Throckmorton Plot facts for kids
The Throckmorton Plot was a secret plan in 1583. It was one of several tries by some English Catholics to remove Queen Elizabeth I from her throne. They wanted to replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary was held under house arrest in England at the time. The plan was to help Spain invade England, kill Queen Elizabeth, and make Mary the new queen.
The plot gets its name from Sir Francis Throckmorton. He was a main person involved. Sir Francis was arrested in November 1583. He was executed on July 10, 1584.
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What Was the Throckmorton Plot About?
The main goals of the Throckmorton Plot were:
- To free Mary, Queen of Scots. She had been held in England since 1568.
- To make Mary the Queen of England instead of Elizabeth.
- To bring back Roman Catholicism as the official religion in England.
The plotters planned for Spain to invade England. A French leader, the Duke of Guise, would lead this invasion. At the same time, English Catholics would rise up and help. The Duke of Guise would then marry Mary and become king.
This plot was not very well planned. It was also too hopeful. Francis Throckmorton was watched by Queen Elizabeth's spies almost as soon as he came back to England. Because of this, the plot was never actually put into action.
How the Plot Unfolded
Francis Throckmorton (1554-1584) came from an important English Catholic family. His father, John Throckmorton, was a senior judge.
From 1580 to 1583, Francis traveled in Europe with his brother Thomas. In Paris, they met with English Catholics who were living in exile. These included Charles Paget and Thomas Morgan.
Throckmorton's Secret Messages
After returning to London in 1583, Francis started carrying secret messages. He passed letters between Mary, Queen of Scots, Thomas Morgan, and Bernardino de Mendoza. Mendoza was the ambassador from King Philip II of Spain in London.
These messages were sent through the French embassy in London. Throckmorton also carried letters from Mary to the French ambassador, Michel de Castelnau. However, a secret agent working inside the French embassy told Francis Walsingham about the plot. Walsingham was Queen Elizabeth's Secretary of State.
Arrest and Confession
Throckmorton was arrested in November. Police found important papers with him. These papers included lists of English Catholic supporters. He was even encoding a letter to Mary, Queen of Scots, when he was caught.
After a few days, he was taken to the Tower of London. Another person who carried messages, George More, was also arrested. He was questioned but later set free after he made a deal with Walsingham.
Just before his arrest, Throckmorton managed to send a box of other documents to Mendoza. Some people think Walsingham wanted him to do this. Throckmorton was not the most important person in the plot. But his arrest confirmed that Spain was trying to overthrow Queen Elizabeth.
Mendoza's Expulsion
Mendoza, the Spanish ambassador, had diplomatic immunity. This meant he could not be arrested. But he was sent out of England in January 1584. He was the last Spanish ambassador to England during Queen Elizabeth's time.
Throckmorton was questioned using the rack. This happened first on November 16. The goal was to make him tell everything he knew. On November 19, he admitted to giving the Spanish ambassador a list of safe places and ports on the English coast.
Trial and Execution
Throckmorton was put on trial on May 21, 1584. He was executed on July 10. His brother Thomas and many others involved managed to escape. Some were put in the Tower of London. But Francis Throckmorton was the only one who was executed.
Later, in September 1586, a servant of Mary, Queen of Scots, named Jérôme Pasquier, was questioned. He admitted to writing a secret letter for Mary. She wanted to send it to the French ambassador Castelnau. In the letter, she asked him to try and get a pardon for Francis Throckmorton.
What Happened Next?
After the plot, Mary, Queen of Scots, was kept under much stricter watch. She was moved to Chartley Hall in Staffordshire.
Meanwhile, Walsingham and Lord Burghley created something called the Bond of Association. This was a document that many people signed. It said that anyone who tried to take the throne from the Queen or kill her should be executed. Mary herself signed this document. It later became a reason for her execution after the 1586 Babington Plot.
Many people involved in later plots, like the Babington Plot and the Gunpowder Plot, were related to Francis Throckmorton. These included Robert Catesby and Francis Tresham.
Francis's cousin, Bess Throckmorton (1565-1647), secretly married Sir Walter Raleigh (1554-1618).
A song was written to celebrate the discovery of the plot. It compared Queen Elizabeth's escape to the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego surviving in a fiery furnace.
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