Born: 1650
Birthplace: Waltham, Essex, England
Died: 1685
Location of death: London, England
Cause of death: Murder

Gender: Male
Race or Ethnicity: White
Occupation: Criminal

Nationality: England
Executive summary: English conspirator

English conspirator, born about 1650 at Waltham, Essex, the son of a farmer. He began his career by robbing his father, and, after a rambling life, took to coining false money, for which offense and others he was many times imprisoned. False to everyone, he first tried to involve the Duke of Monmouth and others by concocting information about a Presbyterian plot against the throne, and this having been proved a lie, he pretended to have discovered a Catholic plot against King Charles II. This was known as the "Mealtub Plot", from the place where the incriminating documents were hidden at his suggestion, and found by the king's officers by his information. Mrs. Elizabeth Cellier -- in whose house the tub was, almoner to the countess of Powis, who had befriended Dangerfield when he posed as a Catholic, was, with her patroness, actually tried for high treason and acquitted (1680). Dangerfield, when examined at the bar of the House of Commons, made other charges against prominent Papists, and attempted to defend his character by publishing, among other pamphlets, Dangerfield's Narrative. This led to his trial for libel, and on the 29th of June 1685 he received sentence to stand in the pillory on two consecutive days, be whipped from Aldgate to Newgate, and two days later from Newgate to Tyburn. On his way back he was struck in the left eye with a bamboo cane by a barrister, Robert Frances, and died shortly afterwards from the blow. The barrister was tried and executed for the murder.

Father: (farmer)

    Ran Away From Home
    Counterfeiting
    Escaped from Prison
    Escaped from Prison Chelmsford (1675)
    Pardoned (Mar-1680)
    Libel (29-Jun-1685)
    Pilloried (1685)

Do you know something we don't?
Submit a correction or make a comment about this profile

Copyright ©2019 Soylent Communications