Colonel Blood
1618-1680. Also known as Thomas Blood. Irish adventurer and tried to steal the Crown Jewels in 1671.
The Person and his misdeeds
Thomas Blood, who liked to be known as Colonel Blood, is believed to be a quite mysterious character. He is linked to various dissident and hostile groups to the government. But at the same time he was also involved in Government Counsel. Thus, he is sometimes viewed in the light of being a kind of double-agent, playing both sides against each other.
Blood was born in the County Clare presumably in 1618. His father was an Irish ironmaster and owned lands in the Counties of Meath and of Wicklow. Blood himself spent most of his life in England. He married Miss Holcroft in 1648 and became an officer of the Cromwellian army roughly at the same time. Colonel Thomas Blood died 24th August 1680, at home in Bowling Alley, Westminster. During the English Civil War he is said to have done espionage and therefore received land instead of payment when he returned to Ireland. But when the monarchy was restored in 1660 he lost all his lands.
In 1663 he tried to capture James Butler, Duke of Ormond, in revenge who was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and thus based at Dublin Castle. Colonel Blood and some accomplices planned to force their way into the castle but the plan had been discovered and most of his followers were captured and arrested. Although Blood had then a price on his head in England he managed to escape to Holland using various disguises (including a priest and a Quaker). His brother Lackie, however, was not so lucky; he was tried, convicted and executed for High Treason. Blood though should later try to capture the Duke again.
In 1667 a price was put on his head again, when he successfully tried to rescue an old friend of his - Captain Mason. Mason was escorted to York when a battle ensued. Blood was admittedly wounded but several troopers were killed and so approximately £500 were offered for his capture. However, Blood was able to flee again and settled in Kent for a time, using the name Thomas Allen.
He then tried to capture the Duke of Ormond again in 1670. The Duke was on a trip to England when Blood planned to hang him in Tyburn. But although Blood tried to attack the Duke with a pistol, this was rescued and able to escape unharmed. It is not clear why Blood attempted to capture the Duke again. Some say that he was acting on the orders of the Second Duke of Buckingham, George Villiers. Others assume that Blood wanted revenge for the treatment of his old gang in Dublin, some years earlier. Others even believe that he was just trying to keep the Duke custody until this agreed to return Blood's Irish estates back to him.
The Theft of the Crown Jewels
The stealing of the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London is Colonel Blood's most famous wrongdoing, as well as the most famous attempt to flight of the Tower of London.
In 1671 Blood went to the Tower disguised as a parson and got in contact with Talbot Edwards, who was the keeper of the Jewels. Blood said that the lady who accompanied him was mad about seeing the Crown Jewels, once in her life. At the sight of the Crown Jewels she then pretended to faint. Talbot Edward and his wife tried to help her. At the following day, Blood came back with a present for Edward's wife in return and mentioned that his nephew would be a model husband for Edward's daughter. By this, Blood managed to get the confidence of Edwards and thus he and his accomplices became well acquainted with the security arrangements of the Tower. On 9th May, which was the day of the wedding, Blood and his gang were able to attack and bound Edwards and stole the Jewels. They took the orb, the Crown and the sceptre, which they even tried to cut in two pieces to make it handier for transportation! Edwards somehow managed to raise the alarm and Blood and his followers were captured and imprisoned in the Tower. Blood, famous for his courage, refused speaking to anyone except the king, who was Charles II at that time. The king agreed to see and listen to him in Whitehall. Rather unclear how he did it, as his doings should have lead to his execution, Blood was not only released on 18th July but also got his Irish estates back. He seemed to have gained the favour of King Charles II as he was granted a pension of £500 per annum in addition and was a sight for sore eyes at court from that time on. Here again, people assume that Blood was granted this generosity due to himself being a double-agent. He probably has served the King well some time in his life and this was his reward.
Trivia
Due to Blood's reputation of being a double-agent and trickery, his body is said to be exhumed to verify the fact that he actually was dead.
His epitaph read "Here lies the man who boldly hath run through More villanies than England ever knew".
References
- Yapp, Nick and Rupert Tenison. London - Geheimnisse&Glanz einer Weltstadt. Köln: Könemann, 1999.