The Darkest Secrets From The Medieval Tower Of London | Tales From The Tower | Chronicle

This channel is part of the historic success Network London, a modern and busy international capital with a rich 2000 year history in the heart of the city and its history is the Tower of London, one of the most famous tourist attractions in the world, but within of these stone walls is another. world a dark past full of diabolical betrayal and deadly ambition a place of imprisonment, torture and agonizing death these stones echo the cries of the prisoners the screams of the damned the stories that the Norman conquerors have to tell the Tower of London was the source of power over England for a thousand years The Fortress has been the home of kings and queens a vault for their treasures and a prison for their enemies the battle for the Tower and the control it symbolized claimed many victims the greedy the treacherous and the innocents paid a heavy price in the struggle for power the losers ended up in prison for the majority the only way out was execution but there was something worse than death the unbearable pain of torture in the

tower

torture was an art form carried out at its highest level carefully written torture rules were used first telling the victim the threat then showing him the implements preparing the victim stripping him slowly giving him a show of physical discomfort then taking him to the torturer's tools and finally inflicting unimaginable pain on the tools of the torture trade were sophisticated in their use the arms and legs of the feared torment victim were firmly bound to the device as the ropes were tightened, muscles and joints stretched and pulled to their breaking point.

Torture was an everyday occurrence in the 16th century, a bloody era in which religious wars shook England among the most consummate practitioners of the art of torture was Bishop Edmund Bonner, although he was a man of God. Bonner enjoyed inflicting painkillers. and tortured Protestants because his victims felt he was doing Satan's work, he earned the nickname The Devil's Dancing Bear, but Bonner was actually doing the bidding of Queen Mary Tudor when Mary succeeded her father Henry VII, She was a woman with an ax to grind Henry VII. divorced Mary's mother, declaring Mary illegitimate and banning the Catholic Church.

Queen Mary now had the power to take revenge on her father and take revenge on her. She reestablished Catholicism as the only religion of England. Subjects who did not renounce their Protestant faith soon had reason to call. his Bloody Mary, if Protestants refused to become Catholics, they would be tortured if they still refused, they would be burned at the stake as heretics, it was a

medieval

Inquisition and Bishop Bonner, the Devil's Dancing Bear, was Bloody Mary's enforcer , hidden behind religious vestments, the burly former lawyer. He fulfilled his dark purpose when Mary appointed him Bishop of London in 1553.

Bonner set up his headquarters in the Tower of London and enthusiastically executed his work as a hunter of heretics, the Devil's Dancing Bear, fulfilled the wishes of his royal lover with an attentive horrible in detail. like Netflix just for history fans with exclusive historical documentaries covering some of the most famous people and events in history just for you with familiar faces like Dan Jones and Dr. Eleanor Janega. We have hundreds of documentaries covering the most important figures and events of the Middle Ages. history, we're committed to bringing history fans award-winning documentaries and podcasts they can't find anywhere else, sign up now for a free trial and Chronicle fans will get 50 off your first three months, just be sure to use Chronicle code to pay Queen Mary. made sure Bonner had a constant supply of suspects to interrogate kept suspects in custody until they repented or were convicted honorably sent over a hundred questions about religious beliefs if the accused didn't answer correctly faced the terrors of the chain of torture despite his relentless cruelty.

Bonner insisted that he only wanted to show people the error of their ways. Richard. I know he has no flaw within her, but he has gone astray. Sometimes a small dose of torture was enough to persuade their prisoners by simply holding the victim's hand over a lit candle. until the flesh blistered often resulted in rapid submission other times more elaborate methods were required there were red hot irons and thumb screws bilbos to crush ankles and braces to pull out teeth but the most popular instrument of torture was always Bonner's colt. evil knew no limits he personally supervised every detail of each case from the first examination to the horrible execution eventually almost all broke under Bonner's relentless torment if they were proven to be enemies of the Catholic Church they were condemned to burn at the stake in their first two years of bonus in office sentenced 89 men and women to be burned alive for their religious beliefs in early 1555 there were probably no more than 200 active Protestants left in London spy on the bloodthirsty queen, he scolded Bonner by sending her a letter Complaining that he was not working fast enough to root out the heretics, employer Bonner redoubled his efforts, sending spies and eventually discovering a group of Protestants who were meeting in secret.

His deacon was arrested almost immediately. One of the parishioners, named Cuthbert Simpson, consoled the gathering, but he himself then went. arrested on charges of attending religious services in English instead of Latin, a charge punishable by death. Simpson was taken to the

tower

to be tortured, but the Protestant deacon would prove to be a challenge for the sadistic devil's dancing bear. Simpson's diary describes what happened next below On Thursday I was ordered to give the names of those who came to the service in English. I replied that I would not declare anything as a result of my refusal.

They put me on the rack. He laughed as the ropes strained the muscles and joints in Simpson's arms and legs. They were stretched and pulled to the breaking point when Simpson fainted He was revived after three hours of torture Simpson couldn't win Had to be taken back to herself the following week Simpson was taken from his cell to face Bonner again He refused to name those who had worshiped with him Bonner responded with his characteristic cruelty his four fingers were tied together an arrow was placed between them the sharp arrow was stabbed through his fingers and Simpson had to endure excruciating pain oh relentlessly determined to break the Religious man Bonner forced Simpson into the twice as he refused to divulge the names of his congregation, even the brutal Bonner admitted a grudging admiration for the strength of Simpson's convictions.

Bonner later wrote. I affirm that if he were not a heretic, he would be a man of the greatest patience that ever lived. came before me Three times it was upright and yet I have never seen it broken Bonner admired the bravery of Deacon Simpson that mere strength of character alone was not enough to save Simpson from a horrible fate so this sinner has a opportunity more now than ever and may God have mercy on I, yes, Donna had Simpson tied to the stake and burned alive on March 28, 1558. The brave and puffed-up Simpson joined the long line of martyrs to the cause of religious tolerance, but the devil's dancing bear was nearing the end of its cruel career after being burned and hanged. and tortured hundreds of innocent victims Bishop Bonner, the devil's dancing bear, would soon face his own Moment of Truth when his benefactor Queen Mary died, his younger sister Elizabeth the first to become queen.

Religious persecutions ceased. Isabel saw Bonner as a sadist and ordered him to resign as Bishop, when he arrogantly refused to monkey, he was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment in the village, now the only sweet and tortured one in the tower was a prisoner, he is in the same cell dark where his victims had waited for their date in pain and death for nine years. Bonner was able to contemplate the 450 people he tortured and killed in the name of God I am the Judge cane surrounded by misery and filth the devil's dancing bear died in 1569 in death he joined his victims in a court much more just than his own The Devil's Dancing Bear was just one of a long line of torturers, executioners and murderers who stalked the halls of the Tower of London for the better part of a thousand years.

The walls of the tower have been stained with the blood of those who tried and failed to grab it. control of England of the 20 kings who first ruled from the Tower of London, six were murdered by their rivals for the crown and two more died in battle. This was not a surprise, as the tower's Dark Legacy began its construction even as it was being built. The foundations were soaked with sweat, tears and blood. The Tower was a visible symbol of an ear of slaughter. The victorious Normans launched a reign of terror to solidify their invasion of England.

A huge fortress was a concrete sign of repression when the Norman king William the Conqueror won the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Control of London and southern England was completely different. William launched a series of vicious campaigns to crush rebellion and insurrection across the country. William built fortresses to pressure and dominate the population and his capital. William wanted the strongest castle of all, a building that would symbolize his power and terrify his subjects. He needed an architect. William chose a man of God to build an imposing fortress. Brother Gandalf was a monk and an architect considered without equal, all of his work had been dedicated to the construction of churches and cathedrals, but the ambitious Gandalf dreamed of bigger and better religious buildings.

William offered to appoint Gundaf bishop with the opportunity to design a new cathedral, but there was a problem. Gandalf first had to design and build a fearsome fortress in the heart. of London Gundalf's ambition drove him to accept the offer the man of God made a deal with a fearsome conqueror of the North despite his misgivings Gandalf designed a new masterful fortress condensed into a single great tower the castle would dominate London and protect the river Thames. The perfectionist insisted. built on the best materials protected on two sides by the ancient Roman wall on the river the remaining two sides were surrounded by a moat filled with water the great tower would be virtually impregnable it has withstood centuries of turmoil and war it protected the kingdom and was the center of one of the largest empires in history, despite the monk Gundahl's design to prevent enemies from entering the Keep, the tower could not prevent its first prisoner from attempting to escape in the year 1100, the bishop of Durham was imprisoned in the newly completed Tower of London the bishop a tax collector in addition to his religious duties was a corrupt public official hated by Londoners double the taxpayer the king imprisoned the bishop accused of extortion and bribery a rich man the bishop served an easy sentence despite which was closely guarded by Norman Knights, the bishop was allowed to keep sacks of gold for expenses and have his servants bring food and wine, fond of food and drink, the portly bishop hosted lavish dinners in the towers.

