![]() ![]() The ringleader was even granted some land in Ireland. But, in one of the great mysteries of Stuart-era England, Blood and his gang were unexpectedly given a Royal Pardon by Charles II. You might well assume that the malefactors got the death sentence for their audacious crime. Having roughed up the jewel master, they made off with a golden orb, sceptre and St Edward’s Crown.įortunately, the Tower’s guard captured the robbers before they could flee. Blood and his cronies were able to talk their way into the treasure room. The ultimate heist took place in 1671, led by the memorably named Colonel Thomas Blood. One wily band of chancers even broke into the Tower and almost made off with the Crown Jewels. The ladies confused the guards by coming and going - hiding their faces with handkerchiefs - so that the transvestite lord was able to walk out of his cell without raising an eyebrow. The party dressed Nithsdale up in women's clothes, topped his head with an 'artificial headdress' and caked his face in so much make-up that it somehow hid his long beard. Lady Nithsdale paid a visit to his cell, accompanied by two acquaintances called Mrs Mills and Mrs Morgan (not her maid, as is often stated). The Earl of Nithsdale was destined for the axe block for his role in the Jacobite uprising. ![]() ![]() Perhaps the most imaginative escape ruse took place in 1716. This despite their hands being badly mangled from the torture chamber. In 1597, Jesuits John Gerard and John Arden escaped along a rope stretching out over the moat towards the Thames. Some have used acts of death defiance to earn their freedom. ![]()
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