Produced and distributed by the vitagraph company of america, the film is directed by david smith, brother of vitagraph founder albert e. Captain blood is a 1935 american blackandwhite swashbuckling pirate film from first national pictures and warner bros. Pictures took a serious risk in pairing two relatively unknown performers in the lead r. In london, thomas blood, an irish adventurer better known as captain blood, is captured attempting to steal the crown jewels from the tower of london blood, a parliamentarian during the. He is also known for his rivalry with james butler, 1st duke of ormonde. The tower of london holds the crown jewels and lots of history some good, some not so much but all interesting. Illustration by peter jackson blood, born in county clare, ireland, was the son of a blacksmith. Thomas blood was a notorious rogue known for his audacious attempt to steal the crown jewels of england from the tower of london. The inglorious tale of thomas blood and the crown jewels on april 22, 2015 september 14, 2015 by bookworm history in bh blog leave a comment in researching the history behind rafael sabatinis swashbuckling captain blood click here to check out that episode i came across a. He is most famous for almost successfully stealing the crown jewels from the tower. Warren kerrigan as peter blood, the physicianturnedpirate in this vitagraph production.
Irish adventurer captain blood steals crown jewels history. He visited the tower dressed as a priest a few times before the robbery and developed a friendship with the keeper of the jewels, talbot edwards. Thomas blood tried to steal the crown jewels from the tower of london on this day. Thomas blood then settled down during the austere rule of oliver cromwell to enjoy a gentlemanly life of moderate wealth and leisure with his growing family. Blood was called both captain and colonel at the time. May 08, 2017 after two failed attempts to kidnap and later kill the duke of ormonde, he staged his bid to steal the crown jewels.
Colonel thomas blood was an irish absentee landlord, bogus medical practioner and thief. Aug 01, 2018 after thomas blood tried to steal the crown jewels from the tower of london in 1671, he was pardoned instead of executed. On may 9, 1671, selfappointed colonel thomas blood sometimes called captain blood executed the final step in a complex plan to steal the crown jewels. Then in 1663 captain blood took the lead on a plot to seize the dublin castle and the they found out that he had a plot so his followers were executed. Thomas blood is an infamous irishman known as the man who stole the crown jewels. Captain blood and the crown jewels historical articles and. The keeper of the jewels was talbot edwards who lived with his family on the floor above the basement.
One day in 1671 blood, disguised as a parson went to see the crown jewels and became friendly with edwards. As they ran along the tower wharf, they were chased down by captain beckman, the brotherinlaw of the younger edwards and head of the days watch. Colonel thomas blood 1618 24 august 1680 was an angloirish officer and selfstyled colonel best known for his attempt to steal the crown jewels of england from the tower of london in 1671. Jan 07, 2020 i think that anyone would agree that they would not want to know or have anything to do with a man known as captain blood. This brings us to the event in 1671 for which blood is best remembered. Britains original royal regalia had been melted down and sold off in 1649. Blood, a parliamentarian during the english civil war, was deprived of his estate in ireland with the restoration of the english monarchy in.
Blood, a parliamentarian during the english civil war, was deprived of his estate in ireland with the restoration of the english monarchy in 1660. The history press colonel blood and the crown jewels. For several weeks, thomas blood, disguised as a parson, had been getting regularly acquainted with talbot edwards, the 77yearold keeper of the crown jewels, in order to win his confidence. Colonel blood counted on his irish charm and king charless fondness for bold adventurers to save him, and indeed blood was not only pardoned, but given back his confiscated irish lands. She was the finest thief supplier we peddlers could hope for. The story of thomas blood and the crown jewels almost beggars belief. Thomas blood tried to steal britains crown jewels in 1671. The selfstyled colonel lived during the 17th century and established his reputation as a rogue and trickster during the time when england was embroiled in a civil war. Thomas blood, known as colonel blood, who tried to steal britains crown jewels during the reign of charles ii of england this disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title captain blood. Captain blood, disguised as a parson, attempts to steal the crown jewels. The time the crown jewels were stolen mental floss. After two failed attempts to kidnap and later kill the duke of ormonde, he staged his bid to steal the crown jewels. Blood was an irish adventurer, who already had several daring exploits to his discredit, one. Still upset with the british monarch, blood decided to plot to steal the crown jewels.
