The Audacious Crimes of Colonel Blood Read Online Free
Author: Robert Hutchinson
of Ireland. Involved in Dublin Castle plot of May 1663 but turned kingâs evidence.
Thompson, Lieutenant Richard. Deputy provost-marshal for Leinster. Involved in Dublin Castle plot. Confessed and sentence commuted to simple hanging, rather than hanging drawing and quartering. Executed Dublin 15 July 1663, blaming Blood for drawing him into the plot.
Warren, Colonel Edward. Former parliamentary army officer, involved in Dublin Castle plot of May 1663. Executed Dublin, 15 July 1663.
GOVERNMENT SPIES AND INFORMERS
Alden, Philip. Shady lawyer, dealer in forfeited Irish estates and agent of former parliamentary general Edmund Ludlow. Became government agent under the control of Colonel Edward Vernon. Exposed the Dublin plot of 1663; arrested with the conspirators to preserve his cover but escaped from the prison inside the castle. Moved to England where he spied on the radicals before they began to suspect his allegiance in 1666. Retired to Ireland, granted a pardon and a £100 a year pension, only fitfully paid by the Treasury.
Betson, John. Associate of William Leving who complained about the levels of his remuneration while on the trail of Captain John Mason.
Freer or Fryer, William. Associate of William Leving and accompanied him to Ireland in 1666. To earn money, resorted to highway robbery in Leicestershire and Yorkshire.
Grice, Captain John. Spied for Sir Arthur Heselrige, parliamentary governor of Newcastle during Civil War when serving as a cavalry cornet. Then spied for Williamson in England and Ireland amongst the radicalPresbyterian and Fifth Monarchist communities. Died, in mysterious circumstances, in 1667.
Harrison, John. Tobacconist. Provided information about a conspiracy to assassinate Charles II and the Duke of York âas they go abroad by waterâ (?on the Thames). Blood passed on the intelligence and promised him £50 reward but he was left empty-handed.
Leving, William alias Leonard Williams. Born in Durham. Junior officer in Sir Arthur Heselrigeâs cavalry regiment during the Civil War but dismissed for his support for Colonel John Lambertâs attempts to resist parliamentary control of the army. Leving was imprisoned in York Castle after taking part in the abortive Durham rebellion of 1663 and became a government spy in England and for a short period in Ireland. Involved in investigation into Buckinghamâs alleged treasonable activities in 1667. Resorted to highway robbery in Leicestershire and Yorkshire in May 1665 and early 1667. Lost most of his family in London in the Great Plague of 1665â6. Found dead in York Castle in early August 1667, having been poisoned, possibly by agents of Buckingham. Buried in York.
North, Henry. Spy for Duke of Buckingham and associate of William Leving with William Freer . Informed against Leving to Bloodâs gang in London. Arrested during investigation into Buckinghamâs alleged treasonable activities in 1667. Executed in 1677 for highway robbery near Sleaford, Lincolnshire. Tried to expose a conspiracy probably concerning his old master Buckingham but was executed before he was able to disclose the full details.
Wilkinson, Richard. Revealed plot to assassinate Charles II in House of Lords in 1670. Instead of his expected pardon and reward, he was thrown into prison at Appleby, Westmorland. His brother was involved in the 1663 northern uprising in England.
FREELANCE SPIES
Beckman or Börkman, Captain Martin. Swedish military engineer and hydrographer employed by the English crown in the Civil War from 1645. He was injured in an explosion while preparing fireworks to mark Charles IIâs coronation in April 1661, receiving £100 compensation. InJune 1661, Beckman accompanied the Earl of Sandwichâs expedition to Tangier on the north African coast and became chief military engineer to the English garrison. In October 1663 he offered to spy for Philip IV of Spain and then tried to pass on intelligence about Spanish
Thompson, Lieutenant Richard. Deputy provost-marshal for Leinster. Involved in Dublin Castle plot. Confessed and sentence commuted to simple hanging, rather than hanging drawing and quartering. Executed Dublin 15 July 1663, blaming Blood for drawing him into the plot.
Warren, Colonel Edward. Former parliamentary army officer, involved in Dublin Castle plot of May 1663. Executed Dublin, 15 July 1663.
GOVERNMENT SPIES AND INFORMERS
Alden, Philip. Shady lawyer, dealer in forfeited Irish estates and agent of former parliamentary general Edmund Ludlow. Became government agent under the control of Colonel Edward Vernon. Exposed the Dublin plot of 1663; arrested with the conspirators to preserve his cover but escaped from the prison inside the castle. Moved to England where he spied on the radicals before they began to suspect his allegiance in 1666. Retired to Ireland, granted a pardon and a £100 a year pension, only fitfully paid by the Treasury.
Betson, John. Associate of William Leving who complained about the levels of his remuneration while on the trail of Captain John Mason.
Freer or Fryer, William. Associate of William Leving and accompanied him to Ireland in 1666. To earn money, resorted to highway robbery in Leicestershire and Yorkshire.
Grice, Captain John. Spied for Sir Arthur Heselrige, parliamentary governor of Newcastle during Civil War when serving as a cavalry cornet. Then spied for Williamson in England and Ireland amongst the radicalPresbyterian and Fifth Monarchist communities. Died, in mysterious circumstances, in 1667.
Harrison, John. Tobacconist. Provided information about a conspiracy to assassinate Charles II and the Duke of York âas they go abroad by waterâ (?on the Thames). Blood passed on the intelligence and promised him £50 reward but he was left empty-handed.
Leving, William alias Leonard Williams. Born in Durham. Junior officer in Sir Arthur Heselrigeâs cavalry regiment during the Civil War but dismissed for his support for Colonel John Lambertâs attempts to resist parliamentary control of the army. Leving was imprisoned in York Castle after taking part in the abortive Durham rebellion of 1663 and became a government spy in England and for a short period in Ireland. Involved in investigation into Buckinghamâs alleged treasonable activities in 1667. Resorted to highway robbery in Leicestershire and Yorkshire in May 1665 and early 1667. Lost most of his family in London in the Great Plague of 1665â6. Found dead in York Castle in early August 1667, having been poisoned, possibly by agents of Buckingham. Buried in York.
North, Henry. Spy for Duke of Buckingham and associate of William Leving with William Freer . Informed against Leving to Bloodâs gang in London. Arrested during investigation into Buckinghamâs alleged treasonable activities in 1667. Executed in 1677 for highway robbery near Sleaford, Lincolnshire. Tried to expose a conspiracy probably concerning his old master Buckingham but was executed before he was able to disclose the full details.
Wilkinson, Richard. Revealed plot to assassinate Charles II in House of Lords in 1670. Instead of his expected pardon and reward, he was thrown into prison at Appleby, Westmorland. His brother was involved in the 1663 northern uprising in England.
FREELANCE SPIES
Beckman or Börkman, Captain Martin. Swedish military engineer and hydrographer employed by the English crown in the Civil War from 1645. He was injured in an explosion while preparing fireworks to mark Charles IIâs coronation in April 1661, receiving £100 compensation. InJune 1661, Beckman accompanied the Earl of Sandwichâs expedition to Tangier on the north African coast and became chief military engineer to the English garrison. In October 1663 he offered to spy for Philip IV of Spain and then tried to pass on intelligence about Spanish
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