Who stole the British crown jewels?

You might think nobody would have the skill or the courage to steal something as precious and easily recognizable as the crown jewels. But on 9 May, 1671, a daring Irishman, Colonel Thomas Blood, made a near successful attempt to steal them. Although he and his accomplices were caught and imprisoned in the Tower of London, they were not executed, as everyone had expected. Instead, the King, Charles II was so impressed by the audacity of the robbers that he pardoned them, and even gave Colonel Blood a place at court and lands in Ireland!