The Audacious Crimes of Colonel Blood by Robert Hutchinson

2015

Illustrations

    Unknown man, formerly known as Thomas Blood, attributed to Gilbert Soest and painted in the 1670s.

    Thomas Blood by George White.

    James Butler, First Duke of Ormond, lord lieutenant of Ireland during the attempted seizure of Dublin Castle in 1663, and victim of Blood’s attempted kidnap and murder.

    Sir Joseph Williamson, secretary of state and operational head of the Stuart secret service.

    Henry Bennet, First Earl of Arlington, secretary of state and pursuer of the would-be assassins of the Duke of Ormond.

    Charles II, the ‘Merry Monarch’, who had a less than happy time with the constant threat of rebellion or assassination posed by radical religious dissenters or veteran republicans.

    George Villiers, Second Duke of Buckingham. An ambitious archconspirator who probably employed Blood for unpleasant tasks but then turned against him.

    Barbara Palmer, née Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland. The ruthless mistress of Charles II who played dangerous political games at court.

    Charles II wearing the new Imperial State Crown and carrying the orb and sceptre made for his coronation – the targets of Colonel Blood and his accomplices.

    The Martin Tower in the north-east corner of the Tower of London, where Charles II’s new crown jewels were stored. For a small payment, anyone could see them.

    Blood and his accomplices stealing the regalia from the Tower.

    Colonel Blood’s daggers.

    A bird’s eye view of the Tower of London as it was in 1688.

Index

    Page numbers listed correspond to the print edition of this book. You can use your device’s search function to locate particular terms in the text.
    Abbot, Colonel Daniel, 28
    Act of Uniformity, 6–7, 154
    Acts of Settlement, 1, 3–4, 8, 24, 238
    Adam the Leper, xv, 229
    Adventurers’ Act, 236
    Agincourt, Battle of, 270
    Aires, George, 64
    Albany, New York, 204–5
    Albemarle, George Monck, Duke of, 50, 57, 61, 160, 198, 200–1
    Alberti, Girolamo (Venetian ambassador to London), 99, 133, 146
    Alden, Philip, 63, 9–11, 13, 18, 20–1, 26, 31, 36, 44, 63, 200–1, 245
    Aldworth, Robert, 133
    Alexander VII, Pope, 257
    Alexander, Captain Ralph, 73, 121, 198, 202, 272
    Anabaptists, 27, 54, 60, 71, 87, 121, 141, 163–5, 242
    Anderson, John, 101
    Andrews, Mrs Mary, 203
    Anglesey, Arthur Annesley, Earl of, 155
    Argyll, Archibald Campbell, Marquis of, 41, 246
    Arlington, Sir Henry Bennet, Earl of, 50–1, 55–6, 58–60, 62–4, 68–9, 71, 74, 81
    and assault on Ormond, 94, 99, 101–2, 104–6, 108–9, 111
    and Blood’s imprisonment, 130, 136, 141, 146
    and Blood’s pardon, 146–8, 150–1
    and Blood’s work for government, 153, 156–9, 166–8, 171
    and Dublin Castle conspiracy, 10, 12–13, 23–4, 32–3, 42, 44
    Freer’s appeal to, 86–7
    and plots against king, 113, 135
    and religious toleration, 161–2, 164
    resignation and death, 197–8
    rivalry with Buckingham, 110
    and Rochester’s satire, 150–1
    Arlington House, St James’s, London, 198
    Armorer, Sir Nicholas, 33, 243
    Armstrong, Sir Thomas, 19
    Arran, Lord, 26
    Arundel House, London, 104, 267
    Ashenhurst, William, 254
    Ashton, Sir William, 47
    Atkinson, John, 57, 59–61, 74, 84, 86
    Aubrey, John, 286
    Aungier, Francis, Baron, 24
    Austin, Widow, 91
    Axtell, Daniel, 238
    Baber, Sir John, 158, 280
    Bagot, Edward, 247
    Baines, Edward, 22
    Ball, Henry, 167, 283
    Ball, Thomas, 21
    Barillon, Paul (French ambassador), 180, 182
    Barker, Sir Richard (physician), 177, 285
    Barkstead, John, 67
    Barnes, Captain Toby, 67, 204, 256
    Barnsley, Justice, 186
    Barrington, Colonel Alexander, 32
    Barrington, Major Thomas, 30
    Barrow, Colonel, 277
    Barry, Alderman Richard, 244
    Bear tavern, Southwark, 184
    Beckman, Captain Martin, 127–9, 151, 201, 273
    Bedloe, Captain William, 178–80
    Begs, John, 3
    Benbow, John, 6
    Bennet, Sir Henry, see Arlington,