Peter Vowell

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Peter Vowell (died 10 July 1654) was a schoolteacher executed as a Catholic and Royalist conspirator.

In May 1654 Vowell, from Islington, was arrested for his part in a plot to assassinate Oliver Cromwell as the Lord Protector and his guard of thirty mounted troops, travelled to Hampton Court. The allegation was that Vowell was to help seize the horses while they grazed in Islington fields. The Government received intelligence of the plot; the route was diverted and arrests were made. On 30 June Vowell and John Gerard were found guilty of treason by the High Court of Justice sitting at Westminster Hall. Ten days later Gerard was beheaded at the Tower and Vowell hanged at Charing Cross. A third plotter, Summerset Fox was transported to Barbados as he had confessed. The investigation of the plot led to the Catholics being blamed and hostility towards France.

[edit] References

• The TRIALL OF Mr. John Gerhard, Mr. Peter Vowell, and Sommerset Fox
• Chronicle of Britain ISBN 1-872031-35-8
• http://www.olivercromwell.org/islington.htm