In
December 1585, Gilbert Clifford was arrested in Sussex. While being
interviewed, Clifford confessed that he had been involved in a Catholic
plot to overthrow Elizabeth
I.
The man in charge of protecting Elizabeth was Francis
Walsingham. He offered to release Clifford if he was willing to
work as a double-agent. Clifford agreed and went to his contact in
the French embassy telling him that he knew how to smuggle letters
to and from Mary
Stuart.
He explained that every week a barrel of beer was sent from Burton
to where Mary was imprisoned. Clifford arranged to have letters placed
in a waterproof package inside the stopper of the barrel.
Another
double-agent, Thomas Philips, who was inside the prison, told Mary
how she would be receiving letters in her beer barrel. However, before
they were placed inside the beer barrel, they were read by Walsingham.
More importantly, Francis Walsingham
was also able to read the letters that Mary sent to her Catholic friends
in France and Spain. In these letters Mary explained how she wanted
France and Spain to help her become queen by invading England.
Walsingham allowed the
letters to continue to be
sent because he wanted to discover who else was
involved in this plot to overthrow Elizabeth.
Eventually, on 25 June 1586, Mary wrote
a letter to Anthony Babington. In his
reply, Babington
told Mary that he and a group of
six friends were planning to murder Elizabeth.
Walsingham was now ready
to act. Babington was arrested and his home was searched for documents
that would provide evidence against him. When interviewed, Babington
made a confession in which he admitted that Mary had written a letter
supporting the plot.
Anthony
Babington and six others were executed for high treason on 18
September, 1586. An attempt to kill the monarch was the most serious
crime in England
and the punishment was to be hung, drawn and quartered. The men were
tied face downwards on a hurdle drawn by horses. They were then dragged
through the streets of London. At Tyburn
they were hung for a short period. After being revived the men had
their intestines cut out.
At the execution the crowd
complained about the agonies the men had to suffer before they died.
When she heard this Elizabeth gave instructions that the rest of the
conspirators due to be executed the next day should be dead before
they were cut down.
Elizabeth was also against
Mary Stuart being executed for her
part in the plot, and for six weeks refused to sign her death warrant.
Walsingham and Parliament insisted that Mary should die. On 8 February,
1587 Mary was beheaded. Afterwards, Elizabeth claimed that she had
not given permission for Mary to be executed. As a result, Davidson,
the man responsible for the execution, was fined £6,000 and
imprisoned in the Tower of London.
(1)
Letter sent by Anthony
Babington to Mary
Stuart (July, 1586)
We... will undertake the delivery of your royal persons from
the hands of your enemies... For the dispatch of the usurper (Elizabeth)...
six noble gentlemen, who, for the zeal they have to the Catholic cause...
will undertake that tragical execution.
(2)
Letter sent by Mary
Stuart to Anthony
Babington (July, 1586)
When all is ready, the six gentlemen must be set to work,
and.... when it is accomplished, I may be in some way got away from
here... then we will await foreign assistance.
(3)
Letter from the Earl of Leicester to Francis
Walsingham describing Elizabeth's
response to Mary's letter asking to be spared (December, 1586)
There is a letter from
the Scottish Queen, that hath wrought tears... the delay (in executing
Mary) is too dangerous.
(4)
H. Amold-Forster, History of England
(1898)
While Mary
was in England, plot
after plot was made against Elizabeth by Mary's friends, and by men
who looked to her as their rightful queen. Whether Mary knew of these
plots is uncertain... Letters were found... but there were many who
said then, and many who still believe, that these letters were forgeries
- that is to say, that they were written by Mary's enemies for the
purpose of making people believe she was guilty.
(5)
In
his chronicle, Robert Wynkfielde described the execution of Mary
Stuart.
The executioners,
kneeling, desired her Grace to forgive them her death: who answered,
"I forgive you with all my heart, for now, I hope, you shall
make an end to all my troubles."... Then she, lying very still
upon the block, one of the executioners holding her slightly with
one of his hands, she endured two strokes of the axe... Her lips stirred
up and down a quarter of an hour after her head was cut off.
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