Susan Hyde (spy) facts for kids

Susan Hyde (around July 1607 – 23 September 1656) was an English noblewoman who worked as a secret agent. She was active during a time called the Protectorate, after the king had been removed from power in the English Civil War (1642–1651). Susan Hyde gathered important information for Charles II, who was the exiled king. She was part of a secret group called the Sealed Knot and helped them communicate between England and their members abroad. Susan Hyde was caught in September 1656 and died soon after, likely due to harsh treatment.

Susan Hyde's Early Life

Susan Hyde was born around July 1607. Her father was a politician named Henry Hyde. Her mother was Mary Langford. Susan was the sister of Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon, who became a very important English statesman. It is believed that Susan Hyde likely remained unmarried throughout her life.

Her Secret Mission

The Sealed Knot: A Secret Group

Susan Hyde became a spy after the English Civil War (1642–1651). This war led to the king being overthrown and a new government, led by Oliver Cromwell, taking over. Susan Hyde joined a secret group of people who supported the king, called the Sealed Knot. Her letters show she was in direct contact with Charles II, who was living in exile. Charles II used the secret name "Francis Edwards" within the group.

The Sealed Knot was formed to help the king's supporters work together. Their goals were to lead any plans to bring the king back and to stop any risky or silly attempts that might fail.

Women as Spies

The Sealed Knot had several women members, including Susan. Women were often chosen as spies because their letters were usually not checked as carefully as men's. People often thought women's letters were just about home and family.

Susan Hyde was part of the Sealed Knot from its very beginning. She wrote letters to future leaders of the group even before it officially started. Her brother was a key person in setting up the Sealed Knot. Susan played a vital role in helping the group communicate between England and its members who were living outside the country. This communication was very important for gathering information.

Unfortunately for Susan, Cromwell's agents were very good at their job. They managed to read her letters even before the Sealed Knot was fully formed. We know some of Susan Hyde's movements from her letters that still exist today. She stayed near Baynard's Castle in London. She also used many different secret names, like "Mistress Simburbe" and "Mistress Edwards." She even pretended to be a "Wollendraper" (someone who sells wool) at a shop called "the Ravene."

On September 13, 1656, Susan Hyde wrote to Charles II. She was in Wiltshire at the time. In her letter, she warned the king that there might be a double agent in their group. She seemed to be looking into Robert Honywood, who we now know was indeed one of Cromwell's spies.

Capture and Death

Susan Hyde's work as a spy ended in late 1656. She knew her letters were being read, but she didn't realize how much danger she was in. Another spy for the Sealed Knot, a pharmacist named Anthony Hinton, was caught on September 15, 1656. A letter from Susan Hyde was found on him. Susan had used Hinton's pharmacy for over four years to send her letters and to help fund Charles II's court. Hinton told the investigators everything after being questioned for a long time.

In late September 1656, Susan Hyde was preparing to travel to London when three officers arrested her roughly. They searched her room and her pockets. After being caught, Susan was taken to Marlborough. She was not given food or sleep. She was forced to stand before a council for two hours without anyone speaking to her.

After this, she was taken to a house in Westminster and kept under strict guard. When she asked for a pen and paper, one of her guards threatened her with a musket. Susan became so scared that she started trembling and couldn't speak. Meanwhile, other guards took off her clothes. During her time as a prisoner, the guards often threatened to harm her. She was then taken to Lambeth Palace. It is said that she was so scared that she became very confused. She died a week later on September 23. Her friends secretly took her body away and buried it in a hidden place.

It is not clear why Susan Hyde was treated so harshly. At that time, women were rarely put in prison. Noblewomen were usually treated with respect. Instead, she was treated in a very cruel way, which included mental and possibly physical abuse. Some people think her harsh treatment might have been because of a conflict between Oliver Cromwell and Susan's brother, Edward Hyde. Susan was arrested shortly after her brother had written something that made fun of Cromwell.

Susan Hyde's Legacy

For a long time, Susan Hyde was mostly forgotten in history. This was partly because writers at the time didn't focus much on her. Also, historians in the 1900s often didn't pay much attention to women in history.

Susan was briefly mentioned in a book about Lambeth Palace, but it didn't say she was Edward Hyde's sister and even got her name wrong. One of Edward's biographers only mentioned Susan and her death in a single sentence, without even saying her name. Even though Susan's spy work was very important for her brother, Edward Hyde never wrote about his sister in his own life story. Because of this, very few writers knew that Edward Hyde had a sister, and no one knew she had been a spy or how terribly she died.

Susan Hyde's story was finally brought to light in 2018. A Dutch historian named Nadine Akkerman wrote a chapter about her in her book Invisible Agents. In this book, Susan's story was put together using old letters and reports that had been saved. Susan Hyde is also a main character, along with another royalist spy named Diana Jennings, in the historical novel Killing Beauties (2020) by Pete Langman. This book was inspired by Akkerman's research.