The recent jewel theft at the Louvre made headlines around the world, but it’s hardly the first time history’s treasures have disappeared in daring fashion. From stolen crowns to vanished masterpieces, history is filled with bold heists that continue to fascinate and mystify us today.
Here are some of the most famous and well-documented heists ever recorded in historical newspapers, stories that continue to capture imaginations even centuries later:
The theft of England’s Crown Jewels (1671)
In 1671, Colonel Thomas Blood, an Irish adventurer and master of disguise, hatched one of the most audacious plots in British history. Pretending to be a clergyman, he visited the Tower of London several times with a woman posing as his wife, winning the trust of the elderly keeper, Talbot Edwards. On his final visit, he arrived with three accomplices under the pretext of arranging a marriage between his “nephew” and Edwards’s daughter.
Once inside the Jewel House, the men turned on their host — gagging and binding Edwards before seizing the royal orb, sceptre, and crown. The crown itself was flattened with a mallet to fit under Blood’s cloak as the gang bolted for the gate, calling out “Stop the rogues!” to divert suspicion. They nearly made it, but were chased down on Tower Wharf by Captain Beckman, who captured Blood after a pistol misfired.
The 1911 Morning Leader account on OldNews.com describes the strange aftermath: Blood showed “impudence to the last,” declaring it had been “a gallant attempt, however unsuccessful.” Even more astonishing, King Charles II pardoned him — and rewarded him with land in Ireland worth £500 a year.
As The Morning Leader put it in a 1911 article describing the heist:
“Not only did King Charles pardon Blood, but gave him a grant of land… The only payment from the Crown. Why Blood was so treated may never be known.” Perhaps it was in admiration for the man’s sheer audacity.
Napoleon’s soldiers and the “Looting of Europe” (1790s–1815)
While Napoleon Bonaparte may not have personally plundered the treasures of conquered nations, his armies certainly did. According to a 1916 account in The Freeman’s Journal (Sydney) from OldNews.com, the Emperor “permitted looting by his generals and troops, and denuded all the museums and national institutions of the countries which he invaded of their principal treasures.” Priceless artworks, manuscripts, and antiquities were sent to Paris to fill the Louvre and decorate the monuments of France.
Freeman’s Journal, August 24, 1916. Source: OldNews.com
When the Allied forces entered Paris in 1814, they began the enormous task of tracing and reclaiming what had been taken. However, many treasures had already vanished into private collections, never to be seen again.
Not every treasure taken during Napoleon’s campaigns was lost forever. Some works resurfaced years or even centuries later, far from the battlefields of Europe. One notable example was a painting by Murillo, once left behind by French soldiers during their looting of a Spanish convent in 1810. Too large to carry, the artwork eventually passed into private hands and, more than a century later, was acquired by the National Gallery of Canada.
Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, Dec. 28, 1933, via OldNews.com
The Irish Crown Jewels vanish (1907)
In 1907, the Crown Jewels of Ireland — the ceremonial regalia of the Order of St. Patrick — vanished from a safe inside Dublin Castle, sparking one of the strangest investigations of the early 20th century.
According to a 1908 report in The Chronicle (Adelaide), the official inquiry revealed a mix of scandal and superstition. The dismissed Ulster King of Arms, Sir Arthur Vicars, turned in desperation to clairvoyants and “dreamers” to locate the missing jewels, even searching churchyards outside Dublin on their advice. He also pointed suspicion toward Francis R. Shackleton, brother of famed Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton, claiming he may have copied the keys while visiting Vicars’ residence.
Despite the sensational rumors, the jewels were never recovered, and the case remains one of Ireland’s great unsolved mysteries.
Chronicle, February 22, 1908. Source: OldNews.com
The Great Gold Robbery of 1855
In the spring of 1855, newspapers were buzzing with news of a daring theft on the route between London and Paris. As reported in The Spectator (May 26, 1855), treasure in transit aboard the South Eastern Railway and Boulogne packet had vanished without a trace. Three boxes containing about 200 pounds of gold arrived in Paris perfectly sealed, yet inside, the gold had been replaced with bags of lead shot.
Early reports suggested the switch had taken place near Folkestone, where the treasure was transferred to the steamer bound for France. A large reward was offered, but investigators were baffled by how the thieves had managed to open, empty, and reseal the heavy boxes so flawlessly.
It was only later that police learned the robbers had forged duplicate keys, entered the safes in transit, and substituted the shot to disguise their work. The culprits — a group of railway insiders led by Edward Agar — were eventually caught, but their ingenuity turned the case into legend.
The Spectator, May 26 1855, Somerset, Massachusetts. Credit: OldNews.com
Why these stories still matter
Heist stories have been captivating us for centuries, perhaps because they let us taste rebellion, to admire boldness and defiance, while still yearning for justice to prevail. They thrill us with both the chase and the reveal.
Family history offers a similar kind of intrigue. We dig into what was hidden, question what we thought we knew, and reclaim what time tried to erase. In uncovering our stories, we become both detectives and restorers — daring, in our own quiet way, to rewrite what was lost.
Be the hero who rescues the lost treasures in your own family’s past. Start your search now at myheritage.com.
The post Uncovering History’s Greatest Heists: When the World’s Treasures Went Missing appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.
Source: My Heritage
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