The banquet hall became drunken rebels, but the bishop tired of his gilded cage and plotted a cunning escape with the help of his servant. The bishop announced a special feast and ordered barrels of wine to be delivered. They were brought in under the noses of the prison guards. One of the wine barrels had a piece of rope hidden inside. The bishop invited him to the tower. guards to the banquet he made sure the guards had as much width as they wanted but the bishop remained strangely sober he waited until the guards were asleep and drunken stupors grabbing his bags of gold and retrieving the rope from the wine barrel the bishop headed To the wall of the tower that secured the Rope, the bishop climbed and began to slide down.

The fat Bishop had the added weight of his gold and it looked like the Rope might break, but the Rope held and continued to slide towards Freedom reaching the end. of the Rope, the bishop discovered that it was not long enough, he was left dangling over a dark abyss below the helpless Bishop was too fat and burdened to return to the Rope, the only option was to let go, he clung to his bags of gold and He fell the rest of the way and crashed into the ground without sustaining any injuries. Collecting the coin from him, the bishop hastened into a boat and arrived safely at the sanctuary on the French coast.

The bishop became the first prisoner to escape from the Fortress. The lucky few who escaped the clutches of the tower there were rare exceptions once inside the stone walls most of the victims were trapped even an innocent teenager meant a tragedy in the tower the girl was rescued to a normal life and inIn a matter of weeks she became the Queen of England but was caught in a web of intrigue that turned into a nightmare. Jane Gray was only 15 years old when she was snatched from an idyllic childhood as a daughter of the aristocracy and landed in a nightmare where everyone, even her parents, abandoned her trapped in a paranoid web of intrigue.

Jane's nightmare was real. Her horrific journey included a nine-day reign as Queen of England. Jane's cousin was 15 years old. King Edward when he came to the throne in 1547. He was weak and sickly. Four years later, the boy King was on the verge of death due to the king's youth and illness. A group of nobles known as the Royal Council led the king and the council was led by the ambitious Duke of Northumberland. Well, Thumbelin's power was threatened because if the king died, the throne would revert to the king's eldest sister, Mary Northumberland. To devise a plan to continue ruling, Northumberland hatched a risky plot: he would arrange a marriage between his own teenage son, Gilford, and the king's cousin, Jane Grey, and then Northumberland would persuade the dying king to name Jane as his heir. when Jane became Queen Northumberland's son would be crowned.

King Northumberland would later rule the country. Jane and Gilford knew nothing of their parents' plan. The two teenagers who barely knew each other were told that they would become husband and wife. Jane's greedy, social-climbing parents seized the opportunity and enthusiastically accepted the plot. The marriage was arranged by order of her parents. Jane was trapped. She had to marry. Gilford on the morning of her wedding Guests commented that she looked like a toy doll, even younger than her age, but the omens for Jane's marriage were not good. Thunder and rain spoiled the hastily forced wedding of engagement and marriage.

The bewildered Jane was determined to make the best of it after the wedding. At the ceremony, the couple suddenly found themselves alone, locked in a world not of their making. Jane was determined to do her duty and fulfill her role as Guilford's wife that night, the pair slapped the innocent to sleep, blissfully unaware of the nightmare that awaited them. During the first weeks of their forced marriage, the teenagers met. Jane struggled to love the handsome young stranger who suddenly shared her bed less than six weeks after the wedding. Jane received surprising news. A lady-in-waiting arrived. her bedroom with the news and her cousin, the boy, King Edward, was seriously ill, she was to go immediately to her father-in-law's estate at Northumberland Palace, the young couple encountered a disturbing scene as Jane wrote in her daily to everyone.

I started giving laudatory speeches and bending her knees, which made me blush. My anguish increased when my parents paid tribute to me. Finally, Jane's father-in-law, Northumberland, told her that the king had died. For the first time. The shot. Jane was told that she would become queen. her of England for the death of the king and she cried that the crown is not my right and I am glad not to tell her that she was for the good of England. Jane's scheming parents convinced her to take the throne. Later she wrote. I shouldn't have accepted it. She showed herself.

The next day, Jane was taken to the tower where she was proclaimed Queen. She brought him her crown, but Jaden insisted that he hadn't asked to see it. She explained to him that the crown was going to be adjusted to fit her head. Then Jane discovered a king's crown. They were placing the crown on her husband Guilford, suddenly the whole ugly plot became clear: she was not going to be the true heir to the throne. Her Northumberland's scheming father-in-law was using her to make her son Gilford king. They were pawns and a fight. By her power Jane was furious, she told the counselors that she had been betrayed, she couldn't trust her parents, she was alone.

I told them that I will never, ever allow Guilford to become king, meanwhile outside the tower, Princess Mary was raising an army to take the throne. The foreign force broke out. Jane was to remain in the tower until Mary was captured, although she did not know this at the time. The 15-year-old would never set foot outside the fortress walls again as Jane spent her days and nights peacefully inside the tower across England. The entire country began to take sides with Mary or Jane, there was a lot at stake and the price of failure was death. Jane was now in the eye of the storm, when powerful nobles were able to form their own militias.

Northumberland gathered soldiers and set out to defeat. Mary and her supporters, if she failed, would pay with her life as desperate Northumberland fought in London her plan was falling apart Mary's support was growing the council began to doubt her decision making Jane Queen Jane had become a liability in a desperate attempt to save themselves, the council switched their support to Mary Tudor as rightful monarch, they declared Northumberland a traitor and Jayla, Jane's user, Jane's time as queen was over. A message was sent to James's father that her daughter must renounce the crown that she had only 10 days before.

I tried with all my might to refuse when I heard the news. Jane told her father. I'm much more willing to take it off than put it on. Please, then let's go home. Now her father did not respond. Northumberland was defeated by Mary's army and taken prisoner by Jane. The parents fled the tower, leaving behind her daughter. Jane was arrested for treason. She was left prisoner in the tower along with her teenage husband Guilford. A triumphant Mary Tudor took the throne as Queen of England and began plotting her revenge against all those who had held her back.

Power Jane, Northumberland's father-in-law, paid for her treatment with his head, but not even Bloody Mary could believe that Jane Gray was a traitor. A teenager had simply been a pawn in a massive game of power politics. Jay knew she had to resist. tried for treason and found guilty, but Jane had been given the Queen's word that she and her husband Guilford would be forgiven and eventually freed. Jane's thoughts were with her husband if it were your will. Lord, let me be forgiven and most of all let my husband be saved everything could have gone as planned if James' father had not foolishly gathered an army to return his daughter to the throne Jane's father and his army took over from the south bank of the River Thames and demanded the tower from his daughter and the new Queen Mary surrendered to him when Queen Mary refused, Jane's father bombarded the Tower with his own daughter, in she was endangering his life of his daughter and that of the queen, the innocent teenager had to die to put an end to the plots against the new Queen Mary signed the death. court orders for Jane and Gilford Jane's fate was sealed she had the opportunity to see her beloved husband Gilford unable to face the pain she refused to meet him it would weaken our resolve to face death we must postpone a better world where our happiness It will be Eternal from her cell the teenager saw her young husband led to the scaffold she remained at the window until his decapitated body was brought back the first time she collapsed and cried muttering Guilford's name over and over again now it was her turn The innocent teenager had to undertake the long walk that would end in her beheading.

She walked bravely from her cell to the scaffolding in the Green Tower as she climbed the stairs. Jane remained brave and calm but his priests and the ladies and the waiting burst into tears when Jay knelt and tied a handkerchief around his eyes. He reached for the block but was out of reach for the first time. He panicked. Everyone on the platform froze in horror. Finally someone in the crowd came up to the steps and placed the terrified girl's hands on the block to calm herself down. She rested her head on the block so as not to say well in my hands.

Praise my spirit, one-year-old Jane Grey, had been queen for only nine days and was executed on February 13, 1558. Jane Gray was one of the few in English history who did not want the crown, she died for it Anyway, throughout history many have fought and died for the right to wear the famous symbol of power, but in addition to being a symbol, the crown and its jewels are also symbols. very precious objects the royal collection of crowns, scepters, orbs and ceremonial necklaces are kept in a vault deep inside the tower guarded with strict security measures every day thousands of tourists inspect the crown jewels many visitors often They ask how much that collection is worth, the answer is that The Crown Jewels are worth nothing because of their incalculable value.

Aliens with rare gems. The Royal Crown itself is worn only on state occasions and is then returned to its permanent home. Some of the stones that make up the crown jewels are said to exert a strange and mystical power. The Kohinoor. The diamond seen here set in Queen Elizabeth's crown at a coronation is said to carry a strange curse. The famous stone has been the subject of struggle for two thousand years. 1739 the Shah of Persia invaded India in search of the Kohinoor diamond which was then the property of the Mughal emperor. Despite brutal looting, the diamond could not finally be found after being tortured.

