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The Babington Plot

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The Babington Plot Elizabeth Year 9 Summer Assessment Revision Sheet Overview Elizabeth came to power in 1558, inheriting problems with religion, poverty and foreign policy. Historians in the 1970s thought that, when Elizabeth came to the throne, the country was about to collapse. Elizabeth restored the stability and the status of the monarchy: She solved the religious tensions by following a 'middle way' which allowed Catholics and Puritans to keep their private beliefs as long as they went to the Church of England in public. However, she hunted, tortured and executed Catholic priests who came into England to undermine her power. She survived plots and rebellions, and executed Mary Queen of Scots in 1587. She encouraged the 'Gloriana' myth, and commissioned portraits which presented her as pure and powerful. Her reign was a time of art, music and literature. She defeated the Armada, and by the end of her reign England was a world power which had set up its first colony. Elizabeth I is regarded by many as one of England's greatest monarchs, whose reign laid the foundations of England's greatness. But is this true? She was as 'bloody' as Mary and executed many more people for religion than her father. She established a network of spies and informers to ensure her safety. Far from encouraging Parliament, she bullied and controlled it, ran the government as she wished and even arrested an MP when he complained. The Armada was a triumph – but it was also a very lucky escape. You could compare Elizabeth's reign to that of Henry VIII. Why is she regarded as England's greatest monarch, when he is regarded as a monster? Also compare her reign to that of Charles I. Why was she able to establish a secure and powerful monarchy, when he caused a civil war and lost his head? Religion Timeline 1558: Elizabeth ascended the throne of England 1559: Act of Supremacy, Act of Uniformity and royal Injunctions set out how the Church would be organised1565: Rules published about clerical dress following disagreements about what priests should wear. William Fulke expelled from St John’s College Cambridge for persuading college to discard the surplice. 1568: Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, a Catholic escaped Scotland to England and was placed under house arrest. 1569: Defeat of the Rebellion of Northern earls to depose Elizabeth I and replace her with Mary Queen of 1570: Elizabeth was excommunicated by Pius IV 1571: Defeat of the Ridolfi Plot to depose Elizabeth I with an invasion from the Spanish Netherlands 1574: Arrival of Douai priests 1575: Archbishop Grindal refused to obey orders to suppress prophesying 1580: Jesuit priests arrived in England 1584: Defeat of the Throckmorton Plot to overthrow Elizabeth I with a combined force of English and French Elizabeth and Government What Key Features Role Court The court was a body of people who To entertain and advise the monarch lived in, or near the same place of house A public display of wealth and power as the monarch. The court was made Courtiers had influence with the monarch up of members of the nobility. They rather than actual power were the monarch’s key servants, advisers and friends. Attending court required the monarch’s permission Privy The Privy Council was made up of To debate current issues and advise the Council leading courtiers and advisers as well as monarch on government policy nobles and very senior government Made sure the monarch’s final decisions officials like Sir William Cecil. There were carried out were approximately 19 members of the Oversaw law and order, local government Privy Council, chosen by the monarch. and the security of England They met at least three times a week Monitored Justices of the Peace and the meetings were often attended Monitored the proceedings in Parliament and presided over by the monarch. Parliament Parliament was made up of the House of To grant extraordinary taxation Lords (which included the bishops) and Passed laws (Acts of Parliament) the House of Commons. Parliament Offered advice to the monarch could only be called and dismissed by the monarch. Elections were held before each new parliament, but very few people could vote. Elizabeth I called parliament ten times during her reign. Lords Each county had a Lord Lieutenant In charge of raising and training local militia Lieutenant chosen by the monarch. They were and overseeing county defences members of the nobility and were often Oversaw the enforcement of policies also on the Privy Council. They were Part of local government essential to maintaining the monarch’s power and England’s defences Justices JPs were members of the nobility. They To make sure all social and economic of the were unpaid and reported to the Privy