Thomas Randolph (ambassador) facts for kids
Thomas Randolph (1523–1590) was an important English ambassador who worked for Elizabeth I of England. He spent most of his career in Scotland, serving at the courts of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her son James VI. While in Scotland, he was involved in many important events and discussions, including marriage plans for the queen. He also went on a special trip to Russia in 1568-1569, where he visited the court of Ivan the Terrible.
Randolph was also a Member of Parliament (MP) for several areas in England. He represented New Romney in 1558, Maidstone in 1584, 1586, and 1589. He was also an MP for Grantham in 1559 and St Ives in 1558 and 1572.
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Early Life and Time in France
Thomas Randolph was born in 1523. His parents were Avery Randolph and Anne Gainsford from Badlesmere, Kent. He went to Christ Church, Oxford when it was first started. He earned his first degree in 1545 and another in 1548. Soon after, he became a public notary, which is someone who can legally witness documents.
In 1549, he became the head of Broadgates Hall (which is now Pembroke College) in Oxford. He stayed there until 1553. At that time, Queen Mary was persecuting Protestants, so Randolph, being a Protestant, had to leave his job and go to France. He mainly lived in Paris and continued his studies there. He was influenced by George Buchanan, a famous Scottish scholar, whom Randolph called his 'master'.
Working for Queen Elizabeth I
After Elizabeth became queen in 1558, Randolph started working for the English government in Germany. He returned to England a few months later. He then bought a farm in Kent, which was the house where he was born. Because he knew many Scottish Protestants in Paris, Elizabeth chose him for an important task. He was to help the Earl of Arran, who had fled from France, travel from Geneva to England.
Randolph's Missions in Scotland
In the autumn of 1559, Randolph was sent to Scotland under a secret name, Barnabie, and using the codename Pamphilus. His mission was to secretly guide the Earl of Arran into Scotland. He returned to London in November but was sent back to Scotland in March 1560. His advice greatly helped the Protestants in Scotland. He encouraged them against the queen-regent and helped them reach an agreement with Queen Elizabeth.
Because his mission was so successful, he stayed in Scotland as Elizabeth's trusted agent. He was a strong Protestant and also represented William Cecil, Elizabeth's chief advisor. Even though he wasn't as skilled a diplomat as Maitland of Lethington, he had the trust of the Protestant group. This allowed him to have a big impact on Scottish politics. His many letters from this time are very valuable. They share interesting details about the Queen of Scots, her court, and the political and social events.
At the wedding of Lord James Stewart and Agnes Keith in February 1562, Mary, Queen of Scots, made a toast to Queen Elizabeth. She used a gold cup and then gave it to Randolph. She spoke to him about the friendship between England and Scotland. Randolph wrote about this event to William Cecil, and the news spread widely in England. Mary was sent a portrait of Elizabeth, and Randolph confirmed it looked like her. They talked about a possible meeting between the two queens.
Instead of meeting Elizabeth, Randolph joined the Queen of Scots on a trip to northern Scotland in 1562. Mary was very friendly towards him. This trip led to the defeat of George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly. Randolph even took part in the fighting, saying he was "ashamed to sit still where so many were occupied." In January 1563, he went to a wedding at Castle Campbell in Clackmannanshire. He hoped to meet James MacConnel there.
Marriage Talks for Mary, Queen of Scots
In June 1563, Randolph met a servant of a Catholic priest named John Black in St Andrews. He paid the servant to show him Black's letters and copied them. On June 5, 1563, Elizabeth gave him permission to return to England for his own business.
On April 20, 1563, Randolph was sent to Scotland again. His main goal was to get the Scottish queen involved in talks about an English marriage. Elizabeth suggested Lord Robert Dudley, her own favorite, as a husband for Mary. Elizabeth hoped this marriage would make Mary less of a threat by marrying her to an Englishman. Randolph worked hard to make this plan happen. William Cecil also strongly supported it.
At first, Mary was not very excited about marrying Dudley. However, when it became clear that Elizabeth would name Mary as her official heir if she married Dudley, the Scottish side took the idea very seriously. In September 1564, Elizabeth made Dudley the Earl of Leicester to make him seem more important to Mary. By early 1565, Mary had accepted the proposal.
To Randolph's surprise, however, Dudley did not want to go through with the marriage. Randolph wrote that he had never met anyone like him. He was trying to make Dudley very happy by giving him a kingdom and a beautiful wife, but Dudley didn't seem to care. Dudley had already told the Scots that he wasn't interested in marrying Mary. Elizabeth herself then had second thoughts about naming Mary as her heir.
When Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley became a serious candidate to marry Mary, Elizabeth wanted to stop it. Randolph was told to push for Mary to marry "the Earl of Leicester or someone else." If the marriage to Darnley was already decided, he was to say how much it would displease the Queen.
