Thomas Blood

He married a girl called Maria Holcroft when he was 20 years old. Maria was the daughter of a gentleman called John Holcroft. The couple had a son, Holcroft Blood who later on became a distinguished military engineer.

He died on 24 August 1680 after falling into a coma. He was so notorious for his trickery that authorities had his body exhumed for confirmation that he was indeed dead.

He was the son of a successful and prosperous blacksmith in Ireland. His father owned several pieces of land and gave his son a comfortable upbringing.

He went to England for his education and returned to Ireland.

He returned to England at the outbreak of the First English Civil War in 1642 and joined the Royalist forces under Charles I. However as the war progressed he changed his mind and joined the opposition, Oliver Cromwell’s Roundheads where he was made a lieutenant.

Charles I was defeated in 1653 and Cromwell rewarded Blood for his services with a large estate and made him a Justice of Peace. However Charles II returned to the throne in 1660 when monarchy was restored.

The restoration of monarchy spelled financial ruins for Blood and his fellow Cromwellians who had to forfeit the rights on the lands granted to them. Blood fled to Ireland with his family.

He hatched a plan to storm the Dublin Castle and kidnap James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, for ransom. The plan was foiled even before it could be implemented and Blood escaped to the United Dutch Provinces in the Low Country.

He became friendly with Admiral de Ruyter, an enemy of the English forces, while in the Dutch Republic. He also became associated with the 2nd Duke of Buckingham, George Villiers.

He made unsuccessful attempts to kidnap the Duke of Ormonde, James Butler and had also tried to kill him by dragging him from his coach and trying to hang him.

In a very bold move he attempted to steal the Crown Jewels of England worth � 100,000 from the Tower of England along with his accomplices. This attempt was foiled but still he gained notoriety for being outrageous enough to try this.