OATES, ots, Tfrus The prin cipal informer in the so-called Popish Plot in England. Ile was born at Oakhanh and in 11165 entered the Taylors' School. but was expelled the first year. After that he went to Sedlescombe School. and from there to Ilonville and Cain, College, Cambridge, and later to Saint John's College. Though he never look a degree,. he contrived to be ordained, and in 1673 was appointed vicar of Bobbing in Kent. The follow ing year he became curate to his father at All Saints in lint both were expelled for having invented a seandal concerning a school master there. :\lorenver, Tituc Oates was thrown into prison. Escaping from prison, he became a chaplain in the navy, but was soon expelled. lie now obtained the position of chaplain to the Protestant members of the Duke of Norfolk's household. Here he met a number of Catholic priests. mid presumably first contrived his plot of informing against Catholics. lie associated 1670 a clergyman, Israel 'rouge, and together they 111;1111101 the various schemes. In order to carry these out Oates pre tended to become Catholic, and 1677 was sent to the Jesuit College at Valladolid. and after wards to Saint Omer, but from both he was ex pelled fur misconduct, and in 1678 returned to England. Taking advantage of the hostile state
of the public mind toward the Catholics, Oates and Tinge induced, in 1678, a Lancashire gen tleman, Christopher Kirkby, to reveal to the per .sons interested fictitious details of a plot of Roman Catholics to murder Charles 11. and make the Duke of York King. Terrible excitement re sulted in Rondo», and by the perjured testimony of Oates and his followers, about thirty-five peo ple lust their lives between 1678 and 1681, while Oates himself for a time received a large pension, lived in Whitehall Palace, and enjoyed great favor. A reaction, however, set in. and in 1684 he was imprisoned. Upon the accession of .James IL Oates was found guilty of perjury and sen tenced to be pilloried, whipped, and afterwards imprisoned for life. Rather unexpectedly he survived the terrible flogging, and after the Devo lution of 1688 he was set at liberty. He died .July 12, 1705. Consult: liurnet, History of His Own Time (London, 1883) ; Lingard. history of England. vols. ix., x. lib.. 1855) ; Maeaulay, His tory of Engloild, vol. i. York, 1836-62),