He failed and remains the only wouldbe thief to attempt such an audacious robbery. This resource was produced using documents from the collections of the national archives. Irish adventurer thomas blood, disguised as a priest, almost steals the british crown jewels on this day in 1671, a bold and daring attempt to steal the british crown jewels was narrowly thwarted, adding to a long list of bold, daring, and thwarted crimes perpetrated by one colonel thomas blood. In may 1671 four armed men headed by colonel thomas blood walked into the tower of london and stole some of the crown jewels. It can be freely modified and reproduced for use in the classroom only. It has long been customary, on both sides of the irish sea, not to speak ill of the dead. He so impressed king charles ii that he escaped punishment and regained his estates.
One of the most audacious rogues in history was colonel blood, known as the man who stole the crown jewels. The colonel thomas blood, enigmatic raider of the crown jewels. Thomas blood was an adventurous 17th century rogue who rose to the heights of notoriety with his daring attempt to steal the crown jewels of england from the tower of london. Warren kerrigan stars along with resident vitagraph leading actress jean paige. Hints, guides and discussions of the wiki content related to hobgoblin blood captain should be placed in the discussion topic if the topic isnt already created i. Way back in the 1600s, an irish adventurer whose name was thomas blood was caught trying to steal the crown jewels from the tower of london in england.
His most notable exploit, and the one for which he is most remembered, is his sensational and nearly successful attempt to steal the crown jewels of great britain from the tower of london. Described in an american source as a noted bravo and desperado,1 he was known for his attempt to kidnap, and later, to kill his enemy, the duke of. My greataunt mary blood of aldershot, died mid 1990s was. His name was thomas blood, an irish adventurer more commonly known as colonel blood or captain blood, although hell likely be remembered in history as the crown jewel thief. Thomas blood was a reprobate a selfserving goodfornothing. How did thomas blood try to steal the crown jewels in 1671. An earlier 1924 silent film version of captain blood starred j. Thomas blood and the theft of the crown jewels historia.
Pictures, produced by harry joe brown and gordon hollingshead with hal b. Following this, colonel blood decided to try to steal the crown jewels in 1671. For several weeks, thomas blood, disguised as a parson, had been getting regularly acquainted with talbot edwards, the 77yearold keeper of the crown jewels, in. This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title captain blood. The crown jewels were kept at the tower of london in a basement protected by a large metal grille. Thomas blood 161824081680 is famous, or infamous, for attempting to steal the crown jewels, a feat for which after his capture, he was eventually pardoned and even given a pension. Thomas blood was an irishman, born in county meath in 1618, the son of a prosperous blacksmith. In fact he was the notorious captain blood, who had tried to capture dublin castle from the royalists in 1663 and who had a price on his head. My mother instilled in me a love of reading, so when i discovered several of sabatinis titles in a bookstore, i bought captain blood.
After his attempt at stealing the crown jewels, blood even acted as a spy for sir joseph williamson. Blood initially visited the tower dressed as a parson and was accompanied by a. The crown jewels are the second collection of jewellery associated to the crown. For punishment blood earned himself a royal pardon and a royal pension. When we opened shop many a year ago, she was the first one to donate her plunder for us to sell. The crown jewels were kept at the tower of london in a basement protected by a.
After thomas blood tried to steal the crown jewels from the tower of. The collection includes not only the regalia used at coronations, but also crowns acquired by various monarchs, church and banqueting plate, orders, insignia, robes, a unique collection of medals and royal christening fonts. In london, thomas blood, an irish adventurer better known as captain blood, is captured attempting to steal the crown jewels from the tower of london. While viewing the crown jewels, bloods wife feigned a. Thomas blood and the crown jewels weird but true facts. He came from a good family, his grandfather who lived in kilnaboy castle was a member of. After his attempt at stealing the crown jewels, blood even acted as a spy for sir joseph williamson, an important politician in charles ii s government, and he often attended court. Dec 02, 2019 the man who stole the crown jewels get the story behind how legendary rogue thomas blood bluffed his way into the tower of london and nearly made off with the british crown jewels. During the first english civil war, he served with the royalists loyal to king charles ii. Thomas blood, also known as captain blood, steals the crown jewels from the tower of london.
Bad blood frank mcnally on the irish man who nearly stole. Colonel blood and the case of the crown jewels gotoday. Blood, already a famous adventurer given the moniker captain blood, was an irish noble whose land had been taken from him. Colonel thomas blood attempts to steal the crown jewels youtube. Captain blood attempted to steal crown jewels the imperial state crown made in 1937 for king george vi and similar to the. Here are my thoughts for this famous pirate classic. Oct 04, 2017 he rose to the rank of captain his later colonelcy was selfappointed and was duly rewarded for turning his coat at the end of the wars with a gift of lands in ireland.
