robert thomas january january winter members failed conspiracy assassinate king related conspirators cousin half brother joined following plot failure thomas intelligent educated man fluent languages trained lawyer chose instead soldier fighting england low countries france possibly changed mind catholic occasions travelled continent spain behalf england oppressed catholics suggested spanish support catholic rebellion likely momentum building peace settlement countries thomas pleas fell deaf ears instead decided join planned restore england catholicism killing king popular revolt james daughter princess elizabeth installed titular queen thomas returned continent failed spanish support instead met returned england robert devout catholic inherited near worcester joined conspiracy following year plot began following delivery anonymous letter 4th baron warning stay away parliament thomas confronted brother law recently recruited threatening kill managed convince innocence stage thomas reportedly asked abandon scheme avail captured midnight november thomas fled robert house spent days travelling attempting rebellion diminishing group supporters eventually settled waited government forces arrive thomas group chose remain ensuing shot shoulder captured robert left battle evaded capture january written plot based thomas confessions given tower london november brothers tried january hanged drawn days later london family life robert sons wife jane née daughter sir near sister married half siblings john elizabeth resulted father marriage following jane death paternal grandparents gloucestershire wife catherine daughter sir claim like maternal uncle catholic priest hanged drawn york fact opinion historian author hardly failed leave stark impression family took white tower signatures winter brothers commonly named faithful catholic robert married daughter inherited near worcester significant fortune known generous robert court known refuge priests proclamation capture issued following plot failure described man mean stature low square somewhat near years age hair beard brown beard hair short jesuit john wrote life sufficient gentlemen thomas complimentary apparently intelligent witty educated man speak latin italian spanish french mean stature strong years old somewhat thomas worked servant 4th baron educated lawyer following years dissipation travelled flanders enrolled english army fought france possibly turks views changed citing belief injustice fighting power like elder brother passionate catholic travelling winter february spent days rome jubilee later year travelled spain petition council behalf catholic rebels left execution 2nd earl essex father thinking purpose thomas visit gain financial support impoverished english catholics sent superior father introductions spanish trip spain later visits dubbed english government thomas timing unfortunate coming soon spain failed attack ireland received vague assurances support england met spanish embassy august landed dover help negotiate anglo spanish treaty quickly realised chance successful catholic rebellion unlikely discounted thomas claim funding catholics available cause meeting king james wrote spain need peace england freedom catholics thomas meets according contemporary accounts late february thomas cousin invited house thomas attend sent second letter thomas respond arrived found cousin devout catholic renowned planned establish catholicism england blowing house_of_lords killing king thomas immediately idea soldier practical man agreed plot succeed breed confusion fit new alterations offered warning price failure scandal great catholic religion sustain enemies friends good reason condemn agreed join conspiracy entirely given hope foreign support leave quiet way thomas returned continent flanders met 5th duke constable holding court journey england conclude treaty london thomas stressed plight english catholics hoping influence forthcoming treaty negotiations place somerset house london constable friendly forthcoming thomas met welsh spy sir hopes spanish assistance owen introduce thomas committed catholic served stanley soldier time detailed plans thomas told ambition somewhat england spanish support lacking late april men returned told despite positive noises spanish deeds robert joins addition conspiracy brother law met duck drake inn fashionable strand district london remained heart conspiracy group leased properties london storing gunpowder rowed thames destination confession digging tunnel target parliament abandoned chamber directly beneath house_of_lords available following meeting enlisted aid catholic men including day admitted plot march conspirators purchased lease supposedly near room barrels gunpowder brought late august thomas inspection gunpowder found decayed separated gunpowder brought shortly recruited conspirators sir sir involvement plot long subject controversy october brother law 4th baron received anonymous letter home warning stay away parliament thomas went confront matter threatening hang managed convince pair innocent thomas tried unsuccessfully persuade abandon plot pleas vain position echoed meeting london sunday november said ready trial day robert stayed home father law friends sons plus servants group left following morning extra horses supplied travelled failure capture delivered letter english secretary state 1st earl salisbury saturday november week later decided undertake search parliament following monday search 1st earl suffolk noticed huge pile corner cellar beneath house_of_lords king insisted search midnight party time led 1st baron discovered arrested news capture soon spread london including strand brother immediately went thomas staying duck drake inn given servant government arrest warrant issued thomas told wright bid rest conspirators london fled city went westminster try author opinion demonstrated impressive degree trust ability thomas heard treason uncovered left stopping sister house way reached family home wanting mother sent message robert recently arrived asking meet outside town told captured collected hunting party included robert thomas half brother invited join november day group raided castle supplies robert strongly objected create great country later arrived met thomas early morning occupants went confession took mass opinion sign thought long live collected arms munitions trying recruit people cause met disdain conspirators considered stand god country men replied king james god country late night pulling cart weapons armour arrived near robert asked help father law refused thomas went instead loyal james sent away claiming visit life worth returning received message man dead rest apparently fled tired desperate attempted dry soaked gunpowder fire stray spark chose leave begging companion follow example thomas continued found remaining alive injured including robert half brother john chose night wright brothers grant thomas remained thomas asked intended mean die thomas replied sheriff worcester arrived force men early november thomas hit shoulder crossing courtyard wright brothers followed injured explosion night dropped single lucky shot sheriff men proceeded strip defenders thomas saved sheriff assistant fine sword ordered paid months previously apparently proved great sheriff men seen taken worcester tower london despite proclamation november naming wanted men managed evade capture january spent months hiding houses point forced drunken happened hiding place eventually discovered house cook informed managed escape captured thomas confession historically written derived thomas confession signed november details called spanish treason added days later confessions printed highly partial contemporary account affair account government involved beginning weakened days torture heart group meetings views document suspicion thomas signature differs normal signature thomas invariably government signature possibly forged lieutenant tower london weeks thomas shot shoulder siege biographer views difference signatures significant lapse master presumed responsible document views confession convincingly winter pointing appears work author editor written draft view generally agrees solid sensible suggestion government employed deliberately error crucial state document concerns report salisbury november find hand strong dinner settle write verbally declared adding shall remember told remember draft thomas confession places extra weight involvement thomas confession details account supposedly dug parliament mentioned confession trial death trial surviving conspirators began monday january brothers brought barge tower servant arrived kept led westminster hall charged high treason defence counsel outcome doubt spanish treason feature attorney general rhetoric spanish king spoken condemned brothers confessions read aloud tower robert shared adjacent cells able speak private conversation secretly recorded read aloud trial asked judgement death pronounced thomas spoke regret having introduced robert plot asked hanged behalf robert merely mercy end trial jury pronounced guilty high treason executed thursday january dragged horse old cathedral robert second executed praying quietly hanged drawn following morning remaining dragged opposite building planned destroy thomas mount customary grant condemned speech thomas pale dead colour said time discourse come die involvement plot asked catholics pray declared adherence roman religion hanged seconds taken block remainder grim sentence half brother john executed red hill near worcester april
Robert and Thomas Wintour