Randolph also reported on an old Roman ruin found near Edinburgh at Musselburgh. It had an inscribed altar and a hypocaust, which was an ancient heating system. Randolph was also friendly with Mary Beaton, one of Mary, Queen of Scots' companions. In April 1565, Beaton and Randolph played bowls with the queen and Lord Darnley at Stirling Castle. They won, and Darnley gave Beaton a ring and a brooch worth fifty crowns. One of Randolph's Scottish friends, Alexander Clark, even sent him a funny letter teasing him about his friendship with Mary Beaton.
Randolph was very upset that he could not stop Mary from marrying Lord Darnley. After the wedding, he refused to accept Darnley's authority. Randolph's actions and promises might have helped cause the rebellion of James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, known as the Chaseabout Raid. On January 16, 1566, he reported that Mary was not giving Darnley the "Matrimonial crown" (which would have given him equal power as king), and that she was now pregnant.
On February 14, 1566, Randolph wrote to the Earl of Leicester that he was afraid to write his true thoughts about Mary's actions. He feared he would seem "malicious, foolish, and unwise." In February 1566, Mary accused him of helping Moray and the rebels during the Chaseabout Raid by giving them three thousand crowns. She ordered him to leave Scotland within six days. He went to Berwick upon Tweed. While there, Mary accused him of writing a book against her called Mr. Randolph's Phantasy.
Trips to Russia and More Time in Scotland
Randolph was called back to England around June 1566. Soon after, he was made "Master of the King's Post," a job that later became postmaster general. In November 1567, he also gained control of Queenborough Castle and other lands in Kent.
In June 1568, he went on a special trip to Russia. He was helping English merchants who traded there. He successfully got Ivan IV to grant special rights to the English merchant adventurers. This led to the creation of the Muscovy Company. He returned from Russia in the autumn of 1569.
After Regent Moray's agent Nicolas Elphinstone made requests in January 1570, Randolph was sent to Scotland again. This was despite uncertain news that the Regent had been assassinated. He stayed in Scotland for a year.
Later Missions in France and Scotland
In October 1573 and April 1576, he went on special trips to France. He was sent to Scotland in February 1578, but it was too late to prevent the downfall of James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton. After Morton was imprisoned in 1580, Randolph returned to Scotland to negotiate on his behalf.
At a meeting of important people on February 20, 1581, Randolph spoke for two hours. He presented a document explaining Queen Elizabeth's intentions for the King of Scotland. He also spoke against Esme Stewart, who had been made Duke of Lennox by the king. Randolph claimed Lennox was working for the Catholic Church. However, his bold speech only seemed to seal Morton's fate.
After failing to stop Lennox with his public accusations, Randolph tried to plan a secret plot. With Elizabeth's approval, he tried to capture Lennox and the young king. But the plot was discovered, and Randolph had to flee to Berwick. He barely escaped being shot in his room in Edinburgh. Randolph's advice from Scotland directly influenced English policy. He advised Elizabeth against using military force in Scotland against Lennox's government.
Randolph went on his last mission to Scotland in January 1586. He was joined by Thomas Mills. Their goal was to negotiate a treaty between the two kingdoms. He successfully got James VI to sign it, even with efforts from a French diplomat to stop it. In August 1586, Randolph and the Scottish ambassador in London, Archibald Douglas, sent male deer and huntsmen to serve James VI at Falkland Palace. Randolph wrote a playful letter about it, saying the huntsmen would make "all the trees in Fawkland will quake for fear." He also told the king to be careful himself.
Randolph held the jobs of Chamberlain of the Exchequer and Master of the Post until he died. He passed away in his house in London on June 8, 1590, when he was 67 years old. He was buried in the church of St. Peter's, Paul's Wharf. During his time as an ambassador, Randolph often struggled with money. He had difficulty paying his expenses. Despite his important work, he did not receive many rewards beyond the jobs mentioned. It is believed he wrote a short Latin book about George Buchanan, but this is not certain. He was very interested in Buchanan's History and offered money to help finish it.
Randolph died in 1590. In July 1593, the Scottish ambassador in London insisted that Randolph had promised James VI £5000 every year as a payment from England in 1586. William Cecil thought this was unlikely and ordered Randolph's papers to be searched for any record of it.
Family Life
Towards the end of 1571, Thomas Randolph married Anne Walsingham. She was the sister of Francis Walsingham and daughter of Thomas Walsingham. Before the marriage, he received control of the manor and hundred of Middleton and Merden, with a rent of 100 pounds per year to be paid to his future wife. In 1572, he became the Chamberlain of the Exchequer for life.
With Anne Walsingham, Randolph had a son named Thomas, who took over his father's roles. He also had another son, Ambrose, and a daughter, Frances, who married Thomas Fitzgerald. He also had a daughter named Dorothy. It is also said that he married Ursula Copinger, possibly as a second wife.
Images for kids
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Mary, Queen of Scots, around 1558-1560.
