The Torture of Father Gerard

Many stories survive that detail the grisly and often inhumane tactics employed by the Society of Beefeaters (or tower wardens) at the request of the monarchy during the Tower of London’s notorious past, but few are as gripping as the tale told by the surviving spy, Father John Gerard.Late in the year 1588 Father Gerard was one of four Jesuit priests sent from Rome to England with the intent of making contact with, and ministering to, the countries Roman Catholic population. He joined a clandestine network of underground Roman Catholic operatives that were controlled from the headquarters in London.For a time, he roamed undiscovered while attending his mission by passing himself off as an uninterested man of means, while in fact his mission made extensive inroads in the Catholic community. Three of the four in his landing party were eventually discovered and executed. Father Gerard was the sole surviving member of his team, although he too, was eventually captured. A household servant betrayed him.He was held in captivity for three long years, during which he endured indescribable tortures. Descriptions of his period of captivity can be found in the book he wrote upon his final escape, “An Autobiography of an Elizabethan”. The intent of the Beefeaters was to establish that he had in fact been sent to London to organize and augment a plan to overthrow the Queen.This amazing period in British history is as intriguing as it is dark, but the underlying principle, as is always used as the justification for the use of torture techniques was to protect the British State at all costs. A great trove of documentation and history can be found in the Tower Museum and all visitors to Kensington are urged to make it a highlight to their stay. Hotels in Kensington are ready willing and able to provide transportation assistance to those seeking to tour the museum district and Kensington hotels are well positioned to make seeing all of the sites an affordable venture.