<p>The Tower of London—<strong>a fortress, a palace, and one of history’s most feared prisons</strong>. Few who entered ever left, but in 1597,<strong>Father John Gerard</strong> pulled off one of the most<strong>daring escapes</strong> in history.</p><p>A Jesuit priest imprisoned for his faith, Gerard endured<strong>brutal torture</strong> at the hands of Elizabeth I’s interrogators. But even as his hands were mangled and his body broken, Gerard plotted his way to freedom. With the help of an underground network, a<strong>well-placed bribe</strong>, and a<strong>rope stretched across the Tower’s moat</strong>, Gerard risked everything in a<strong>death-defying escape</strong> that left the authorities baffled.</p><p>How did he outwit the Tower’s guards? What drove Elizabethan England’s<strong>obsession with crushing Catholic priests</strong>? And how did Gerard make sure his allies inside the Tower<strong>didn’t pay the price</strong> for his escape?</p><p>This is more than just a story of survival—<strong>it’s a masterclass in courage, strategy, and resilience.</strong></p><p>🔔<strong>Follow @TheHistoryMike</strong> on Instagram, TikTok, and The Lion &amp; The Rose onYouTube and Facebook for behind-the-scenes content and updates on the next episode in the<strong>Great Escapes Series</strong>!</p><p>🎧 Subscribe to<em>The Lion &amp; The Rose</em> for more thrilling stories from English history.</p><p></p>