George Gilpin facts for kids

George Gilpin (born in 1514, died in 1602) was an English diplomat. A diplomat is someone who represents their country and helps manage relationships with other countries. George Gilpin was a very trusted helper for Queen Elizabeth I in her dealings with countries like the Netherlands.

Life of George Gilpin

George Gilpin was sometimes called "the Elder" to tell him apart from his nephew, who had the same name. He was the second son of Edwin Gilpin and Margaret Layton. His younger brother was a famous churchman named Bernard Gilpin.

Early Studies and Religious Change

In 1553, George Gilpin was in a place called Mechlin (now in Belgium). He was studying something called civil law, which is a system of laws based on ancient Roman rules. At first, George seemed to be a Catholic, like many people in England at that time.

However, things changed quickly. After 1554, he became a Protestant Christian. This was an important change because England was going through big religious shifts. Once he became a Protestant, he started to get involved in politics, especially during the time Queen Elizabeth I was ruling.

Working for Queen Elizabeth I

For the rest of his life, George Gilpin was one of Queen Elizabeth I's most important agents. He helped her with many talks and agreements with countries in the Low Countries (which included modern-day Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg). His name often appears in important government papers from that time.

It's believed that Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford first introduced George Gilpin to the Queen's court. By 1561, Queen Elizabeth herself wrote a letter saying she would help Gilpin. Soon after, he became a paid employee of the English government.

Key Diplomatic Roles

From 1579 to 1582, George Gilpin handled English diplomatic matters in an unofficial way. During this time, he was the secretary for the Company of Merchant Adventurers of London. This was a group of English merchants who traded goods internationally.

Later, in 1586, he became the English Secretary to the Dutch Council of State. This was a very important government group in the Netherlands. He even became a full Councillor in 1593 and stayed in that role until he died.

Alliance Against Spain

One of his most important jobs was when Queen Elizabeth I asked him to help form an alliance. An alliance is when two or more countries agree to work together. She wanted the Dutch states and England to team up against the Spanish Armada. The Spanish Armada was a huge fleet of Spanish ships that tried to invade England.

George Gilpin served as England's representative, or "minister," in The Hague, which is the capital of the Netherlands. He carried a special letter from the Queen herself. In this letter, she wrote that people could trust him completely, just as they would trust her. This shows how much she relied on him.

Later Life

Towards the end of his life, George Gilpin supported an author named John Dickenson. He hired Dickenson as his secretary in The Hague. George Gilpin died in 1602. A letter written shortly after his death mentioned how hard it would be to find someone to replace him.

Works and Letters

George Gilpin translated a book called Apiarium Romanum (which means "Roman Beehive") from Latin into English. The original book was written by Philip von Marnix. The first English version was called The Beehive of the Romishe Churche and was dedicated to Philip Sidney. This book was about the Roman Catholic Church.

Many of George Gilpin's letters, which are important historical documents, were sent to Dudley Carleton.