"... And there was worse than this: there were rumours of civil war in England, where the people had grown weary of the bigoted tyranny of King James. It was reported that William of Orange had been invited to come over.Weeks passed, and every ship from home brought additional news. William had crossed to England, and in March of that year 1689 they learnt in Jamaica that he had accepted the crown and that James had thrown himself into the arms of France for rehabilitation..."
- from "Captain Blood" by Rafael Sabatini (1922)
The 1922 novel Captain Blood is fictional, but based on history. In the 1935 movie version, Errol Flynn starred as Dr Peter Flood, a medic from Ireland who helped some of the Duke of Monmouth's 'rebels' of 1685, for which he was transported to the West Indies as a slave. After various adventures there, news reaches him of the 1688 Glorious Revolution and Blood is pardoned by the new King William III.
The real history is just as interesting. Henry Pitman was a real doctor to Monmouth's men, and he was also sold to the Carribean; he returned to England after the Glorious Revolution and his memoirs - A Relation of the Great Sufferings and Strange Adventures of Henry Pitman, Chyrurgion to the late Duke of Monmouth - was printed in 1689.
An associate was Rev Timothy Cruso a Presbyterian minister in London, who died in 1697 (Wikipedia here); one of his published sermons celebrated the Glorious Revolution, entitled The Mighty Wonders of a Merciful Providence in a Sermon preached on January 31 1688/9. Being the Day of Publick Thanksgiving to God for the Great Deliverance of this Kingdom by His Highness the Prince of Orange (online here). And yes, the surname Cruso is believed to have been the inspiration for Robinson Crusoe, the novel by another of the Duke of Monmouth's rebel, Daniel Defoe.
• DR PETER BLOOD / THOMAS BLOOD THE DOCTOR?
So who was the real Blood? Thomas Blood was the Ireland-born Presbyterian planner of what became known as "Blood's Plot", an attempt to storm Dublin Castle in 1663 against the government of King Charles II.
According to Rev Patrick Adair's True Narrative (in chapter 17) the discussions for what became "Blood's Plot" began in Newtownards at the home of Rev John Greg. Also present were Thomas Blood, his brother in law Rev William Leckey, Rev Andrew Stewart and a Captain James Moor(e) of Ballybregah (Ballybredagh, between Killinchy and Killyleagh).
The plot was exposed by an informer on 22 May 1663. Numerous Ulster Presbyterian ministers were arrested on suspicion of involvement - Rev John Crookshanks of Raphoe, Rev Andrew McCormick of Magherally and Rev William Richardson of Killyleagh to name but three, as well as Adair himself.
In a footnote, Adair explains that Thomas Blood later fled to England where he became a doctor - "he lived for some time at Rumford, where he followed the medical profession, under the assumed name of Dr. Clarke. He then attempted to take the Crown and Crown Jewels out of the Tower..."
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