Colonel Blood arrested - May 9, 1671

Colonel Thomas Blood supported Cromwell's cause during the English Civil War and lost his estate in Ireland with the Restoration. To recoup his losses, Blood decided to steal the English Crown Jewels (after attempting to kidnap the Duke of Ormonde twice!).

Using the disguise of a parson he made friends with the Keeper of the Jewels, Talbot Edwards. After a few weeks of friendship, on May 9, 1671, Blood brought his "nephew" to introduce to Edwards' unmarried daughter along with a few friends. The friends wanted to see the jewels and as Edwards was showing them, they knocked him out and tried to steal the jewels. One man stuffed the Royal Orb down his pants. One of the others tried to saw the Royal Sceptre in half and Blood flattened St. Edward's Crown with a mallet to hide under his clerical robes.

Edwards' son, Wythe, had been a soldier stationed in Flanders and happened to choose that particular day after years of absence to visit his father. He roused his father and they sounded the alarm. After a short chase, the thieves were caught. Blood refused to speak to any but the King and somehow managed to convince the King Charles II to spare his life.

Strangely enough, he did such a good job of impressing the King that he was granted a pardon for the theft and anything he did prior, as well as having his estates in Ireland granted to him again plus an annual pension of 500 pounds! (Yeah, he was an Irishman, alright!) Of course, some speculate that his pardon may have indicated that he had actually aided Charles II in some way during the Civil War.

This Day in History - Thomas Blood
Wikipedia - Thomas Blood
Time and History, 7am - British Crown Jewels Stolen
Clare People - Colonel Thomas Blood
Historic-UK.com - Thomas Blood
The Affair of Thomas Blood - an annoying waltz plays in the background as you read, with no pop-up to turn it off - but the info is worth it.