Tower of London is known for many
things but not many know of the two remarkable cats
that made history in Tower of London.
Although their names are not recorded
their incredible antics along with their devotion to
their famous owners were. These two Felines deserve
to be famous in their own right.
3rd
Earl of Southampton
In 1601, Henry Wriothesley the 3rd Earl of Southampton who
was once a patron of William Shakespeare imprudently became
entangled in the Earl of Essex's rebellion. In no time he
was thrown into the Tower.
Once in the tower, his cat began seeking
him out and eventually found and made his way to his master
by climbing down a chimney and stayed with him during his
entire captivity.
While in prison the Earl had his portrait
painted along with his cat. In the portrait one could see
a solemn looking black and white cat with large amber eyes
that were thoughtful.
Sir
Henry Wyat
This cat story is truly incredible because
this famous cat brought pigeons as food to its owner during
his imprisonment in the Tower.
Sir Henry Wyat was the keeper of the Jewels
during the reign of Henry VII and Henry VIII. He eventually
fall out of favor with Henry VIII and was imprisoned.
The main reason Sir Henry was able to
survive and not die of starvation is because of his beloved
cat's initiative. His cat provided food for his master by
hunting and bringing the pigeons to his cell. Sir Henry
was also able to convince a compassionate jailer to cook
the pigeons!
