Early Modern Rambler

Thomas Thynne’s portrait was advertised by Langley Curtis and Edward Cooper in the True Protestant Mercury of 21st February 1682 and later by Robert White in the same newspaper on 8th April.

Both advertisements appeared because Thynne was murdered in Pall Mall on 12th February after parting from his friend the Duke of Monmouth just fifteen minutes earlier.

Amidst the initial speculation surrounding the murder it was thought that it was ‘a design against him and the duke of Monmouth’ but it was soon discovered that his assassination had been ordered by his Swedish love rival Count Königsmark who “had some pretensions to the lady Ogle, whom Mr. Thin had since married:” [Luttrell, State Affairs, vol 1, p.164]

Königsmark and the three assassins were taken prisoner but the Count escaped to France after being released on bail. The other men were executed in early March. Thynne was buried in Westminster Abbey on 9th March.

Thynne’s murder excited a lot of attention including that of John Evelyn, who went to view the embalmed body of one of the murderers ‘it being one of the first, which was embaulmed by a particular art invented by one Will: Russell a Coffin Maker.’ [The diary and correspondence of John Evelyn, p.286.]

The portrait was part of a stream of printed response to the events.