The England of Elizabeth was a nation under threat, both from factions within and great powers without. Opposition to the Protestant establishment meant that the queen and her court constantly believe themselves menaces by subterfuge and plots. In this fragile climate, spies and spy networks were of cardinal importance. This is an unrivalled and impeccably detailed account of the 'secret services' operated by the great men of Elizabethan England. By stealthy efforts at home and abroad the Elizabethan spy clusters became forces to be feared. Kidnapping, surveillance, conspiracy, counter-espionage, theft and lying were just a few of the methods employed to defeat the ever-present threat of regicide. This book challenges many stale notions about espionage in Renaissance England and presents complex material in an absorbing way, so that the reign of Elizabeth I is shown in a compellingly new and bold light.
The England of Elizabeth was a nation under threat, both from factions within and great powers without. Opposition to the Protestant establishment meant that the queen and her court constantly believe themselves menaces by subterfuge and plots. In this fragile climate, spies and spy networks were of cardinal importance. This is an unrivalled and impeccably detailed account of the 'secret services' operated by the great men of Elizabethan England. By stealthy efforts at home and abroad the Elizabethan spy clusters became forces to be feared. Kidnapping, surveillance, conspiracy, counter-espionage, theft and lying were just a few of the methods employed to defeat the ever-present threat of regicide. This book challenges many stale notions about espionage in Renaissance England and presents complex material in an absorbing way, so that the reign of Elizabeth I is shown in a compellingly new and bold light.
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Overview
The England of Elizabeth was a nation under threat, both from factions within and great powers without. Opposition to the Protestant establishment meant that the queen and her court constantly believe themselves menaces by subterfuge and plots. In this fragile climate, spies and spy networks were of cardinal importance. This is an unrivalled and impeccably detailed account of the 'secret services' operated by the great men of Elizabethan England. By stealthy efforts at home and abroad the Elizabethan spy clusters became forces to be feared. Kidnapping, surveillance, conspiracy, counter-espionage, theft and lying were just a few of the methods employed to defeat the ever-present threat of regicide. This book challenges many stale notions about espionage in Renaissance England and presents complex material in an absorbing way, so that the reign of Elizabeth I is shown in a compellingly new and bold light.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780752473208 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | The History Press |
| Publication date: | 10/24/2011 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 240 |
| File size: | 2 MB |
| Age Range: | 18 Years |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
The Elizabethan Secret Services
By Alan Haynes
The History Press
Copyright © 2012 Alan HaynesAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-7524-7320-8
CHAPTER 1
Abduction and Execution
It's the job of an intelligence service to resolve a nation's obsessions.' Against the background of the rebellion of the earls, the Anglo-Netherlands trade rupture, as well as the publication of the contentious papal bull, the first major spy operation abroad under Cecil's direction was such a success 'that it set the standard for excellence throughout Elizabeth's reign'. Given the difficulties that left him vulnerable if the queen's confidence in him ebbed, it was imperative that it should succeed. In addition, as the benchmark for clandestine operations it prepared the way for the future successes of Walsingham when he entered the office of Principal Secretary of State. The capture and later execution of Dr John Story emphatically established in the minds of European politicians that Elizabethn England was not going to be supine before threats. For Cecil's countrymen it was a stunning coup, underlining the attractions of striking at the enemy wherever possible, even if they were under the protection of Philip II. It was a particularly brutal rebuff for the Duke of Alva for giving condemned traitors like the northern earls, not merely shelter in exile, but as it seemed, active encouragement.
John Story was born in London and took a first degree in civil law at Oxford in 1531. He obtained his doctorate in the same subject in 1538 when he was already a lecturer. His privileged position in the élite of education did not lead him to curb his tongue or temper his views, even when he was elected to Parliament in 1547. In the second session his contentious declaration that rule by a child was a national disaster was strident and offensive, and caused a collective outrage. He was sent to the Tower by the House of Commons and only released after an apology. Since the regime still clearly displeased him, he left England shortly after for exile in Louvain. There he kept company with monks and awaited his opportunity to return to England. This came with the death of Edward VI and the collapse of the flimsy Dudley resistance to the succession of Mary Tudor. Back in England and royal favour, he was rewarded with the renewal of his Oxford lectureship and diocesan appointments in London and Oxford. He played a zealot's part in the return of the kingdom to Catholicism, notably in the government's pursuit of Archbishop Cranmer, at whose trial Story was Queen's Proctor.