One of the emperor's harim revealed that the emperor hid the diamond. in his turban Bashar invited the emperor to a banquet and suggested that they cement a piece by exchanging foreign turbans to a room. The Shah unwrapped the emperor's turban and poured out the Priceless Stone. He exclaimed Kohinoor, which means mountain of light in Persian. The enormous diamond arrived in Britain in 1850 during British rule of India. It was presented to Queen Victoria, who had the stone cut out and placed in the new one. crown, but no male member of the royal family has worn it because legend says that men who possess it will suffer misfortune, while women who possess the diamond will rule the world.

Stealing the crown jewels from the Tower of London remains one of the biggest criminal challenges. No one has ever done it, but one man came very close: a rogue named Colonel Thomas Blood tried to steal the jewels and actually held the crown in his hands, but curiously he did not have to pay the consequences for his audacious crime at first. In September 1680, a group of men unearthed the body of Colonel Thomas Blood in a London cemetery. They wanted to make sure he really was dead. Colonel Thomas Blood had brazenly broken into the Tower of London and actually had the crown in his hands and almost stole it. the crown jewels and got their way is one of the biggest riddles In the history of the tower in 1659, King Charles II regained the throne from the rebels after 17 years of Civil War to symbolize his power, the newly deposed king ordered the crown jewels to become the crown jewels. collection of jewels would soon be the target of a brazen crime living more than jewels to show his power King Charles Purge Rebels and their sympathizers one of the victims of the king's campaign was Colonel Thomas Blood as a rebel supporter The House and the Land of Money of Colonel Blood were Confiscated by the king's agents, he was left a bitter broken man seeking revenge to recover his fortune.

Colonel Blood planned attacks against the king's supporters. The colonel was prone to extravagant schemes that always seemed to be cursed, but in Lucky Twists of Fate he always pulled it off. To survive he organized an attack on Dublin Castle in the hope of taking the king's representative and Holden prisoner for ransom days before the plot was set in motion. The whole thing fell apart. Dozens of conspirators were arrested, tried and executed, but despite a large reward for their capture, the clever Colonel Blood was able to escape. Colonel Blood escaped to England under an assumed name with several failed plans behind him.

The unfortunate Colonel Blood was broken and desperate, finally hatching a plot as strange as it was elaborate. Little Blood sets out to steal King Charles' new crown. jewels Colonel Blood learned that the jewels were kept in the lower dungeon of the House of Jewels. They were guarded by a retired military officer named Talbot Edwards. Edwards was the master of the jewelry and guided visitors who wanted to see the collection in which Edwards and his family lived. an apartment above the royal vaults launching his plan. Colonel Blood disguised himself as a reverend and recruited an accomplice who pretended to be his wife.

Together they visited the tower under the pretext of seeing the crown jewels. Claire was in the tower. The gullible Talbot Edwards welcomed. them and guided them through the vaults to the precious gems once inside the Dual Vault the blood plan began to come into action his accomplice faked an illness and when his supposed wife pretended to faint from blood he suggested that they take her to a place more comfortable to recover. Playing perfectly into Colonel Blood's plan, the kindly Edwards insisted that the lady be taken to her quarters.where his wife could attend to her. Several days later, Colonel Blood returned with gifts for Mrs.

Edwards as repayment for her kindness and thus began a friendship between the two. two couples, the fake Reverend Blood relentlessly pursued a relationship with the jewel master for all it was worth, the families frequently dined together on one occasion, Colonel Blood brought a young man he introduced as his nephew, in fact , the nephew was an accessory to the crime. brought to the case The heist job Colonel Blood told Edwards that the nephew had a friend who was visiting London and wanted to see the crown jewels. The colonel stated that the friend couldn't wait until the tower opened because he had to leave early.

In reality, the friend was the The third member of the robbery team, Edwards, gladly made special arrangements. Everyone was to be in the tower just before seven o'clock the next morning, the night of May 8, 1671. Colonel Blood and his accomplice made their final preparations. Each one carried a short dagger. Colonel. Blood took several pistols in a wooden mallet another man carried a file Just before dawn they headed to the tower one man guarding the horses while Colonel Blood and the other two nervously put their plan into action Blood and his men made their way across the open field.

The courtyard of the tower itself, hiding their firearms, led them to the entrance of the Jewel Tower. The unsuspecting Edwards greeted the men warmly and led them to the vault. The would-be thieves were now meters away from the largest Hall. and valuable in the world. When the huge Iron Gate opened, Colonel Blood took out the sledgehammer and hit Edwards on the head, the jewel master fell screaming and struggling in the fight, one of the thieves stabbed Edwards while the others rushed towards the door. vault. Colonel Blood broke the crown by shoving its crumpled remains into an old leather bag.

Everything was going according to plan. Nothing but an easy escape stood between Colonel Blood and unimaginable riches, but Colonel Blood's Jinx struck again. The thieves stumbled upon him. Edwards' son, who unexpectedly got in the middle of the heist with young Edwards and A Tower Guard and Hot Pursuit, the thieves walked away and entered the twisting Tower Labyrinth. The foreign blood and its accomplices crossed the open courtyard towards the drawbridge of the tower and freedom. Colonel Blood's extravagant plan was falling apart as his associates were taken down one by one. Colonel Blood remained in the candy blood and was blocked by another warden in a last attempt to escape.

Colonel Blood pulled out a pistol when the gun went off. The warden crouched down and wrestled Colonel Blood to the ground. Another of Colonel Blood. Outlander's plans had failed again, dragging him back to the tower where he had waited for his cell to face a trial for treason. It seemed that Colonel Blood's luck in avoiding the law had finally run out at the end of the day. The plot and the damage to the crown jewels reached King Charles, but the king had a strange reaction: he was more curious than indignant about this strange criminal with more bravery than brains.

Four days later, the king confronted the man who almost stole the treasure, no one knows what. Words pass between the King of England and the common thief, but within days of this strange encounter, Colonel Thomas Flood was released from the Tower with a full royal pardon. Even more surprisingly, Colonel Blood was awarded a manor pension of £500 a year for life. he snuck out of trouble once again, although the colonel's blood may have amused King Charles, no one else trusted him, rumors said he became a spy for the king or maybe a Juke the king or maybe just He was a charming con man, history will never know the answer.

People didn't even trust him when the news of Colonel Blood's death was announced on August 24, 1680. It was assumed to be another of the Rascals' hair and brain schemes. that he had faked his own death, in fact, it was there, the grave was there. a difficult point not even the colonel's bold blood could escape through the centuries those who were trapped in the Tower of London fought their way out now instead of fighting their way out the crowds line up to enter and the waters that once carried those condemned to execution now gives guided tours and entertains visitors with stories of brutal beheadings.

The tower's walls have withstood a thousand years of deadly plots. Fierce power struggles and invasion attempts. The tower stands as a fearsome symbol of royal power and a reminder of the tragic fate that ensued. those who attempted to challenge the kingdom at the heart of England's capital is the Tower of London, a symbol of power for almost a thousand years throughout its long history, the tower has been the castle of Kings, a fortress, a royal treasury fortress, an imposing prison. The stones have been witnesses of Mysteries, torture, executions. These walls of the Tower have Stories to tell.

Thank you. Today, the tower is one of the most popular tourist spots in the world. The tower's famous meat hunter guards guide tourists through the benign Castle, but in the past reluctant visitors found the Fortress. Full of terrible dangers after the Normans conquered England, they built the Tower of London as their center of government over the kingdom long before Buckingham Palace. The tower was the symbol of royal power. Controlling the tower was controlling England and anyone who violated the secure Center. The Tower exacted brutal revenge for those who defied its Cold War, but the Tower saved its harshest punishment for those who worked in the Fortress and dared to be betrayed.

This was the case of a naive prison guard in love who ended up horribly hanging. die from the wall of a tower his accomplices in the crime were two thieves who faced death in an ingenious and gruesome execution together they were involved in a twisted romantic triangle that began with a daring theft of the king's gold 31 a shipment of 366 Gold crowns belonging to King Henry VII arrived at London docks with a modern value of more than a million dollars. It was practically a king's ransom, but the gold was mysteriously stolen. The brazen theft of the king's gold sparked a massive investigation two years later, a shady sailor was arrested and imprisoned in the tower as the authorities prepared their case against him while the sailor languished in the dark confines of the tower, often visited by his Common-law wife, Alice Tankerville, During Alice's visits, a young prison guard named John Board was in love with the beautiful and seductive Alice.

John Board's infatuation with Alice began innocently enough, but it would ultimately cost the naïve jailer dearly. The problem began when Alice's husband was released due to lack of evidence, knowing that he had to leave London and go into hiding. Alice's husband asked Board to take care of Alice. Desperately in love with Alice, the prison guard happily agreed to spend more and more time with the board. Alice began to return the prison guard's affections. Soon, they fell into a passionate love story. Alice became a familiar face in the tower, as she frequently visited the board to consummate heated couplings. but the romance was to have tragic consequences, new evidence emerged in the theft of the king's gold, not only had Alice's husband stolen the gold, but Alice was also clearly guilty of the robbery.

