one of his servants who had given chase on horseback, Ormonde succeeded in freeing himself and escaped. The plot's secrecy meant that Blood was not suspected of the crime, despite a reward being offered for the capture of the attempted assassins. In the King's presence, James's son, Thomas Butler, accused the Duke of Buckingham of being behind the crime. Thomas threatened to shoot Buckingham dead in revenge, if his father, James, was murdered. Blood did not lie low for long, and within six months he made his notorious attempt to steal the Crown Jewels. In April or May 1671 he visited the Tower of London dressed as a parson and accompanied by a female companion pretending to be his wife.

The Crown Jewels could be viewed by the payment of a fee to the custodian. While viewing the Crown Jewels, Blood's "wife" feigned a stomach complaint and begged the newly appointed Master of the Jewel House, 77-year-old Talbot Edwards, to fetch her some spirits. Given the proximity of the jewel keeper's domestic quarters to the site of the commotion, Edwards' wife invited them upstairs to their apartment to recover, after which Blood and his wife thanked the Edwardses and left. Over the following days Blood returned to the Tower to visit the Edwardses and presented Mrs Edwards with four pairs of white gloves as a gesture of thanks. As Blood became ingratiated with the family, an offer was made for a fictitious nephew of Blood's to marry the Edwardses' daughter, whom Blood alleged would be eligible, by virtue of the marriage, to an income of several hundred pounds. On 9 May 1671, in furtherance of the deception, Blood convinced Edwards to show the jewels to him, his supposed nephew, and two of his friends while they waited for a dinner that Mrs Edwards was to put on for Blood and his companions.

The jewel keeper's apartment was in Martin Tower above a basement where the jewels were kept behind a metal grille. Reports suggest that Blood's accomplices carried canes that concealed rapier blades, daggers and pocket pistols. In entering the Jewel House, one of the men made a pretence of standing watch outside while the others joined Edwards and Blood. The door was closed and a cloak thrown over Edwards, who was struck with a mallet, knocked to the floor, bound, gagged and stabbed to subdue him. After removing the grille, Blood used the mallet to flatten St. Edward's Crown so that he could hide it beneath his clerical coat. Another conspirator, Blood's brother-in-law Hunt, filed the Sceptre with the Cross in two (as it did not fit in their bag), while the third man, Parrot, stuffed the Sovereign's Orb down his trousers. Meanwhile Edwards refused to stay subdued and fought against his bindings. Accounts vary as to whether Edwards' struggle caused sufficient disturbance to raise the alarm or whether the attempt was foiled in more fortuitous circumstances.

Popular reports describe Edwards' son, Wythe, returning from military service in Flanders and happening upon the attempted theft.[5][6] At the door of the Jewel House, Wythe was met by the impromptu guard who challenged him before the young Edwards entered and went upstairs. The "guard" then alerted his fellow gang members. Around the same time the elder Edwards managed to free the gag and raised the alarm shouting, "Treason! Murder! The crown is stolen!" As Blood and his gang fled to their horses waiting at St Catherine's Gate, they dropped the sceptre and fired on the warders who attempted to stop them, wounding one. One drawbridge guard was struck with fear and failed to discharge his musket. As they ran along the Tower wharf it is said they joined the calls for alarm to confuse the guards until they were chased down by Captain Beckman, brother-in-law of the younger Edwards. Although Blood shot at him, he missed and was captured before reaching the Iron Gate. Having fallen from his cloak, the crown was found while Blood refused to give up, struggling with his captors and declaring, "It was a gallant attempt, however unsuccessful!

It was for a crown!" The globe and orb were recovered although several stones were missing and others were loose. Hunt and Perrot were also taken, but not punished. Aftermath Following his capture, Blood refused to answer to anyone but the king and was consequently taken to the palace in chains, where he was questioned by King Charles, Prince Rupert, and others. King Charles asked Blood, "What if I should give you your life?", and Blood replied, "I would endeavour to deserve it, Sire!". To the disgust of Ormonde, Blood was not only pardoned but also given land in Ireland worth £500 a year. The reasons for the king's pardon are unknown. Some historians have speculated that the king may have feared an uprising in revenge by followers of Blood, who were thought to have taken an oath to their leader. Others speculate that the king had a fondness for audacious scoundrels such as Blood, and that he was amused by the Irishman's claim that the jewels were worth only £6,000 as opposed to the £100,000 at which the Crown had valued them.

There is also a suggestion that the king was flattered and amused by Blood's revelation that he had previously intended to kill him while he was bathing in the Thames but had been swayed otherwise, having found himself in "awe of majesty".[5] It has also been suggested that his actions may have had the connivance of the king, because the king was very short of money at the time. Following his pardon, Blood became a familiar figure around London and made frequent appearances at Court, where he was employed to advocate in the claims of suitors to the Crown. In John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester's History of Insipids, he wrote of Blood: Blood, that wears treason in his face, Villain complete in parson's gown, How much he is at court in grace For stealing Ormond and the crown! Since loyalty does no man good, Let's steal the King, and outdo Blood! In 1679 Blood fell into dispute with the Duke of Buckingham, his former patron, and Buckingham sued Blood for £10,000, for insulting remarks Blood had made about his character.

In the proceedings that followed, Blood was convicted by the King's Bench in 1680 and granted bail, although he never paid the damages. Blood was released from prison in July 1680 but had fallen into a coma by 22 August. He died on August 24 at his home in Bowling Alley, Westminster. His body was buried in the churchyard of St Margaret's Church (now Christchurch Gardens) near St. James's Park. It is believed that his body was exhumed by the authorities for confirmation: such was his reputation for trickery, it was suspected he might have faked his death and funeral in order to avoid paying his debt to Buckingham. Blood's epitaph read: Here lies the man who boldly hath run through More villainies than England ever knew; And ne'er to any friend he had was true. Here let him then by all unpitied lie, And let's rejoice his time was come to die. Assuming his body was exhumed, Blood's grave is now alleged[by whom?] to be in the graveyard of St Andrew's church in Hornchurch. Next to the church building nearest the main road is an unmarked grave, apart from a faded skull and cross bones.

Legacy Blood's son Holcroft Blood became a distinguished military engineer and commanded the Duke of Marlborough's artillery at the Battle of Blenheim. Descendants including Bindon Blood, Maurice Petherick, and Brian Inglis, had distinguished careers in British and Irish society.

Question: What did Colonel Thomas Blood attempt to steal in 1671?
Answer: The Crown Jewels