[4] At the time of the Titus Oates scare, or "Popish Plot", two servants, Bolron and Mowbray, who had been discharged from Sir Thomas Gascoigne's service for dishonesty, sought vengeance and reward by revealing a supposed plot by Gascoigne and others to murder King Charles II.
Nevertheless, Gascoigne, his daughter Lady Tempest, Thwing, and others were arrested on the night of 7 July 1679, and removed to London for trial at Newgate.
In reality, they were not conspirators but supporters of the new convent at Dolebank which Gascoigne's daughter Lady Tempest had recently founded.
Sir Miles Stapleton was also acquitted, as was another alleged conspirator, Mary Pressicks: the judges, showing far more impartiality than in earlier Popish Plot trials, ruled that her statement that "we shall never be at peace till we are all of the Roman Catholic faith" was not treasonable, but a simple expression of opinion.
Despite the acquittal of Stapleton and Mrs. Pressicks, Thwing was promptly found guilty on the very same evidence upon which his relatives had been acquitted.
[4] The King at first reprieved him, but owing to a remonstrance of the Commons the death warrant was issued on the day after the meeting of Parliament.
[2] According to the antiquary Francis Drake (1736) he was buried in the churchyard of St Mary Castlegate, York (nearest to York Castle) in a coffin with this inscription on a brass plate: R D Thomas Thweng of Heworth collegii Anglo-Duaceni sacerdos, post 15 annos in Anglicana missione transactos Eboraci condemnatus, martyrio affectus est Oct die 23 anno Dom.
Duobus falsis testibus ob crimen conspirationis tunc temporis catholicis maliciose (?)