Alice and her husband were secretly tried, found guilty and sentenced. Alice's husband was nowhere to be executed, but finding Alice was easy. On one of her visits to her lover John Board, she was arrested and thrown into a windowless cell in the tower. Board had to endure watching Alice's harsh imprisonment wasting away in a small, dark The cell Alice awaited her execution scared by her Alice, the board of John in love planned a mission to serve as her guard separated by a heavy cell door, the Jailer and the Prisoner he loved spent long hours together watching No Way Out The desperate couple planned a daring Escape John board had crossed a dangerous line he abandoned his duty to the crown and gave his heart to a criminal the woman John board loved was trying to find him Impossible even though he was a Jailer the tower was considered inescapable the couple launched a risky plan board made a copy of the key to the outside door of Alice's cell block.

He also bought a 60-foot-long rope board. He smuggled the rope to Alice for safekeeping. He also handed her a small wooden stick in which he hid the Escape tools. a shadowy corner of herself then they waited for a moonless night within the week one night came the two lovers sprang into action when the board went out of service Alice handed him the rope he handed her the duplicate key after the boss The guard made his last routine check and locked the outside door. Alice was ready using the board she had given her. She pushed the wooden latch pin in seconds.

She was outside the cell using the duplicate key. Alice opened the door to the cell block and entered the corridors of the Tower, hiding. Under a dark cloak, Alice slipped outside and carefully entered the darkness of the Keep, making her way and reaching the waiting arms of her lover. Thank you holding your breath. Alice and the board waited for night to come. The Ranger would go to his usual Rams. Alice and the board. They lowered the rope over the wall and climbed into a small boat anchored at the moment far below, they slid down the rope and entered the boat, then crossed the moat under the gaze of the guards.

Thank you on the spring night. They crept silently to the opposite side of the bank, Lord had arranged for a pair of horses to be waiting nearby. They would travel to a friend's house from there. The lovers would make their final race towards Freedom, just a few meters from their escape. They came face to face with a night guard. Sweating cold, Alice and the board approached the approaching soldiers. They desperately hoped they could get their way with a quick wave, but it was too late. The soldiers challenged them within seconds. All hope of escape vanished. They would face revenge from the city Alice was taken to. the same miserable cell that had been his home for seven long months, this time the door was firmly closed but something much worse awaited John aboard the Jailer, who had gone to the other side enraged by the betrayal of his own prison guard. prison, the authorities had a simple torture for God they put him in the infamous cell known as the small cell, it was not wide enough to lie down nor high enough to stand on a board they forced him to squat day and night The pain was agonizing after an extensive Manhunt, the authorities caught up with Alice's husband.

They dragged him to the tower to await his execution when Alice was reunited with her husband. Fate had one more Twisted store, as the couple ended up spending their last moments together on March 31, 1534. Alice and her husband. They faced a hellishly ingenious death for stealing the king's gold. The couple were taken to the bottom of the tower wall at the edge of the River Thames at low tide, they were chained to the wall in waist-deep water, terrified, Alice and her husband watched as the rising tide slowly rose, They twisted and turned in panic as the water came closer and closer, slowly drowning them.

Alice and her husband suffered horrible deaths, but John Board's fate was worse. There was no limit to the price to pay for the betrayal of a position of trust in the world. The tower board was tortured on the shelf while other guards cruelly mocked him. The rack's usual purpose was to extract confessions, but in this case it was cruelly used to inflict horrendous pain after his muscles were torn from the board. His arms and legs were torn from his sockets, but the disgraced prison guards' ordeal had just begun. The board was then chained and suspended from a wall of the tower.

He hung for days, slowly dying from exposure and starvation. His body was left to rot. A horrifying example for anyone foolish enough to defy terrible Justice. Tower over the centuries many have attempted to breach the security of the tower only one man managed to naturally invade the Tower of London he led a murderous mob to the very heart of the Kingdom but the tower took revenge the 14th century was a desolate era horror and the Fear paralyzed Britain as the bubonic plague stalked the land, it was known as the Black Death, the disease was fatal in almost all cases, those infected faced an agonizing death, it was carried by rats and transmitted to humans through of fleas, science and medicine did not exist in the Middle Ages, ignorance spread panic among those who stillguided attempt to prevent the plague from spreading the soldiers sealed the houses and everyone inside, even if only one member of a family fell ill, a black cross was painted on the door and no one was allowed help to purify the area the house would be burned to the ground even the healthy people trapped inside would be burned alive all the solutions to cure the plague were often as bad as the disease itself the most common remedy was to place live leeches on the patient it sucked blood poisons if the leeches did not seem to work the patient would be bled directly supposedly to release poisoned blood unfortunately patients often died mixed together some doctors theorized that the black death was caused by demons in the mind they only saw a way to release demons drilled holes in the patients' heads.

Surgical instruments were rare, so the tools used by doctors were usually borrowed from a carpenter or bricklayer. No one was cured and few survived in an atmosphere of panic and superstition. to the church for an explanation of the Black Death brought little comfort priests claimed that God was punishing men for their sins in the end the Black Death killed almost half of Britain's population survivors faced a living hell Famine stalked the land as people ate dogs, horses and garbage. the cities were abandoned it was a time of anarchy in an age of chaos even the tower that remained impenetrable to enemies for centuries was torn down for the first and only time in its history a howling mob had successfully stormed the tower and razed the royal house alone a fragile teenager the boy stood between the angry mob and his chaotic collapse of the kingdom the future of England was in his hands the 14 year old boy King Richard II sat on the throne of England because of his youth the kingdom was led by a royal council advisors ruled the country in Richard's name until it matured to increase the burden of plague, famine and poverty, many people who worked the land were serfs, feudal slaves controlled by the Wolves, the council of the distant noble rich had no connection with the common people when the council insisted on levying heavy taxes in 1380 The peasants broke out in open revolt, nothing, oh God, escaped oppression.

Thousands of hungry, homeless peasants roamed the roads of England, but in the taverns of London one man was ready to explode. The peasants angered a former soldier and the tall women, which fueled Tyler's anxieties. the disaffected peasants listened with enthusiasm Tyler emerged as a leader to command the dispossessed mob the news of the angry mob reached the tower King Richard decided that the time had come to put aside his childhood persecutions the teenage Richard interrupted his The boy King's councilors wanted to personally speak to the peasants despite the council's objections. Richard insisted on meeting with Tyler's mob before they arrived in London, but the meeting was a disaster.

Young Richard desperately tried to reason with Tyler and his angry men. The teenage king's pleas were drowned out by the angry mob. Yes, he began to advance towards the King, beating a hasty retreat. Richard was forced back to London and the safety of the city for us, but when Tyler and the rebels harassed Richard and the Royal Court back into the city, reaching London, the mob surged through the narrow streets looting. everything in their path, desperate to save their lives and property, Londoners offered the mafia food, beer and wine, but the alcohol simply turned them on and they became uncontrollable.

The riots continued into the night, hundreds of people died in an orgy of looting, murder and destruction. London Tyler led the baying crowd towards the Tower from the tower parapets, young Richard watched helplessly as Tyler and the Horde surrounded the city. It seemed as if the entire kingdom was about to plunge into chaos. An angry horde of peasants outnumbered the soldiers. 1. the council told Ricardo to attack the crowd under immense pressure. The 14-year-old king was maturing into a wise ruler. He vetoed the advice to attack the crowd. Instead, the young king addressed the crowd from the roof of the tower and offered a solution if they did so. leave, he would hear their complaints the next day in a nearby field, tens of thousands agreed to meet the next morning, Richard and the royal party set out to meet the mother.

Danger was in the air as the teenage king confronted Tyler and the peasant mob in the countryside, the young king agreed to cancel the tax and abolished serfdom from now on the serfs would become tenants The farmers free to choose where they were not while the young king tirelessly worked to resolve the peasants' grievances. Tyler crept back to London, where thousands of his followers still surrounded the tower, convinced that he could seize the royal fortress and command the city. Tyler whipped his men furiously and boasted that the mob would rule all of England in the end.

During the week, rushing towards the tower, the crowd overwhelmed the guard, seized the outer drawbridge and stormed the main gate. Tyler had achieved the Impossible for the first and only time in history, the Tower of London had been breached by an enemy force, they rushed through the corridors and corridors destroying everything in their path, breaking into the king's private rooms the mob attacked Richard's mother and raped his waiting lady when they arrived at the Chapel Royal the mob found the Archbishop of Canterbury giving communion to the Lord Treasurer and the Royal Physician foreign cup of the Archbishop's hand and stabbed all three to death. without realizing the attack.

Richard returned and found the tower in Ruins. He didn't know if his mother was alive or dead. Richard had attempted a peaceful end to the crisis, but he seemed doomed to failure despite his personal situation. attack on his family the young king was determined not to fight violence taking the future of the Kingdom in his hands risking his own life Richard organized a final confrontation with Tyler accompanied by a bodyguard of Armored Knights and the mare Lord of London, the boy King bravely faced down Tyler and his rebellious mob. Richard was greatly outnumbered. The boastful Tyler rode toward the king.