Thomas bloodenigmatic raider of the crown jewels circa71. Thomas blood was putting a plan into action that would result in the most daring robbery of all time. He rose to the rank of captain his later colonelcy was selfappointed and was duly rewarded for turning his coat at the end of the wars with a gift of lands in ireland. His most notorious exloit was in 1670 when he very nearly succeeded in stealing the crown jewels from the tower of london.
He uses both of morgans ploys to effect his escape. Colonel blood and the theft of the crown jewels english monarchs. With the keeper of the jewel house left for dead, the gang made off with the crown and the orb, leaving the partly filed sceptre behind on the floor. Sabatinis narrator says this of bloods attack on maracaibo.
Thomas blood, known as colonel blood, who tried to steal britains crown jewels during the reign of charles ii of england. Captain blood attempted to steal crown jewels the imperial state crown made in 1937 for king george vi and similar to the diamond crown made in 1838 for queen victoria. Oct 19, 2012 this brings us to the event in 1671 for which blood is best remembered. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Irish born blood attempted to commit one of the most audacious crimes in british history the theft of the crown jewels of england. At various times blood who called himself either captain or colonel was an adventurer, a rebel, a master of disguise, a conman and a spy but, by all. Despite the obvious risks, blood resurfaced in 1671 and began plotting his masterpiecethe theft of the crown jewels. The man who stole the crown jewels get the story behind how legendary rogue thomas blood bluffed his way into the tower of london and nearly made off with the british crown jewels.
I think that anyone would agree that they would not want to know or have anything to do with a man known as captain blood. May 18, 2017 yes, there really was a captain blood actually a colonel and he was quite a character. After the incident, security was tightened and visitors. After his attempt at stealing the crown jewels, blood even acted as a spy for sir joseph williamson, an important politician in charles ii. None of you bloods related to captain blood, the irish landlord who was charged with the task of testing the security surrounding the british crown jewels. Following the execution of charles i in 1649, cromwells parliament melted most of the first collection down to make coins and sold the rest. After his death his body was exhumed, as some suspected he had. After thomas blood tried to steal the crown jewels from the tower of london in 1671, he was pardoned instead of executed.
The film is based on the 1922 novel captain blood by rafael sabatini, with a screenplay by casey robinson, and concerns an enslaved doctor and his fellow prisoners who escape their cruel island imprisonment and become pirates in the west indies. Colonel blood and the theft of the crown jewels historic uk. Captain blood is a 1924 american silent adventure film based on the novel captain blood, his odyssey by rafael sabatini. Irish adventurer thomas blood, disguised as a priest, almost steals the british crown jewels on this day in 1671, a bold and daring attempt to steal the british crown jewels was narrowly thwarted, adding to a long list of bold, daring, and. Thomas blood biography childhood, life achievements. One night, blood went to the tower with some friends and persuaded edwards to show his friends the crown jewels. The character of captain peter blood is almost certainly based partly on colonel thomas blood, a 17th century irish rogue who nearly succeeded in stealing the crown jewels from the tower of london and did succeed in gaining the favor of charles ii, and also on captain henry morgan, who, like peter blood, was a pirate. He had also made attempts to kidnap and kill his enemies over his outrageous criminal career. In late april some sources put it in the first days of may 1671, blood and a woman posing as his wife visited the tower of london where the crown jewels were kept, and scouted the security. Bad blood frank mcnally on the irish man who nearly. Many years later, i did some pirate research that took me back to this novel. But when a meath man called thomas blood expired in london back in 1680, no such delicacy was considered. As i reread captain blood in preparation for writing this article, i realized how much i hadnt understood the first time.
There has been one near successful attempt to steal the crown jewels, this took place in 1671 and was masterminded by colonel blood. Captain blood steals crown jewels yes, there really was a captain blood actually a colonel and he was quite a character. The affairis to be considered as captain bloods buccaneering masterpiece. Colonel thomas blood attempts to steal the crown jewels. The crown jewels are the ceremonial treasures which have been acquired by english kings and queens, mostly since 1660. Captain blood and the crown jewels historical articles. Blood was an irish adventurer, who already had several daring exploits to his discredit, one of which was a plot to seize dublin castle. Blood served in the english military during the english civil war. Microsoft may earn an affiliate commission if you purchase something through recommended links in. Once believed to be my 7th great grandfather, captain blood was an uncle. Then he had a crazy plot to steal the crown jewels. Colonel blood and the crown jewels the history press. The king, the crown and the colonel the national archives.
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