On the 9th of May, 1671, Thomas Blood, disguised as a clergyman, attempted to steal the Crown Jewels. Thomas Blood, often referred to as Colonel Blood, was a man of many faces—an officer, a thief, and a master of disguise. Born in Ireland in 1618, Blood initially seemed destined for a respectable life. However, the political upheavals of the English Civil War saw him becoming a fervent supporter of Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians. With the restoration of the monarchy under King Charles II in 1660, Blood found himself on the losing side and in pursuit of a new path.
Blood’s audacious plan to seize the Crown Jewels unfolded on the morning of 9 May 1671. The jewels were then housed in the Tower of London, a fortress steeped in history and guarded by the formidable Tower Wardens. Undeterred by the challenge, Blood devised a meticulous plan to outwit the guards and escape with the treasures.
The plot began with Blood disguising himself as a parson, accompanied by a fictitious wife. By gaining the trust of Talbot Edwards, the 77-year-old Keeper of the Jewels, Blood set the stage for his heist. Over several visits, Blood and his accomplices ingratiated themselves with Edwards, even proposing a marriage between Blood’s fictitious nephew and Edwards’ daughter.
On the day of the heist, Blood, accompanied by three accomplices, arrived at the Tower under the guise of a family visit to view the jewels. Once inside, the men overwhelmed Edwards, knocking him unconscious and binding him. With the Keeper incapacitated, Blood and his gang began their daring theft.
The gang employed crude methods to transport the jewels. Blood flattened the Imperial Crown with a mallet so it could be concealed under his cloak. His accomplices stuffed the sceptre down a trouser leg and hid the orb beneath their clothing. But as fate would have it, their plan was foiled when Edwards’ son, unexpectedly returning from military service, interrupted the heist. His timely arrival set off a chain of chaotic events.
Despite the gang’s attempts to flee, the alarm was raised and Blood was captured near the Tower wharf. His audacity did not end with his arrest. Upon being brought before King Charles II, Blood displayed remarkable composure, reportedly explaining, “I dare adventure my life for the crown.”
In an unexpected twist, rather than facing execution, Blood was inexplicably pardoned by the King, and even awarded lands in Ireland. Speculation abounds as to why Charles II chose leniency. Some historians suggest that Blood’s previous political affiliations and relationships with influential courtiers played a role, while others propose that the King was amused by Blood’s daring.
The legacy of Thomas Blood’s attempt to steal the Crown Jewels has endured in British folklore. The audacity of the heist, the charisma of its mastermind, and the enigmatic pardon granted by the King make this tale both perplexing and captivating. It serves as a reminder of the tumultuous times that shaped 17th-century Britain and the colourful characters who lived through them.
Blood lived out his remaining years in relative obscurity, never revealing the full extent of his motives or the potential backers of his heist. Nonetheless, his story remains a fascinating chapter in the history of the Tower of London—a saga of intrigue, adventure, and the perennial allure of the Crown Jewels.