Tyler recited a list of demands that all nobles except the king would be abolished. The bishops would be stripped of their power. All Church property would be given to the rebels. The rebels divided among themselves, but Tyler went too far when he demanded the king's great sword. The state told him that it was the king's sword and that he was not fit to hold it. An enraged Tyler pulled out a dagger to attack Richard, suddenly the mayor threw his body away. In front of Tyler to protect the king, Tyler Furious plunged his dagger into the Lord Mayor's stomach, but the blade bounced harmlessly off the Mayor's armor before Tyler realized what had happened, the angry Lord pulled out his dagger and He gored Tyler in the neck, blood pouring from the wounds.

Tyler screamed in pain and fell to the ground as their leader lay dying, the crowd came forward ready to fight, they drew swords and loaded arrows, the king's bodyguards prepared for battle, Richard, outnumbered, was about to be overrun, but the teenage king wrote calmly and addressed the crowd with that Richard turned his horse away from London The leaderless peasants silently picked up their weapons and followed Richard, they separated and began to return home. 14-year-old Richard had proven that he was more of a king than a boy and what a chronometer the only man to lead a successful assault on the tower died in its greatest moment of danger the tower had remained in his rightful hands The assault on the tower had been avenged the walls of the tower are cold and lifeless through the centuries the Fortress seemed to know how to deliver terrible justice Century the Tower made sure that justice was done when a judge who condemned many to an unjust death faced his own end miserable in a tower cell 1690 a member of the English Parliament opened his door one morning and found a gloomy place a corpse had been nailed to his door as a warning the gruesome message came from judge George Jeffries the judge was in charge of the administration of justice during the brief and turbulent reign of King James II take the ride an unpopular king James was arrogant and had a contempt for the law the king brooked no criticism of himself or his Catholic faith to carry out his authoritarian policies James needed a strong enforcer who didn't care if the law got in his way often drunk in court Jeffries had a reputation as an abusive jurist who matched the king's contempt for the law by seeing a kindred spirit James appointed Judge Jeffries as a high official state alongside King Jeffries was the most powerful man in England Jeffries shook himself in his new power and hijacked the legal system in a kingdom ruled by law Jeffries now became the law himself used the court of law to condemn anyone sufficiently Foolish enough to express even the slightest complaint about King James or the Catholic Church he covered the walls of his kangaroo court and tapestries of bloody terror to terrify anyone who came before him with a bad drunk.

Jeffries had no time for legal niceties, the only plea accepted in the Lawless Court from him was that of guilty. A not guilty plea took too long and would probably result in the defendant being hanged on the spot without even having time to say his prayers before the execution. irritated under the autocratic rule of King James and his henchman Judge Jeffries pleads guilty and Michael with each new execution the opposition to King James and Judge Jeffries grew the king's enemies became bolder and looked for someone to replace him the enemies of the king finally turned to the king's nephew James the Duke of Monmouth, as the illegitimate son of the late King Charles Monmouth, he had royal blood.

He was also a Protestant, which would bring religious peace. The handsome and charming Monmouth had been a brave and popular army leader at the age of 20. and Monmouth hated his uncle. the king driven more by ambition and common sense Monmouth took advantage of the offer to overthrow the king with the help of the king's enemies. Monmouth raised an army to overthrow his uncle. He was ready to enter the Tower of London in victory despite his best efforts to rally support. Monmouth's cause collapsed the handsome young Duke ran for his life with Monmouth defeated Judge Jeffries accused him of high treason Making war against the king and trying to assume the crown to make his point Jeffries added his own PostScript Ed Hell two days later Monmouth was captured ignoring legal procedure Jeffries ruled that Monmouth had no right to a trial and immediately sentenced him to beheading.

A crowd of Monmouth supporters gathered on Tower Hill to witness his gruesome end with solemn dignity. Monmouth walked through the crowd and climbed the black-covered scaffolding before kneeling for the block. Monmouth calmly dropped the edge of the Executioner's axe. He wondered if the blade was sharp enough to cut his throat as was the morbid custom of the time. Monmouth tipped the Executioner six coins to do a quick and clean job, which followed. The tip was undeserved. Baffled by Monmouth's calm, the Executioner missed the first blow. The blade only grazed the back of Monmouth's head. He tried again the crowd shouted and pushed towards the scaffold his hero Monmouth was being slaughtered like a frustrated pig the Executioner abandoned his exercise putting an end to the careless Executioner, pulled out a knife and stabbed Monmouth to death.

The enraged crowd rushed to the scaffold, threw down the executioner, and placed the guards on the ground. The scene exploded into chaos as others dipped handkerchiefs in Monmouth's blood to hold onto the memories of their hero that he was unable to bring back. Jeffries in life Monmouth would triumph in death the botched execution stoked popular discontent fearing a general rebellion King James and Judge Jeffries quickly and ruthlessly moved towards resistance Stamp Out Jeffrey's spies uprooted conspirators and mindless partisans by drinking heavily in The court judge pursued his brand of Justice with renewed zeal. In two months Judge Jeffries executed more than 320 men and women, another 841 people were sent to the West Indies to be sold as slaves.

Jeffries boasted that he had hanged more men than all his predecessors since the Norman Conquest. Judge Jeffrey's Lawless Rampage was out of control members of the House of Lords finally opposed his brutality Charm for himself Jeffries responded to legislators nailing corpses to their doors supporting Jeffries King James suspended the legal system and Parliament was dissolved by public outrage against King James and the judgeJeffries now reached a breaking point, there was only one way to end the chaos with nowhere to turn. Parliament turned to a foreign power to help overthrow the tyrants in desperation. Parliament urged the Protestant king of Holland to invade England and claim the throne for himself.

James fled the capital from him. After just three years on the throne without his protector, the tyrannical Judge Jeffries ran for his life disguised as a sailor, escaped to the London docks, bought passage to France with a coal badge, nearly avoided True Justice, but while Jeffries waited for the ship to leave he wanted one more drink, so he slipped ashore and went to a tavern on the dock called The Red Crow. It would turn out to be an expensive drink while Jeffries was drinking he was recognized by an employee Jeffries had once sentenced the man to a beating oh Well, foreigner, the judge was exposed, huddled in a corner, desperately dodging the drinks, the food and the insults of the rabid crowd.

The authorities were called in to save Jeffries from the mob and throw them away. Ironically, a terrified Jeffries begged to be taken to the safest place in town. the Tower of London, but not even the tower's thick walls could protect Jeffries from public hatred. Jeffrey's victims were allowed into the tower to watch his judge through the bars of his cell caged like an animal. Jeffries had to endure the abuse they suffered knowing that he was drunk. Parliament ordered the tower guards to provide Jeffries with all the brandy he could afford. It turned out to be a fitting punishment.

Four months later, Judge Jeffries, abandoned and alone, literally drank himself to death. The Tower of London always seemed to visit with vengeance against those who worked within its walls and abused its power. No one had any more control. on the tower than the man who kept the keys to the Fortress and when he turned traitor, the tower unleashed its terrible revenge once again in 1147, a man with an arrow. in his skull he lay in a field writhing in agony it was the price he was paying for betrayal and the lust for power the man was Jeffrey de Mandeville the sheriff of the tower and the sheriff of London the sheriff of the tower was one of the officers most respected in the Kingdom because he had the keys to the castle.

Control of the tower was crucial in the 12th century, with England under the harsh but unstable rule of the Norman kings. Maintaining the central military position in London meant control of all of England. Chaos descended upon the tower when King Henry I. died leaving no air left to take the throne as the king's daughter Matilda was the obvious choice to succeed the throne tough and cynical she was suitable for the job but a woman had never served as monarch of England the other candidate with royal blood was Matilda's enemy and cousin, Count Stephen, was the dead king's favorite nephew.

He was friendly, attractive and good-natured, but many considered him too soft to be king. Which cousin would rule England in confusion? Steph Mandeville was an opportunist. She saw her crucial position in the Tower Guardian as a way to gain power when Stephen made the first move and took the disputed Throne by assuming the tower. Mandeville was at the door to receive him, eager to ingratiate himself with the new king. Mandeville gave Stephen the keys to the Fortress and then Mandeville began a shameless campaign to gain King Mandeville's favor with his own. The new king was at Shaky Ground to keep Mandeville, another nobleman on his side.

Stephen gave him lands, castles and estates. Mandeville and the other nobles were willing to sell his loyalty to the highest bidder, pitting Stephen against his cousin Matilda in the battle for the throne as the barons won one concession after another. Stephen began to lose control, as Matilda made her move, she made generous offers of land and money to any noble who wanted to help her overthrow. His cousin Stephen Mandeville was first in line. The war between cousins ​​King Stephen and Matilda for the throne of England was about to begin. The treacherous Mandeville, who had supported King Stephen, changed sides.