Story's power ended with the death of Mary. Given his recent public career he could probably only have escaped censure for a short time, but with the aggressive stance of the unrepentant he seemed to court it. Again he spoke in Parliament, this time scorning the Act of Supremacy. Though the government was slow to respond, in May 1560 he was sent to the Fleet prison, until the pressure of legislation meant that he had to try to escape (again?) in 1563. The bill in question was aimed 'against those that extol the power of the Bishop of Rome, and refuse the oath of allegiance'. Since Story did that his predicament is apparent and he was exceptionally fortunate to be able to enlist assistance in an escape. He and another prisoner managed to get into the prison garden, scale a wall in darkness, and then take refuge with the Spanish ambassador. Having sloughed off the taint of prison he was then spirited to Flanders with the aid of the ambassador's chaplain. Though he took Spanish citizenship and received a royal pension, it was never enough to maintain his young family of four children, as well as nephews and nieces, and so he fell in with Alva's offer of sundry work. According to John Marsh, Story was 'a preferer of all English traitors' business' with easy access to the duke. His friends might think being a searcher for smuggled Protestant literature was demeaning, but Story accepted the work.
One of his closest contact was John Prestall, whose dubious career as an intelligencer was likely prompted by Cecil. In exile, however, he maintained successfully the façade of being an enemy of Elizabeth and James VI. He and Story launched upon a plot for two royal murders and began to promote the possible prosecution of an invasion of England. By the spring of 1570 John Marsh was reporting that Cecil and Nicholas Bacon were also marked for assassination. Since he was reliable and well informed, Marsh had long been in Cecil's employ, and in 1569 and told him that the northern rebellion could expect assistance from Alva. Given the sour attitude that existed between England and the Spanish government of the Low Countries at this time, Cecil's notion of seizing Story for punishment probably went ahead with Elizabeth's approval. The strongly Protestant Marsh was perfectly placed to undertake the preparations for the snatch. As governor of the Merchant Adventurers, with Thomas Aldersey and Richard Saltonstall (later a lord mayor of London), he went to Brussels with government backing ostensibly to seek the mutual restitution of goods seized during the difficult trade embargo. Success in this matter was not important, for Elizabeth 'had every intention of keeping Alva at arm's length'. The negotiations instead became an excellent cover for Marsh's intelligence activities. In letters to Cecil he said little about trade, but he did report on the work of John Prestall, and he met other intelligencers – Lee, Taylor and Bradley (all called John). In Antwerp Lee lived at the sign of the Golden Stag and as a merchant knew the activities of the trading community. He also maintained contacts with a Jasper Himselroy who traded in English passports at the sign of the Gilded Head.
In the kidnap of Story twelve men were employed by Cecil, with Marsh linking the spy master to the men in the field. Lee took the key role in Antwerp and proved his wits in improvising as late problems beset the scheme. John Bradley lived in Bergen op Zoom at the disused English House, where he was the porter on the premises, and he was taken on by Lee to hire a Dutch ship with master and crew. John Taylor in Antwerp dealt with funds, paying £60 to the actual kidnappers, Roger Ramsden, Martin Bragge and Simon Jewkes, traders in the Low Countries who anticipated a hike in their careers if they were successful. Another important figure was William Parker, like Story employed as a searcher and supposedly a Catholic exile. Lee may have bought him, or he could have been paid by the Privy Council to go into exile. It is possible that he was a brother of the archbishop who had many relatives in the wool trade. The plan devised by Lee, after discussion, was simple but well fleshed. It hinged on Story being sufficiently zealous as a searcher that he would board an unknown ship to look for illicit items, especially books and pamphlets expounding the tenets of Protestantism. Knowing their man through Parker's assessment there was every reason to believe that he would indeed be lured, so Lee had to find an accommodating sea captain and crew. He settled on Robert Pygot who was already known to Cecil, but this choice was scuppered because the crew of Pygot's ship 'forsook the enterprise'. At least one of them was canny enough to suspect a plot, and on landing went to Parker to warn him in the belief that he was the likely victim.
