Thomas Apletree (dates unknown)
Verbatim extract from Reginald's book.
Introduction.Page 4
Then there was a Thomas whose activities could, by a matter of six feet, have changed the entire history of this country. The incident on 17th July 1579 is recorded by Stow in his Survey of London.
Queen Elizabeth I and the French Ambassador were being rowed up the River Thames to Greenwich. It chanced that Thomas Appletree, a young man and servant to Mr. Henry Carey with two or three children of Her Majesty's Chapel and one Barnard Alton were rowing up and down firing at wi1d fowl. Thomas, shooting at random very rashly and by great misfortune shot one of the Queen's oarsmen clean through both his arms. Although Elizabeth was within six feet of the man she apparently maintained her composure admirably and took great compassion on the poor man.
Thomas was apprehended and examined by the Queen's Council with great diligence (which must have been a frightening and painful procedure) who pronounced the act most barbarous and wicked and sentenced him to death. He was committed to the Marshalsea Prison in Southwark.
On the Tuesday following he was taken out by the Knight Marshal's men, marched over London Bridge through the City, up Tower Hill along Radcliffe Highway to Blackwall and down to the waterside where a gibbet had been erected. Here he fell on his knees and prayed long and earnestly confessing his sins and disclaiming any intention of hurt to the Queen or anyone else. Then ascending the ladder the Executioner put the rope around his neck.
But suddenly Sir Christopher Hatton rode up with the Queen's pardon and the hangman was commanded to take the rope off Thomas's neck and Thomas was taken back to the Marshalsea.
There is in the Library of Lambeth Palace a broadsheet published at the time which tells the full story and gives Thomas's speech on the gallows as well as his prayer to the Queen written the night before he was due to be executed. He was fortunate that Henry Carey was a Courtier in favour at Court and a relative of Sir Christopher Hatton and Elizabeth's great favourite John Carey, otherwise he may well have suffered death. Thomas subsequently petitioned the Earl of Leicester for release from the Marshalsea.
Ann Heyman's article & BBC Broadcast
Ann has written her own and much fuller article concerning this frightening episode in which Thomas was pardoned on the gallows at the very last minute. She also talked in company with Chris Day (Chairman of the History Society) on 10 May 2011 to Tom Holland the presenter of the BBC programme Making History about Thomas' story. [For as long as the programme remains available start listening at time 10'52"]