BLOOD, Thomas, English adventurer, better known as COLONEL Moon: b. about 1618, probably in Ireland; d. Westminster, 24 Aug. 1680. He was the son of a blacksmith in easy circumstances; of his early life little is known, except that he took the Parliamentary side in the Irish rebellion. Having visited England about 1648, Blood married a Miss Holcroft of Lancashire and returned to Ireland. He was made a justice of the peace by Henry Crom well and had large assignments of land as pay ment for his services and zeal. At the Restora tion he was deprived of the lands and in re prisal he associated with such of the Crom wellians as were ripe for insurrection. Two of their designs were to surprise Dublin Castle and to seize the person of the lord-lieutenant, James Butler, Duke of Ormonde. Blood was at the head of these enterprises, planned for 9 or 10 March 1663. Betrayed by one of his as sociates, he managed to escape, although his chief accomplices were seized and executed. He made a bold attempt to rescue them. He eluded pursuit by fleeing to the remote moun tain fortresses of Ireland and at last, when the danger became urgent, he quitted Ireland, and crossed to Holland, where he found a welcome among the disaffected sectaries. His daring spirit prompted him to return to England, where he associated with the Fifth Monarchy men. Seeing little chance for the furtherance of his schemes, he removed to Scotland and joined the Covenanters in their revolt, remain ing with them till after the defeat at Pentland Hills in November 1666. Four years later Blood, with five companions, waylaid the Duke of Ormonde in Saint James street and tied him on horseback to one of the desper adoes. Nothing less was intended than to hurry the Duke to Tyburn, and there hang him in re quital of his having hanged others. The
Duke's attendants raised the alarm and rescued their master after he had unhorsed his riding companion and was struggling with him on the ground. On 9 May 1671 Blood made his great attempt to steal the crown jewels. Dis guised as a clergyman and with three accom plices he entered the tower and succeeded in overpowering the keeper, Edwards, and in carrying off the jewels. They were immediately pursued, seized and thrown into jail. Instead of being executed for this attempt he met re ward, being saved by his audacity. Blood refused to make confession except to the King himself, and Charles, at the suggestion of Buckingham, who was accused of having hired Blood to make the attempt on Ormonde, vis ited Blood in prison. Blood threatened that his confederates would avenge his death, secured a pardon from Charles, together with his for feited Irish estates of 1.500 annual value, and seemed to have interest at court, being often seen in the presence-chamber. Before long he quarreled with his protector, .Buckingham, fell under accusation of conspiring to have him charged with an atrocious crime and was com mitted to prison.It is probable that it was a trick to ruin He found bail and returned to his home in Westminster. His health was broken and he died after an illness of 14 days. He was buried at Tothill Fields. Rumors being circulated that it had been a sham funeral to keep the living man hidden, his body was ex humed and identified. Scott introduces Blood in (Peveril of the Peak) Consult Seecombe, (Twelve Bad Men) (New York 1896).