Walsingham
Name: Sir Francis Walsingham
Achievements: Ran foreign affairs and espionage in government of Queen Elizabeth
Born: c. 1532; probably Footscray, Kent, England
Died: April 6, 1590, London, England (Aged about 58)
Field & Discipline: Espionage
Language: English
Father:: William Walsingham
Mother: Joyce Denny
Siblings: 5 sisters: Mary
Spouse: 1) Anne Barnes; 2) Ursula Worsley
Children: By Ursula Worsley: Frances; Mary
Education: King's College, Cambridge; Gray's Inn law school, London
Life & Times:
When the Catholic Mary Tudor became Queen Mary of England in 1553, Walsingham, a Protestant, felt it prudent to go abroad. While in self-exile, he learned the ins and outs of international diplomacy. When Protestant Queen [spymaster to] Elizabeth* succeeded Mary five years later, he returned home and was elected to Parliament. Impressed by Walsingham's expertise in foreign affairs, the Queen's first minister, [boss was] Cecil* (Lord Burghley), drafted him to be a spy, and for two years, Walsingham spied on foreign spies working in England.
Walsingham did so well that in 1569 he was put in charge of the English secret service. In 1570, as envoy to the French court, he tried to persuade the French to be more tolerant of the Protestant Huguenots. But the French rejected his approach and on St. Bartholomew's Day in August, 1572, Catholics led by the Duke of Guise and the King's mother, [work related to] Catherine de’Medici*, murdered the Huguenot leader and many of his followers. During the Paris massacre, Walsingham gave sanctuary to English visitors, including the poet [gave sanctuary to] Sidney*.
In 1573, Elizabeth made Walsingham Secretary of State and a member of the Privy Council. Though the Queen and Cecil kept control of all major issues, they relied on Walsingham to keep England safe from plots and rebellions and to keep them informed about continental matters. Walsingham built up a network of spies whom he controlled ruthlessly.
Despite showing her appreciation with knighthood in 1577, and admittance to the Order of the Garter in 1578, the Queen paid little attention to Walsingham's advice until her favorite, the [vouched for by] Earl of Essex*, vouched for his abilities.
Essex and Walsingham fervently upheld Protestantism and both recognized the growing threat from Catholic Spain, particularly in the Netherlands.
In 1578, the Queen sent Walsingham (together with courtier [worked with] Fulke Greville*) to the Netherlands to try to reconcile Don John of Austria, the Spanish ruler of the Low Countries, and the Protestant rebel leader, William the Silent, Prince of Orange, but he was unsuccessful.
Walsingham and Essex agreed that the Queen's procrastination over a possible French marriage had become farcical and was harming relations with France. Walsingham wrote her a letter saying that if she refused to face up to her responsibilities, her councillors would rather be operating in Ethiopia than in England.
Considering this impudent, the queen took revenge by sending him on a diplomatic mission to Scotland where Catholics were trying to get Scottish King James VI (later James I of England) to negotiate with Spain for the release by Elizabeth of his mother, [uncovered plot by] Mary Queen of Scots*, who claimed Elizabeth’s throne.
Walsingham's vigilance in security matters won Elizabeth's praise in 1583 when he exposed a plot to free Mary Queen of Scots with the aid of France and Spain. Then, in 1586, he uncovered another plot which called for the murder of Elizabeth. Since Mary Queen of Scots was heavily involved in this, Walsingham and Cecil brought her to trial. Walsingham was on the commission that convicted her in 1586. She was put to death in February, 1587.
Walsingham's spy system came into major play when [spied on] Philip II of Spain* was preparing his Armada in 1587 for an attack on England. Walsingham learned about all naval preparations, which ships were commissioned, how they were armed, how many men had been enlisted, and even how much food each carried.
The Queen, however, refused to believe Walsingham's reports, but Essex and [supported by] Raleigh* did. England just managed to defeat the Spanish Armada, but it did not have the resources to pursue and destroy it after the battle.
Extra Connections: Kept tabs on radical [ran surveillance on] Bruno* during his stay in England.
Collected data from cartographer [collected data from] Hakluyt*
Recruited playwright [recruited as spy] Marlowe* as a spy
His doctor was [doctor was] Gilbert*
Assessment: Created an espionage system that did much to preserve the peace of the realm and sustain the Protestant religion
Oneliner: Sir Francis Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth’s spymaster
Bibliography:
- Conyers Read, Piers, Mr. Secretary Walsingham and the Policy of Queen Elizabeth, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1924-5.