Richard Topcliffe facts for kids

Richard Topcliffe (born November 14, 1531 – died late 1604) was a person who hunted down Catholic priests and used torture during the time of Queen Elizabeth I. He owned a lot of land and was a member of Parliament. He became well-known as the government's main person for enforcing laws against people practicing Catholicism.

Early Life of Richard Topcliffe

Richard Topcliffe was the oldest son of Robert Topcliffe from Somerby, Lincolnshire. His mother was Margaret, whose father was Thomas Burgh, 1st Baron Burgh. Thomas Burgh had worked for Queen Anne Boleyn. Richard's uncle, Edward Burgh, was the first husband of Queen Katherine Parr. This means Richard Topcliffe had very important family connections.

When his father died in 1544, Richard was twelve years old. He became the responsibility of his uncle, Sir Anthony Neville. In 1548, at sixteen, he joined Gray's Inn. This was a place where many rich young men studied law, but Richard never worked as a lawyer. When he turned 21 in 1553, he took control of a very large property, more than 4,000 acres.

Topcliffe's Role in Government

Topcliffe said he started working for Queen Elizabeth in 1557. This was a year before she became queen. They were both in their mid-twenties. He began his official government work during the Northern Rebellion in 1569. He even paid for a group of thirty horsemen himself.

He also worked for the 6th Earl of Shrewsbury in his early years. Later, he became connected to the Earl of Leicester. Topcliffe was an independent person who paid for his own team. He worked with important figures like Burghley and Walsingham. He was given tasks by the Privy Council, which was the Queen's main advisory group. He got along well with Burghley and Walsingham. However, he always saw himself as the Queen's personal helper and friend.

He was elected to Parliament for Beverley in 1572. He later returned to Parliament as a representative for Old Sarum in 1584 and 1586.

Efforts Against Catholicism

Topcliffe worked very hard for the English government. The government wanted to stop Catholicism in England. From the late 1580s until 1595, he was at the peak of his power. He found, caught, arrested, and questioned many prisoners. He often used torture during these questionings.

Topcliffe's questioning sessions happened in places like the Tower of London, Bridewell prison, or even at his own house in Westminster. A Catholic writer named Richard Verstegan often wrote about Topcliffe's actions. He said Topcliffe's "inhuman cruelty is so great, as he will not spare to extend any torture whatsoever."

Topcliffe's preferred method of torture was to hang a prisoner by their hands. This was done using special gloves or handcuffs. It caused extreme pain. If done correctly, it did not leave lasting physical damage. However, if done incorrectly, it could cause serious internal injuries or even death. There is also some evidence that he used mental torture, such as keeping prisoners awake.

After his prisoners were tried and found guilty, Topcliffe would often attend their executions. He acted like a master of ceremonies. He usually put up a sign on the gallows showing the person's name and what they were accused of. He made sure that the full punishment was carried out. For those found guilty of treason, this meant hanging, drawing, and quartering while still alive. After 1585, simply being a priest in England was considered treason.

Topcliffe's victims included Jesuit priests like Robert Southwell and Henry Walpole. He is mentioned many times in the autobiography of John Gerard, a Jesuit priest who was hunted in Elizabethan England. Gerard described Topcliffe as "old and hoary and a veteran in evil."

The Fitzherbert Family Case

Topcliffe was involved in a long effort to harm the Catholic Fitzherbert family. They lived in Derbyshire and Staffordshire. He convinced Sir Thomas Fitzherbert's heir, also named Thomas, to help him. Topcliffe made a deal where Thomas Fitzherbert would pay him £3,000. This payment was for causing the deaths of his uncle Sir Thomas, his father John, and a cousin, William Bassett. The uncle and father died in prison, but the cousin stayed alive.

When Thomas Fitzherbert refused to pay, Topcliffe sued him. The Queen's Privy Council got involved because they were shocked by the case. Topcliffe insulted them, and they put him in prison. The Queen released him after a few weeks because he wrote personal letters to her. He did not get the money. However, he had tricked Thomas into giving him an estate in Padley, Derbyshire. Later, under King James I, the 7th Earl of Shrewsbury removed Topcliffe from the property. The Fitzherberts got their land back.

Death

Richard Topcliffe died in November or December 1604. He was about 73 years old. His son and heir, Charles, inherited his estate. However, the estate had many debts. Like Walsingham, Topcliffe became poor because of his service to the Queen.

Topcliffe in Stories and Shows

Richard Topcliffe has been shown in various stories and television shows.

• He was played by Brian Wilde in the 1971 British TV mini-series Elizabeth R.
• Topcliffe is also shown as a torturer and persecutor of Catholics in the Sir Robert Carey and James Enys novels by P.F. Chisholm/Patricia Finney.
• Ewen Bremner played Topcliffe in the 2017 American TV series Will. This show is a fictional look at the life of young William Shakespeare. In the series, Shakespeare supposedly based the tricky character of Richard III on Topcliffe.
• Topcliffe is the main villain in the second half of Robert Hugh Benson's 1912 novel, Come Rack! Come Rope!. In this book, Topcliffe hunts down and eventually executes several priests.
• In modern Irish literature, Topcliffe appears as the evil priest hunter Elias Creepe in Liam Mac Cóil's 2014 award-winning novel I dTír Strainséartha (In a Strange Land).