19 Facts About Ambrose Rookwood

Ambrose Rookwood married the Catholic Elizabeth Tyrwhitt, and had at least two sons.

Ambrose Rookwood fled the city, and informed Catesby and the others of the plan's failure.

Catesby was killed, but Ambrose Rookwood survived, and was imprisoned in the Tower of London.

The Ambrose Rookwood family had lived at Stanningfield in Suffolk for 300 years.

Ambrose Rookwood was apparently happy to advertise his faith; in the summer of 1605 he commissioned a London cutler, John Craddock, to place a Spanish blade into a sword hilt engraved with the story of the Passion of Christ.

Ambrose Rookwood therefore planned to kill the king by blowing up the House of Lords with gunpowder, and then inciting a popular revolt to install James's daughter, Elizabeth, as titular queen.

Ambrose Rookwood was a horse-breeder, and his stable of fine mounts at Coldham Hall was needed for the Midlands uprising.

Ambrose Rookwood was at first concerned for the welfare of the Catholic lords who would be present at the explosion, but his compunction was alleviated when Catesby promised him that they would be tricked out of attending Parliament that day.

Any lingering doubts Ambrose Rookwood had were removed by Catesby's lie that the Jesuits had given the scheme their approval.

Ambrose Rookwood had stayed with the Wintours at Huddington Court, and that month with the Catholic Lacons at Kinlet Hall, but at Cateby's behest he rented Clopton House near Stratford upon Avon, and moved there after Michaelmas.

Ambrose Rookwood took with him several Catholic religious symbols, such as chalices, crucifixes, vestments, Latin books and praying beads.

Ambrose Rookwood caught up with Catesby, who had left the previous day to prepare the uprising, and told him what had happened in London.

The group, which now included Catesby, his servant Thomas Bates, both Wright brothers, Percy and Ambrose Rookwood, rode on to Dunchurch.

The next day the group stole horses from Warwick Castle, although with his fine cortege, Ambrose Rookwood avoided the town.

Ambrose Rookwood admitted that he could not expect mercy, but asked for it anyway, so as not to leave a "blemish and blot unto all ages".

Ambrose Rookwood had asked to be informed when he passed by his lodgings in the Strand, so that he could open his eyes and see his wife, waiting at the window.

Ambrose Rookwood was next, and made a short speech to the assembled audience.

Ambrose Rookwood was repentant, asking God to bless the king, queen, and their "royal progeny", but "spoil[ed] all the pottage with one filthy weed" by beseeching God to make the king a Catholic.

Ambrose Rookwood seems to have been left to hang for longer than the others, before suffering the remainder of his sentence.