He was waiting on the beach to greet him. Welcome to Matilda when she landed in England to begin the battle for the crown, soon England was torn apart in bloody cities of the Civil War. Villages and farms were burned and looted on one side and the other, many starved to death in the famine that followed, their bodies left in heaps as the powerful fought against the poor. She suffered pain, misery and oppression if the army of this tilde fought and behaved like the cynical politician she was. Mandeville greeted Matilda as she marched into London, greeting her as warmly as he had greeted his cousin Stephen only six years earlier.

Mandeville enthusiastically offered her the keys to the Tower of London, now that Matilda controlled the tower and most of the country, It was not long before the war-weary English had reason to hate her, imposing crushing taxes on the impoverished country and ordering troops to ruthlessly put down any sign of insurrection for By not paying Matilda's taxes, three Suffolk villages were impaled with wooden spikes as an object lesson to the population who suffered in plain sight on the main road there, dying agonizingly from exposure and blood loss. Even Mandeville was shot for Matilda's behavior. As Matilda planned her coronation, her support crumbled.

Matilda had also made another big mistake. She left her cousin Stephen alive, although a prisoner in the tower. Once again, Mandeville had to decide which direction to jump and which side to support. It's London and the townspeople erupted into open tyrannical revolt as the city gates were flung open for Stephen's army. Matilda and Mandeville escaped in the confusion, fleeing for their lives. Many of the nobles who had supported Matilda switched sides again to King Stephen. Mandeville was not there. What luck with the country in chaos Mandeville was captured by Stephen and stripped of his lands and titles and arrested for treason after having the keys to the tower he was now Captain of one of the foreign tower cells Mandeville was able to play both sides against the middle Mandeville asked King's forgiveness Stephen gave his castles to the king and gave his word of honor He will never again conspire against him needing Mandeville's support Stephen forgave him and freed him from prison his country was stripped of his title of power and wealth Mandeville no had nothing to lose, go now and get it all back Mandeville launched a cruel war against Stephen's personal army Mandeville attacked the king's castles and lands cut a swath of devastation destroying towns and villages loyal to the king burned houses, seized crops and farm animals, robbed churches and anyone who stood in his way was slaughtered.

Villagers were expected to pay taxes to maintain their personal army in the countryside if they refused immediate retribution. The wives were left widows and the children. orphaned as their cruelty ran unchecked Foreign war Mandeville moved against one of Steven's castles as the army approached the Fortress Mandeville moved forward to inspect the defenses then removed his helmet to get a better look at a crossbowman on the castle wall he aimed carefully and shot an arrow straight into Mandeville's head an agony for almost a week finally the opportunistic schemer died with nothing to show for his efforts like so many before and after him Mandeville realized that the tower leveled his own revenge special to challenge the tower was often reckless but defale was pretending.

For centuries, the tower has been the symbol of royal power, its stones have protected one of the largest empires in history. Such immense power exacts its price. Those who could not rise to the challenge of gaining and maintaining power saw their spirits and bodies crushed within the tower walls in At the heart of England's capital lies the Tower of London, a symbol of power for nearly a thousand years. throughout its history. The tower has been the castle of the Kings, a fortress, a bastion for the royal treasury, being the place of intrigues and mysteries of torture and executions.

The walls of the tower. They have many stories to tell Oh, in the 16th century the kings and queens moved out of the city The Fortress became a grim prison for the Kingdom's most dangerous enemies Rebels Rivals for the crown and spies Few were left alive Most were condemned to face the Executioner in the name of the state, barbaric murders were carried out under the shadow of the Tower, common criminals were hanged, which were not quick murders, rather falling from a height sufficient to instantly break their necks , the criminals will be dragged through the air, the rope was slowly tightened, causing the victim's tongue to swell and turn purple, their eyes to bulge out of their skulls.

The Condemned writhed and kicked as they slowly suffocated to death despite the horror of being hanged The title wasn't much better beheading was considered a privilege an honorable form of execution reserved for Nobles and knights, as if having a head severed in a pulpy and bloody mess wasn't enough, the victim also participated in a frightening and humiliating custom. The condemned man was expected to give the Executioner a tip to convince him to do a quick and tidy job despite the tips the records show. While three, four, even five blows were not uncommon before the head was finally removed from the body, it is unknown how long the victim was conscious during the ordeal.

The executioner's ax was a heavy and cumbersome weapon, often producing a blow more like a butcher knife than a surgical instrument. After decapitation, the executioner held the head before the roaring crowd, then the head was impaled on a pole and taken to London Bridge. The heads were placed for the public to see as an advertisement to warn royal subjects of the price of betrayal. the heads were covered with tar to make them last longer, but eventually the birds pecked at the flesh and eyes in the meantime. The headless bodies were wheeled to the tower grounds and buried without markings.

The gutted five brown bear barbaric practice was so heinous and disgusting that Queen Elizabeth eventually banned the practice. It was last used in 1586. The last disembowelment execution was the work of Francis Walsingham. The man known as the father of modern Spider-Man, a master of injuries. Walsingham was known as the spymaster during Elizabeth's reign. because first was the great age of the spy there was a time when information was very important and ignorance could mean death when Queen Elizabeth established the Protestant Church in England the Vatican ordered any Catholic in Europe to murder their grave Danger was the job of the queen protecting the kingdom would protect queen elizabeth queen elizabeth's personal safety became wilson's lifelong obsession olsenham ran his web of intrigue from the tower he was a brilliant and ruthless politician who studied all spy networks in Europe together the world's first counterespionage agency and placed spies throughout England as their For their eyes and ears, the sole purpose was to uncover plots against Elizabeth as a cunning spy.

Waltham knew that in the dark corridors of the tower, a whisper in the wrong place or to the wrong person could mean a horrible death. The Protestant Elizabeth feared the return of the Catholic government led by her cousin Mary Stuart Queen of Scots in a time of shifting loyalties Mary had to flee Scotland to escape repeated attempts to overthrow her Mary had no way out and begged her cousin Elizabeth to gave her sanctuary, but sanctuary turned out to be captivity when Mary entered England. She was arrested on suspicion of plotting against the crown. Maria was kept under house arrest and moved from place to place to keep her away from her Catholic supporters despite Maria's arrest.

Wolsingham was not satisfied, he could not rest, he was still known as Elizabeth's greatest enemy. Walsingham was obsessed with finding a way to get rid of Mary. He had a simple solution: somehow Mary must be executed, but try as he might, Walsingham could not convince the queen to kill her own cousin. Isabel refused to approve the execution. The regicide of another monarch was a serious precedent. The murder of a royal could come back to haunt Elizabeth if she were ever the target of a plot, but the perfect opportunity to marry fell into Walsingham's hands. The spymaster discovered a plan against Isabel.

A plot that seemed to lead directly to the imprisoned Scottish queen according to intercepted letters the plan had been devised by a Catholic supporter Anthony Babington was a rich young man who worshiped Queen Mary what Babington did not know he would end up killing him.Two of his trusted accomplices were in fact Walsingham's agents, nothing about Babington remained a secret. Walsingham learned that the conspirators were smuggling letters back and forth to Mary, but some of the letters were in code working day and night. It didn't take long for Walsingham's codebreakers to crack the cipher in their own hand. and babington wrote that he and ten followers would free mary from her internment, put her on the throne and restore catholicism in england, he also planned to assassinate queen elizabeth, but the conspirators wanted mary's approval before going ahead, the letters They were enough to have Babington. and his men executed as traitors and if Mary agreed to the plot, Wolsingham would have enough evidence for his head too, Walsingham addressed the intercepted letter and continued to marry when Mary read the letter, she had two options: she could tell her cousin Elizabeth about him or a plot to free her could follow Mary decided to side with Baddington, the decision would cost her her life while Walsingham waited to read Mary's response, he closed the net around Babington and his men when news arrived that the conspirators were They would reunite with England.

The spymaster beat up the soldiers arresting Babington and his conspirators cut down a security guard Mary was unaware of Barrington's arrest Mary sent her response just as the men were being dragged to the tower eager to escape their captivity Mary He even suggested a plan which he wrote to Babington 50 men Well mounted and armed should come to take me as my guardian did with him, but 18 or 20 horsemen he ended up with let the great plot go ahead. Mary was clearly involved with the traitors, but Mary never specifically supported murdering her cousin Elizabeth if he went. To convince Elizabeth to execute Mary Wilson he needed irrefutable proof of her involvement, he decided to take matters into his own hands driven by his personal war against Mary Walsingham he acted as a professional spy and abandoned all pretense of morality.