policies were carried out Peace Council. Being a JP was a position of Heard county court cases every three (JPs) status, and so was a very popular job. months for more serious crimes Part of the local government When Elizabeth came to the throne in 1558 she made England Protestant. Consequently she had many Catholic enemies who wanted to see her replaced by Mary Queen of Scots. In 1558 Mary Queen of Scots, granddaughter of Henry VIII's elder sister Margaret, had challenged Elizabeth for the throne of England, but had failed. The Catholics believed that because Elizabeth had been declared illegitimate in 1536, Mary's challenge to the throne was stronger than Elizabeth's. Mary Queen of Scots (1542-1587) was the daughter of James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise. She became Queen of Scotland when she was six days old after her father died at the Battle of Solway Moss. A marriage was arranged between Mary and Edward, only son of Henry VIII but was broken when the Scots decided they preferred an alliance with France. Mary spent a happy childhood in France and in 1558 married Francis, heir to the French throne. They became king and queen of France in 1559. Sadly, Francis died in 1560 and Mary, not wanting to stay in France, returned to Scotland. During Mary's absence, Scotland had become a Protestant country. The Protestants did not want Mary, a Catholic and their official queen, to have any influence. In 1565 Mary married her cousin and heir to the English throne, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. The marriage was not a happy one. Darnley was jealous of Mary's close friendship with her secretary, David Rizzio and in March 1566 had him murdered in front of Mary who was six months pregnant with the future James I. Darnley made many enemies among the Scottish nobles and in 1567 his house was blown up. Darnley's body was found inside, he had been strangled. Three months later Mary married the chief suspect, the Earl of Bothwell. The people of Scotland were outraged and turned against her. She was removed from the throne and fled to England. She appealed to Elizabeth for help and support, but Elizabeth, suspicious that she was going to raise Catholic support and take the throne of England, kept Mary a virtual prisoner for the next eighteen years. In 1586 letters sent to Mary by a Catholic called Thomas Babington, were found. The letters revealed a plot to kill Elizabeth and replace her with Mary. Elizabeth had no choice but to sign Mary's death warrant. Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded at Fotheringay Castle on February 8th 1587. The Ridolfi Plot This plot surfaced in 1571 and it aimed to assassinate Elizabeth I and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots who was to be married to Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk. The plot takes its name from Roberto Ridolfi, a Florentine banker, who was a papal agent, a go- between for the Spanish and the Duke of Norfolk, and the man responsible for funding the rebellion which would see a Northern Catholic rebellion and an invasions by the Spanish under Philip of Spain. Unfortunately for the Catholics and for the Duke of Norfolk, Elizabeth’s secret service, headed by her spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham, uncovered the plot and it collapsed. The Duke of Norfolk was executed as a traitor in 1572 and Elizabeth never trusted Mary, Queen of Scots ever again. The Throkmorton Plot This plot, in 1583, was another attempt to assassinate Elizabeth and replace her with the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots. The plot takes its name from Francis Throgmorton, a Catholic who was involved in a number of plots against Elizabeth I. This plot involved Throgmorton acting as a go-between for Mary, Queen of Scots and her agent Thomas Morgan, and the Spanish Ambassador, Don Bernardino de Mendoza. Again, Elizabeth’s secret service got wind of the plot and arrested Throgmorton who, under torture, revealed that the Duke of Guise was planning to invade England from the Spanish Netherlands. As a result of this plot, Throgmorton was executed at Tyburn and Mendoza was thrown out of England and sent back to Spain. The Babington Plot The Babington Plot of 1586 was yet another plot which involved Mary, Queen of Scots. The plan was to assassinate Elizabeth, encourage a Catholic rising and put the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots on the English throne. This plot is named after Anthony Babington, a man who had worked in Mary, Queen of Scots’s employ as a page. Babington set up a secret society which aimed to help and protect Jesuit infiltrators coming to England to get rid of the heretic Elizabeth I. His society also had links with Mary’s emissaries in Europe who could be called on for aid.
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