If the plan was to go ahead this was where Lee had to improvise a solution, which he managed as Parker gently played down the dangers to himself. As far as the young kidnappers were concerned, Lee had to persuade them again that the inherent risks were worthwhile as their interest faltered. With trade taking a dive, however, and no immediate sign of an upswing, the appeals to patriotism were under pinned by hopes of reward from the most powerful man in the government. By the end of July 1570, the trio had become sufficiently motivated to take on the abduction. They travelled to Bergen, bought a ship that they considered again and resold, hired sailors and finally, through Bradley, found a Dutch sea captain for hire. They opted to rent his shop for a sum paid out of their own pockets, as they later recorded with regret as the prospect of reimbursement shrivelled. The whole effort now depended on the persuasive genius of William Parker and what he devised.
The operation itself was not as abrupt as some accounts have indicated. Parker told his colleague about three young Englishmen, all good Catholics as he also seemed to be, who knew of a ship carrying religious contraband. What reason he put up for passing on his information rather than acting on it is not known, but evidently he was glib enough for Story and so were the trio when he met them. He went to Antwerp to conduct a search and, moving from ship to ship in the huge and crowded harbour, spent days in company with them before the trap was sprung in Bergen. Lured to the English House, Story was then detained on board van Eyck's ship and 'clapped fast under hatches'. The vessel then sailed to Yarmouth carrying Parker and Story, nobody but Marsh knowing of the former's complicity and so effectively extending his career as an agent. Story yet maintained a robust attitude to his detention and, although in theory guarded by the trio, even managed a brief escape. Aided by a man called Gosling and an accomplice, his surge of good fortune only faltered because his kidnappers picked up the trail. He was recaptured after this brief flurry. No wonder instructions were sent requiring the slippery prisoner be kept incommunicado.
The bailiffs of Yarmouth then received their orders from the Privy Council. Story was to be sent under custody to the Bishop of London's residence, where he was to be delivered to Thomas Watts, Archdeacon of Middlesex. He was experienced in dealing with elements like Story, but had no relish for the task this time. The prisoner was to be held safely to ensure he did not escape while the Lollard's Tower was prepared for him – new locks were thought necessary. Watts wriggled somewhat, declaring that only recently he had been dangerously sick of the ague and could still only venture out in fine weather. However, by early September he had successfully discharged his duty and Story was placed in the Lollard's Tower which he knew intimately from his time spent examining Marian Protestants there. In December 1570 he was moved to the Tower of London, a fact which worried de Spes who thought it presaged torture on the rack installed there. Story remained in company with William Parker until the trial held in May 1571, and both seem to have lived a fairly comfortable existence because to differentiate between them might have aroused suspicions. The claim from the Lieutenant of the Tower for their charges, 1 February – 7 April, amounted to some £20 for diet, keeper, fuel and candles. Cecil's problem was now a judicial one – with what should Story be charged so that he might be executed without glaring discredit?
Whether in chains or not Dr Story had lost control of his own fate. Those who had brought him back to incarceration now found they were dependent too on the goodwill of Cecil and this brought sore disappointment. Ramsden, Bragge and Jewkes had set aside modest careers to undertake what had been set before them as their duty to their country and their sovereign. Having successfully completed the task, albeit with one major slip, soon rectified, they found their employer reluctant to reimburse them. They approached John Marsh, and he submitted their claim to Cecil and Leicester for some £300, but a week after a cool response from the top he proved much less supportive. Even so they did eventually retrieve something, though less than they had claimed, and no supplement for a job well done. Perhaps, as has been suggested, Cecil thought to use them again and this was his way of keeping them dependent. If so, it seems a very curious method and it looks as if they were shut out by Marsh himself wanting credit for the whole operation. Cecil, in one of his last letters to him on the matter, made the macabre joke that if the trio were not satisfied, they could have Story's remains (post-execution) to sell as relics. Simon Jewkes did return to The Netherlands by July 1573, no doubt rueful about the ways of great men. He does not seem to have been averse to a little intelligencing, for he wrote out material on political and military matters for William Herle, long an agent of Cecil's, and sent it to him in London.
In comparison with Bradley and Lee, the three kidnappers, if apparently ill used, did not suffer greatly. The former had simply hired van Eyck and his ship, but when this was made public he had to flee, leaving his wife and children behind. Alva's agents seized his property and his family was harassed by the Bishop of Antwerp; their situation worsened in 1574 when Bergen was occupied by Spanish troops. Marsh knew of this and did try to get help for Bradley, but their sometime employer seems to have ignored their plight. As for Lee – at first his part in the coup was overlooked, although the exiled Richard Norton, who had lost close relatives after the northern rebellion, did try to have him arrested for revealing all that had passed in Parker's house. Lee received a warning about this from an unlikely source – the Earl of Westmorland – and managed to hide the documents that would have incriminated him. Unlike his colleagues in the affair he did receive an annuity, but in the spring of 1573 he was arrested and his place in Antwerp was filled by another agent, Edward Woodshaw, whose task was to watch and report on Westmorland. Lee was probably executed.
