Henry Wilmot, 1st Earl of Rochester, was a Royalist cavalry commander during the English Civil Wars and a close associate of Charles II. After the defeat at Worcester in 1651, Wilmot shared the king’s dangerous escape across England and helped organise hiding places and transport. He followed Charles into exile and undertook diplomatic and military missions for the royalist cause.
He died in 1658, two years before the Restoration. Henry Wilmot, 1st Earl of Rochester served as Earl of Rochester and Member of Parliament in the Parliament of England. Henry Wilmot, 1st Earl of Rochester is generally dated to 1612–1658.
Charles Spencer’s To Catch a King follows Henry Wilmot as one of the principal organisers of Charles II’s escape after Worcester, using his local contacts, military experience and willingness to take risks to move the defeated king through a country full of soldiers and informers. Georgette Heyer’s Royal Escape fictionalises the same episode and gives Wilmot a prominent place among the companions who improvise disguises, routes and safe houses while trying to keep Charles out of Parliamentarian hands.