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Ambrose Rookwood was one of the conspirators in the 1605 Gunpowder Plot – the attempt to blow up and kill James I and as many members of Parliament as was possible. Rookwood was caught and after a brief trial was executed.

Ambrose Rookwood was born in about 1578. His family was well respected and could trace its local influence back to the time of Edward III. The Rookwood’s were ardent Catholics and Ambrose was brought up as a Catholic. The treatment of his family almost certainly angered him – his parents were both fined and imprisoned and all the children, including Ambrose, were smuggled out of England and educated in Flanders.

In 1600 Ambrose Rookwood inherited his father’s considerable estates and they quickly became a refuge for priests. However, Rookwood was not a dour man and he enjoyed dressing up in expensive clothes and enjoying himself. He did not fit in with the image of the ultra-serious Catholics associated with the Gunpowder Plot. But Rookwood took his religion seriously – as the Jesuit John Gerrard later wrote.

Rookwood’s part in the plot was simple – he was to provide the conspirators with horses so that the news of the success of the plot could be relayed throughout the land as quickly as possible. Rookwood had also provided Robert Catesby with gunpowder. Rookwood believed that this gunpowder was going to be used by a newly formed Catholic regiment and when later questioned after his arrest, Rockwood made it plain that he had been initially shocked by the suggestion by the other conspirators that it was going to be used for the plot. He was persuaded by Catesby that it was not a sin to kill innocent people and this brought him round to supporting its use in the plot.

To be nearer to what was happening, Rookwood took out lodgings in London either in later October or very early in November. He was joined at these lodgings by another conspirator, Robert Keyes.

Rookwood was one of the last to leave London after the discovery of Guy Fawkes. However, he had placed his horses well and soon caught up with the other conspirators at Holbeche House. Rookwood survived the shootings at Holbeche but was wounded. He was brought back to London to face trial. At his trial he admitted his part in the plot but asked for mercy as he had not played any part in developing the plot. Mercy was not shown. He was sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered – the punishment for treason.

Rookwood was executed on January 31st 1606 in Old Palace Yard, Westminster. In his final speech he again confessed to what he had done and ask for forgiveness. Rookwood asked God to bless James I. Witnesses stated that some of those people at the execution were moved to tears by his speech.

 

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