Robert Beale (diplomat) facts for kids
Robert Beale (born 1541 – died 25 May 1601) was an important English official. He worked as a diplomat and administrator during the time of Queen Elizabeth I. He was also an antiquary, meaning he studied old things and history. As the Clerk of the Privy Council, Robert Beale wrote the official report of the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots. He was actually there to see it happen.
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Robert Beale's Early Life
Robert Beale was born in 1541. His father, also named Robert Beale, was a mercer (a fabric seller) in London. His mother, Amy Morison, might have been the daughter of Sir Richard Morison.
Education and Early Studies
Robert Beale went to school in Coventry. He was likely taught by John Hales, who was a close friend. Hales taught Beale about religious and social changes. He also shared his love for classical learning, like ancient Greek and Roman studies. Even though Beale never got a university degree, he studied civil law. He might have even attended Cambridge.
Studying Abroad
During a time when many Protestants left England (called the Marian exile), Beale studied in Strasbourg. He lived with Sir Richard Morison. After Morison passed away in 1556, Beale went to Zurich. There, he studied "logic, rhetoric, and Greek" with John Aylmer.
In 1562, Lord John Grey of Pyrgo asked Beale for help. He wanted to know if his niece, Lady Catherine Grey, was truly married to Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford. Beale traveled to Europe to ask experts about the case. He later wrote a Latin paper about his findings.
Robert Beale's Diplomatic Career
In 1564, Robert Beale started working for the English embassy in Paris. An embassy is like an office for a country's representatives in another country. He also traveled to Germany.
Working with Walsingham
When Lord Burghley became the ambassador in Paris in 1570, he made Beale his secretary. Beale often carried important messages between Paris and London. In 1572, he saw the terrible massacre of St. Bartholomew, where many Protestants were killed in France. He wrote a letter to Lord Burghley about what he saw. That same year, he became a Member of Parliament (M.P.) for Totnes. Around this time, he also became the clerk to the Privy Council.
Missions and Negotiations
Beale went on many missions for Queen Elizabeth I.
- In 1575, he went to Flushing to get back goods that had been taken.
- In 1576, he traveled with Admiral William Winter to the Low Countries. They asked for English merchant ships to be freed. These ships had been held by the Prince of Orange.
- In 1577, Beale and Paulus Knibbius visited nine German courts. They asked Lutheran princes to allow different religions to be practiced. This is called religious toleration.
Secretary of State and Parliament
Beale sometimes filled in as secretary of state when Walsingham was away. This happened in 1578, 1581, and 1583. In 1581, he was part of a group that questioned Edmund Campion before his trial. Beale was against using torture to make people confess.
Between 1581 and 1584, he talked with Mary, Queen of Scots, in Sheffield. Some people thought he was secretly on her side. In 1584, Beale was elected to Parliament for Dorchester. He also represented Dorchester in the next two Parliaments.
Mary, Queen of Scots' Execution
In November 1586, Beale went to Fotheringay with Lord Buckhurst. Their job was to tell Mary, Queen of Scots, that she had been sentenced to death. Early the next year, Beale brought the official order for her execution to Fotheringay. He read it aloud in the castle hall. He was an eyewitness to the execution and wrote a report about it.
Views on Religious Freedom
Even though Beale was a Puritan, he believed in religious freedom. He wrote books saying that the crown (the queen) should not fine or imprison people for religious reasons. He also spoke out against using torture to get confessions. He even argued with Archbishop John Whitgift about the power of bishops.
Later Missions and Parliament
Beale continued his work for the queen:
- In 1588, he helped with supplies for the army in the Netherlands.
- In 1589, he negotiated with the Dutch States.
- In 1590, he helped sort out accounts for Lord Willoughby, a commander in the Netherlands.
In 1592, Beale gave a speech in Parliament against the bishops' strict practices. Queen Elizabeth was very upset and told him to stay away from court and Parliament. He wrote a long letter to Lord Burghley explaining his views on church government. The next year, he was elected to Parliament for Lostwithiel.
Final Years of Service
In 1595, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex tried to remove Beale from his job as clerk to the council. Beale wrote to the Lord Treasurer to keep his position. He also asked for someone to help him with his work in York, which was granted. In 1597, he helped look into complaints against the governor of Guernsey. In 1599, he was part of a group that heard complaints from Danish people about English pirates.
In 1600, he was chosen to negotiate for peace with the King of Spain in Boulogne. However, the talks failed because the representatives could not agree on who should speak first.
Robert Beale's Private Life
Robert Beale passed away at his home in Barnes on 25 May 1601. He was buried in Allhallows Church, London Wall.
Family and Legacy
He had two daughters. One, Margaret, married Sir Henry Yelverton, who inherited Beale's books and papers. These papers are now in the British Museum. His other daughter, Catherine, married Nathaniel Stephens.
Beale was a member of the Elizabethan Society of Antiquaries, a group that studied old things. He also owned another house in Priors Marston, Warwickshire.
Family and Children
Robert Beale married Edith St. Barbe. She was the daughter of Henry St. Barbe from Somerset. Edith was also the sister of Sir Francis Walsingham's wife. Robert and Edith had two sons and nine daughters.
Robert Beale's Writings
Throughout his life, Robert Beale collected many books. He also wrote several works himself, including:
- Argument touching the Validity of the Marriage of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, with Mary, Queen-dowager of France (sister to King Henry VIII), and the Legitimacy of the Lady Frances, their daughter. This was about the legality of a royal marriage.
- A Large Discourse concerning the Marriage between the Earl of Hertford and the Lady Catherine Grey. This work included opinions from legal experts Beale had consulted.
- Discourse after the Massacre in France, 1572. This was his account of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.
- A Book against Oaths ministered in the Courts of Ecclesiastical Commission from Her Majesty, and in other Courts Ecclesiastical. This book argued against certain church practices.
- A Book respecting Ceremonies, the Habits, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Power of Ecclesiastical Courts, 1584. This discussed church rules and powers.
- The Order and Manner of the Execution of Mary Queen of Scots, 8 Feb 1587. This was his official report as an eyewitness.
- A Summary Collection of certain Notes against the Manner of proceeding ex officio by Oath.
- A Consideration of certain Points in the Treaty to be enlarged or altered in case Her Majesty make a new Treaty with the States, April 1589.
- A Deliberation of Henry Killigrew and Robert Beale concerning the Requisition for Restitution from the States. London, August 1595.