Only Marsh and Parker flourished in the aftermath of the operation. Prestall was allowed to return to England, but only as a prisoner, and for years he was shunted in and out of prisons. Marsh continued to receive favours from Cecil, including a grant of concealed lands, but it was Parker who did best of all. Perhaps this was merited, for he had the most exhausting part and seems to have suffered some sort of breakdown on his return to England in company with the man he had betrayed. He recovered during the months he and Story were held, a lengthy period that requires an explanation. In the first place there was the hope that if Story was ignorant of just who had betrayed him, he might let fall some further useful information. Secondly, there was the possibility that Parker's career as a spy might be extended, so allowing him to penetrate more dissident groups. The notion was supported by the spy himself when he wrote to Cecil and mentioned his luck in sharing the family name of a noted Catholic exile since 1569, Henry Parker, Lord Morley. He had gone first to Flanders, where his health also broke down, and then removed to Spain where he died in 1577. There was also a third possibility – that Cecil was doing some forward planning to counter any conspiracy being worked up by the exiles, for the abduction of Story aroused strong passions among them.
William Parker was available as a trusted agent in the spring of 1571, when Cecil was applying himself to unravelling the complexities of the second Ridolphi Plot. In the first half of April that year as the third parliament of the reign assembled, Lord Cobham, Warden of the Cinque Ports, sent Cecil (now Lord Burghley) a mysterious packet. It contained letters, a copy of the infamous papal bull, as well as ciphered papers. Cobham linked these to a Flemish-Scot, Charles Bailly, who had arrived in Dover from Europe and was employed as an agent by the Bishop of Ross. Burghley gave the material his attention, but the letters concerning Mary, Queen of Scots, were relatively innocuous if they were being scrutinized for any hints of treason. The cipher items to Ross, Lord Lumley and Norfolk were immediately more suggestive and at least offered the hope of something incriminating. The obvious problem to be overcome was the absence of a key and, since it was thought Bailly might help to penetrate the mystery, he was held for a time in the Marshalsea. To get a very frightened young man to talk freely would require an agent with some expertise and Burghley's choice was William Herle.
Burghley's comment on the agent who had been in his employ for some time was that he was a man 'of very good quality'. This seems to refer to connections with several Catholic aristocratic families, and Herle was certainly well educated and a linguist. His employment at this rather demeaning low level indicates the precarious finances of many men of his class, aggravated as they were in his case by the cost of supporting his sister and her children. Even so, being chained and left without a table, chair or clout for wiping himself did nothing for his pocket, and he claimed eventually that this period of extreme discomfort cost him £50. Secretly briefed by Burghley and not known as an agent by his gaolers, Herle made approaches to Bailly. His relief at finding someone to talk to (in French?) led him into indiscretions about the papers he had relinquished. On 11 April Herle reported that Bailly was 'the most secret minister of all ill-practices in Flanders'; an exaggerated notion, but still it led to removal to the Tower. Before this Herle was supposed to prise out details of Bailly's ciphers, but he failed, having inadvertently let slip something that alarmed the now silent courier.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Elizabethan Secret Services by Alan Haynes. Copyright © 2012 Alan Haynes. Excerpted by permission of The History Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Table of Contents
Contents
Preface,Acknowledgements,
Introduction,
One
Abduction and Execution,
Two
Home and Abroad,
Three An Enigma and Secrets,
Four 'Men Must Dissemble',
Five
Mayhem and Money,
Six
Agents and Conspirators,
Seven Babington Baited,
Eight Babington Snared,
Nine
More Spanish Practices,
Ten
Death of a Spy,
Eleven The Mild Intelligencer,
Twelve The Lopez Conspiracy,
Thirteen A Semi-Official Secret Service,
Fourteen 'Secret Spialls',
Fifteen Spy Master v. Counter-Spy,
Sixteen Routine And Rebellion,
Afterword,
Abbreviations,
Bibliography,
Notes,