Arthur Thistlewood
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
Arthur Thistlewood (1770—1820) was a British conspirator.
He acquired revolutionary views while traveling in France and America and, after his return to England, joined the revolutionary Spencean Society in London.
In 1816, he organized a public meeting at Spa Fields, at which a revolution was to be started. However, the meeting was easily dispersed, and Thistlewood was arrested and narrowly escaped conviction for treason.
A year later, he was imprisoned for challenging Lord Sidmouth, the home secretary, to a duel.
Upon his release (1819), Thistlewood, dissatisfied with the milder efforts of his colleagues, plotted the assassination of cabinet members at a cabinet dinner. The government, apprised of the conspiracy, surprised the plotters at their arsenal in a Cato Street loft. Thistlewood was subsequently convicted of treason and executed for his part in what is known as the Cato Street Conspiracy.