He fabricated evidence. Walsingham forged a postscript to the Letter that made it appear that Mary had accepted the murder while she was finishing the letter. Now Walsingham could go to the queen and ask for Mary's execution. When Elizabeth read Mary's letter, she was furious and felt that she had done everything she could to protect her scheming cousin, but she framed her. The letter convinced her that Elizabeth could no longer avoid the problem Walsingham would have her way Mary would die Meanwhile Babington and his cohorts were found guilty of treason and sentenced to death according to tradition the queen signed an execution order that also prescribed the form of execution for a spy there was no punishment sufficiently atrocious oh on September 26, 1586 the horror began babington and six of his companions were taken from the tower and taken to the Executioner one after another they were hanged but only until they became unconscious and then they were cut up and revived as the stunned victims watched in horror as they were eviscerated their intestines were thrown into the fire the victims were kept alive long enough to watch the entire gruesome spectacle as their lives bled out the victims' bodies were cut into quarters like pieces of beef each the execution proceeded the cruelty reached New Heights the remaining conspirators were forced to watch in horror as their friends were slaughtered they had a graphic preview of what awaited them a public outcry arose at the barbaric disembowelments and that led to Elizabeth ordering the remaining conspirators to be simply hanged there was never going to be another public dismemberment in England thank you now it was Mary's turn Mary was Queen of Scots and no court had tried another country's leader at first Mary refused to attending the trial insisting that no English court had jurisdiction over her, she admitted her involvement in the escape plot, but denied any involvement in the murder plot.

It was already too late. Her cousin, Queen Elizabeth, no longer believed him. On February 8, 1587. Mary, Queen of Scots, was executed. The great plot against the crown of England had been thwarted the grand spymaster Walsingham had won the deadly game of cat and mouse he was the father of modern espionage his ends justified the means at any cost a professional spy Walsingham had several weapons in his possession. armory codes inks that disappeared even in the 17th century century as today information was power the importance of secrecy meant that ingenious means were used to keep messages secret the first codes were simple numerical ciphers with numbers replaced by letters other codes included punching the pages of a book with a pin the holes that indicated the letters that could be joined together to form messages.

Disappearing ink was used by spies who wrote with orange or lemon juice. The Secret Message disappeared while drying to read it. The page was heated over the flame of a candle and the message reappeared. This disappearing ink was still being used. Years later, one of the most ingenious and simple

medieval

spy codes was created by wrapping a strip of cloth or parchment around a cylinder (often something like a rolling pin or a broom handle). The message was then written on the cylinder and unwrapped, even if it was intercepted, the message appeared. like nothing more than a string of random letters and even if you knew the method you needed the same cylinder to get the letters to where they should be.

Walsingham was obsessed with cones, but the great spymaster also recruited the country's brightest minds to be part of his spy network Christopher Marlowe, the great poet and playwright, also had a secret life as one of the spies of Walsingham. His secret clandestine activities so truncated his legacy as a writer that he might have been as famous as one of his friends William Shakespeare, but Marlo had unsavory things. Strange friends and habits On 30 May 1593 he became drunk with three other spies, two of whom had been involved in the Baddington plot. No one knows what happened that night, but before he finished, 29-year-old Marlow had his throat slit. and he bled to death some say Marlo knew too much and was murdered others say it was an argument over a lover and others claim it was simply an argument over a bar Bill no arrests were ever made for his murder his death remains one of the great mysteries of history now his statue stands in Canterbury, outside the theater that bears his name, but Marlo, the spy and great playwright, took the secret of his murder to the grave after nine centuries as Britain's most famous fortress in prison .

The tower now plays a much friendlier role today. only captives and millions of tourists who come to see the magnificent crown jewels and the exciting, lurid

tales

of historical chaos gleefully told by the Waters Tower, but the characteristics of the bees were struck one day in 1991. after a tour of The old blood-soaked alleys of de la torre a middle-aged woman emerged from the crowd approached the guide and asked in a low voice: can you show me the place where my father was shot? The woman's question revealed the tragic story of her father, the last man executed in the tower.

Was Joseph Jacobs a German spy who was supposed to help guide enemy planes over England during World War II to ensure the skies were clear enough for Nazi planes to find their targets? The German air force needed constant updates on the unpredictable English weather, the only way to obtain this information was for German spies to transmit it outside of England. Espionage is dangerous work and most spies are highly trained professionals, but Joseph Jacobs was a poorly trained amateur, a pawn in the deadly and ruthless game of wartime intelligence. Jacobs was a dentist and had already served in the German army in World War I, but at the age of 42 he was drafted back into the German army in a bureaucratic error.

Jacobs was ordered to join the German secret service. He was given three weeks of training in radio communications and meteorology, but did not receive any special training as an espionage agent Jacobs was considered expendable Jacobs was given a radio transmitter hidden in his briefcase road maps of Great Britain a set of fake identity cards and a gun with these simple tools the dentist would be airdropped into England to establish a clandestine weather service in the heart of enemy territory the amateur spy was to send periodic reports by radio to Nazi headquarters by slipping into British airspace under cover from Darkness Jacobs parachuted into Huntington, England in January.

Not only was Jacobs not a spy, but the dentist had little experience as a paratrooper in the foreign field and broke his ankle, a painful and immobilizing injury that would prove to be his fateful heel. Achilles and his downfall as a rookie spy tried to escape and limped painfully to the nearest outbuildings hungry and tormented by his wound Jacob surprised the terrified farmer's wife tried to raise the alarm trying to silence her Jacobs pulled out his gun and limped after she was hungry In terrible pain, exhausted, Jacobs crawled back to his landing site. He fired his pistol to attract help.

A farmer working nearby heard the gunshots and discovered the unlikely sight of a parachute spread in the middle of his field. When he went to investigate, the farmer found Jacobs unconscious next to him detained by local police and army reservists Jacobs denied that he was working for the Germans did he believe they? She would feel sorry for him if she thought his cover would work. History never recorded his thoughts, but we know that he had been caught red-handed. He had a radio transmitter with a Luger pistol. Forged identity documents and a map showing the location of two nearby airfields.

Now Jacob's injury was so serious that the reserves had to put him on a stretcher before taking Jacobs to London to await his fate after his ankle was fixed and Jacobs was transported under military guard to a maximum security prison in London. for captured spies and saboteurs, the hapless dentist. appeared before a military court to be tried under strict wartime secrecy during the trial Jacobs claimed he was actually a native of Luxembourg and helped Jews escape from Germany said he was sent to a concentration camp because of his activities anti-Nazis Jacob said he only offered to become a spy so he could leave Germany and join the anti-Nazi underground, but the claim that he was escaping Nazi Germany was a cover used by all German spies and an investigation showed that Jacobs was paid huge fees to help Jews escape from Germany.

His military service in World War I showed that he was German and not a citizen of Luxembourg. Swiss police records indicated that he had been imprisoned in 1924 for selling counterfeit gold. Joseph Jacobs was convicted as a spy in Saboteur and sentenced to death. Spies of World War II. They were normally hanged in the prison where they were held, but Jacobs could not bear to be hanged because of his broken ankle, the dentist would have to be shot, and the agony of the incompetent spy was prolonged even further when preparations for his execution had to be carried out. be changed.

Jacob's prison did not have a military firing squad. The crippled prisoner had to be transported to the Tower of London, where soldiers on active duty could do the job. The convicted German spy was moved to the Fortress' old cells to meet his fateful date with history. On the morning of August 15, 1941, a truck carrying the crippled spy dentist landed through the tower's maze of alleys. The truck stopped at a covered shooting range on the outskirts of the tower property as Jacobs was taken to a restrained guard, a small black target over his heart. Piles of hay were stacked against the back wall to catch the bullets in front of the hay. there was a wooden chair abroad Jacobs was tied to the chair an officer took off Jacob's glasses and covered his head with a black hood firing squad six members of the Scots Guards paraded silently through the entrance to the camp firing squad each soldier carried a Springfield rifle in the tradition of firing squads one rifle was loaded with a blank cartridge, which gave reassurance to each rifleman in the squad that there was a chance that he would not have fired a fatal shot at 7 At 12 a.m. on August 15, 1941, the order to shoot was given and Joseph Jacobs was executed, the German dentist-turned-spy entered the crime books.history as the latest victim of the Tower of London as an instrument of medieval torture.

The bullet-riddled chair in which Joseph Jacobs met his fate still survives preserved as a historical artifact. The chair remains safely stored and will remain hidden until it no longer haunts the descendants of Joseph Jacobs, the latest victim in the long, tragic history. of the Tower unlike the deadly justice that the tower imposes on most spies, a clandestine agent who was a rebel and a traitor ended up being the toast of London, he was also the only American held in the tower, most of spies consumed the dank tower cells awaiting execution but one spy the only American ever imprisoned in the Fortress lived a good life in prison had a romantic affair and became a London celebrity 1780 The War of Independence was on full fury Henry Lawrence, former president of the American Continental Congress was on a secret and deadly mission that would soon end in disaster.

Lawrence's ship evaded the British Navy on the way to Europe. His secret mission was to get help for the American forces fighting against Britain, but fate gave him another place in history. to the coast of North America for as long as possible Lawrence's small ship emerged from the protection of a frogman to face a huge British war looming. Foreign British forces boarded the ship before they could seize Lawrence. She threw her secret diplomatic bag overboard, but a sharp-eyed English sailor saw the oilskin bag floating in the water. The contents of the bag detailed Lauren's mission in detail.

She was headed to Holland to cement a treaty to support the colony in its war against the British that was all the evidence the British needed Henry Lawrence he was arrested as a spy and traitor aware of the political importance of his captives the British government did not subject Lawrence to a public trial but he was interrogated for weeks insisting in which he was ambassador and entitled to diplomatic immunity Lawrence refused to answer questions, but the contents of his diplomatic bag revealed everything that Lawrence was negotiating with a foreign power, an act punishable by death. Henry Lawrence was found guilty of high treason and left in a cell in the Tower of London as further humiliation.

Lawrence had to pay the rent for his cell and find his own food, drink, bedding, coal and candles, he even had to pay the salaries of his guards, the cause of American independence attracted the admiring attention of many young Londoners. rebels, Elizabeth Vernon, the teenage daughter of the tower's jailer, was excited to befriend the medium. elder American rebel Henry Lawrence the meeting would change Lawrence's life Elizabeth was sympathetic to Lawrence's work for American freedom arranged contact for him with London newspapers that supported American revolutionaries from her cell Lawrence wrote a series of articles and letters Those promoting the US war effort needed a way to prevent prison guards from destroying the letters.

Elizabeth helped Lawrence by hiding the papers in her underwear and smuggling them out of the tower beyond the suspicious eyes of her father, the prison guard, swept up in the excitement of the teenager's clandestine meetings and silent conversations. Isabel and the middle-aged revolutionary became involved in a passionate romance. Words spread throughout London about the famous colonial rebel who was imprisoned in the tower. American independence was a fashionable cause among London celebrities. The eccentric Lawrence became a celebrity and the toast of the town. A parade of London's fashionable society flocked to the tower to visit Lawrence, bringing him wine, brandy and news of the war in America.

Probably his most unusual visitor was the famous Selena, Countess of Huntington and her extravagant lover, Dame Anne Erskine, 15 months after Henry Lawrence. He entered the dark confines of the tower for the first time. The British surrendered to George Washington. The United States had won the war and a new nation had been born. Henry Lawrence was released on parole. Is he prepared to return to the newly independent United States? Lawrence received an urgent letter from Benjamin Franklin. He was ordered to join Franklin and Paris in negotiating the peace treaty between the United States and England for being a traitor imprisoned in the Tower of London.

Lawrence was now dictating the terms of Victory to the defeated country that had recently imprisoned him. He signed it but fate intervened again to keep Lawrence in Britain he was appointed the first American ambassador to London the former secret agent and traitor was now received at the Royal Court jokingly known as Lawrence Tower the new ambassador spent 18 months in London He frequently visited his former tower prison to see his beloved Elizabeth. When Lawrence returned to America in 1786, he left his beloved Elizabeth behind and was reunited with his wife and children, but he never forgot his prison.

Romance When Lawrence died six years later, he left Elizabeth a substantial legacy as proof that he remembered her love. and the extraordinary courage of a young woman who helped a convicted rebel fight for her country. A traitor like Henry Lawrence was too important for the crown to execute, but in another high-ranking case the privilege of a British diplomat and nobleman was not enough to save. he of the hangman's noose in the Tower of London Sir Roger Casement was a man who led three lives a respected diplomat who possessed anointed became a spy and traitor to England but his double life hid a deeper and more secret sexual scandal in the third life leading to tragic misfortune and death Casement was a consul with over 20 years' service in the British Foreign Office with an impeccable record and unconditional morality. casement had been selected to investigate reports of human rights abuses in the Belgian Congo in Peru one of the most respected members of In the Foreign Service received the rare honor of Knighthood and would ultimately become the first person in 300 years to be stripped of the title of native of Ireland.

Casement was concerned about the welfare of the Irish when he retired as a British diplomat. He dedicated himself to the Irish cause in the early 20th century. Britain was considering Irish Home Rule. Unrest and violence shook the island. Distracted by the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, Britain delayed solving the Irish problem, but on one island the fighting continued as thousands of men volunteered for the fight. The British military tore their country apart with strikes and riots. Loyalties were divided between duty to King and Country and the desire for political freedom. Casement intervened in the volatile and dangerous situation to support the Irish in a bold and reckless move. world war as an opportunity to separate from Great Britain went so far as to ask Ireland to seek German support in its bid for independence.

The British saw it as a traitorous stab in the back. He went to the United States to raise money to help drive the British out of Ireland when war broke out in Europe. Casement met with the German military attaché in Washington. Arrangements were made for Casement to travel to Germany to meet with high-ranking military officers in Germany. Casement laid out plans for an Irish and German union. The alliance against the British called for two hundred thousand rifles for the rebel army and an invasion force of 50,000 German soldiers to support the revolution; The Germans were happy to ferment an Irish revolution in Britain's backyard in the hope of weakening them and drawing British forces away from the battlefields of France, the Germans allowed Casement to visit prisoner-of-war camps and recruit a combat unit among the thousands of Irish prisoners, but Casement's plan found no support, even the Irish who wanted a free island had no intention of helping the hated Germans win the war.

After 10 months, Casement only had 55 volunteers. Thank you, I finally agreed to supply the Irish rebels with twenty thousand obsolete rifles and one million rounds of ammunition. The plans were made. A freighter would take the weapons to Ireland on a steamer. Casement would be taken away in a submarine. Confronting It Revolutionaries in Ireland would begin the uprising against British rule with a surprise attack on Easter Sunday. Roger Casement knew that his Revolution was doomed to failure. The Irish could never hope to gain independence without outside help. He had to warn his comrades to stop the uprising plan.

Easter Sunday was now less than two weeks away. Casement was desperate to stop the bloodbath that was sure to occur. Time was running out. On Good Friday 1916, a German submarine deposited the Spy Roger Casement off the Irish coast. He had two days to stop the planned Irish attacks. An uprising he knew would end in disaster and was also awaiting a shipment of weapons to the Irish rebels, but a fateful turn of events tragically thwarted Casement's grand plan for Irish independence. Unknown encasement. The freighter transporting the weapons had been intercepted. British intelligence was aware of the entire plot, six hours later local police found Sir Roger Casement huddled against the cold April drizzle.

War and political unrest. He subjected him to a routine search. Casement turned out to be a careless spy. He was carrying a ticket stub from a German train. The name of the ship that delivered the weapons and a cargo manifest of twenty thousand rifles was arrested and accused of treason. The morning of 1916 dawned and he found the window closed in the tower and the island in a state of siege. A thousand rebels stormed the Dublin courts and the main post office. The government declared martial law and the British army moved in. In the battles that followed, 200 civilians and 130 British soldiers and police were killed.

Sir Roger Casement, the honorable civil servant, was now the most hated man in Britain when he was questioned by Scotland Yard. Casement denied that he was a traitor and declared that loyalty is a feeling, not a law. In his mind, without any feeling for Britain, his actions could not be criminal, what came next was a Twist that surprised everyone. The hidden afterlife of Sir Roger Kaseman was discovered. The shocking secret of his sexual habit. Police discovered what would be called The Black Books hidden in these Diaries. They expected to find a record of espionage activity, but instead they were shocked to find graphic accounts of a secret life filled with hired boys and an insatiable appetite for sex. casual with men, particularly blacks, in the conservative morality of the At the time the revelations were so abnormal that they were considered a mental illness bought in the revelation of the black book about the real Roger Casement the government offered the Diaries to Casements' defense lawyers Sebastianage left no doubt about the verdict but the Diaries could allow a plea of ​​insanity and it would be humiliating but it could save Sir Roger from being executed for treason incredibly casement refused the offer somehow the seriousness of his situation never seemed to Dawn on Roger casement standing in the dock seemed unaffected by the guilty verdict or the death sentence Roger casement you will be taken to a place of execution where you will be hanged by the neck until you die.

May God have mercy on your soul. The condemned man firmly insisted that the British government would not dare hang him. He was wrong the day after his conviction. Roger Casement being stripped of his knighthood was the first such case in almost 300 years, with no knowledge of Casement's sex life. The public that admired his human rights record rose up in opposition to his execution. The British government feared a backlash of support and making him a martyr to the Irish cause if he was hanged. defuse casement supports the government information about the secret diaries was leaked no one would help casement if they knew about his sex life extracts from the black books circulated among casement supporters editors of select newspapers also knew the dirty little secret the American prime minister The ambassador , the Archbishop of Canterbury and even the leader of the Irish rebels received copies of the Diaries within days.

The window support disappeared. Old friends disappeared and his Irish supporters turned against him on 3 August 1916. The most famous conspirator of the disastrous Irish Easter Rising. He walked to the Gallows, the priest who accompanied him, then said that Roger Casement ended his life with the dignity of a prince. The foreign wolves witnessed centuries of cruelty and torture. A deadly conspiracyintriguing. The stones have stood for a thousand years, but if you listen closely, you can hear the echoes of stories of heroes and villains, the madness of men and human wisdom. Tales from the Tower of London.