William Davison (diplomat) facts for kids

William Davison (born around 1541, died December 21, 1608) was an important secretary to Queen Elizabeth I. He played a big part in the events leading to the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots in 1587. Davison was later blamed for this event, becoming a "scapegoat." As a powerful secretary, he worked hard to create friendships with England's Protestant allies in Holland and Scotland. This helped prevent wars with countries like France.

Early Life and Career

William Davison came from a Scottish family. In 1566, he worked as a secretary for Henry Killigrew. He was chosen for a special job: to visit Mary, Queen of Scots when her son was born. Davison quietly told Mary that Queen Elizabeth wanted her son to become the next English ruler. Killigrew praised Davison highly to Francis Walsingham, another important official.

Davison was part of a group called the Puritans within the Queen's Council. This group included powerful figures like the Earl of Leicester and Francis Walsingham.

Diplomatic Missions

Between 1576 and 1577, Davison went on several trips to France. His goal was to help make peace and stop England from going to war. He saw the Spanish ruler in the Netherlands as harsh and dangerous. Davison often wrote to his supporter, the Earl of Leicester. He strongly suggested that England should team up with the Prince of Orange. This alliance would stop Catholic countries from joining forces to invade England.

As his power seemed to lessen, Davison started to complain about being sick and the high cost of his trips. He returned to England in May 1579. Queen Elizabeth herself gave him the right to take over the Clerk of Treasury's office later on. He eventually got this job years later.

In 1582 and 1583, Queen Elizabeth sent Davison to Scotland. His tasks included talking with Mary, Queen of Scots, and meeting with the French King's ambassador. He also had to get an audience with King James. Davison was tactful and helpful. He worked closely with the Queen's agent, Robert Bowes, until September 1584.

When William the Silent, the Prince of Orange, died, Davison was sent to the Netherlands again. He was already an experienced diplomat. William Brewster, who later sailed on the Mayflower, helped him on this mission.

Return to Court

The Puritan Earl of Leicester praised Davison for his diplomatic work. However, when Davison returned, Queen Elizabeth was angry. She felt they had acted too independently by taking control in Amsterdam. Davison did not think he needed to apologize. Instead, he insisted he would pray the Queen would change her mind.

His biographer, Nicolas, wrote that Davison became sad. He pulled away from the Queen's Court because his Presbyterian pride was hurt. Davison eventually moved away from Leicester, who had supported him. He became closer to the more extreme group around Walsingham, who wanted war. In the same year, Davison became a member of parliament for Knaresborough. He also became a privy councillor and helped Elizabeth's secretary, Francis Walsingham. From September 30, 1586, he seemed to work more as Walsingham's equal than his assistant.

Mary, Queen of Scots and the Execution Warrant

Davison was part of the group chosen to put Mary, Queen of Scots, on trial. However, he did not take part in the actual court meetings. The judges met on October 11, and the trial began on the 14th. It was paused four days later. They met again on the 25th in the Star Chamber in Westminster. Even though Mary was not there, she was found guilty. On the 29th, Parliament asked for her execution to happen.

Meanwhile, the Privy Council (a group of royal advisors) was called together by Lord Burghley. They decided to write the execution order on December 6. This was two days after the Queen's official announcement. They wanted to carry out the sentence right away.

When Mary was found guilty, the order for her execution was given to Davison. After some time, he got the Queen's signature on February 1. During this time, and in later talks with her secretary, Elizabeth hinted that Mary should be killed in a more secret way. Her words showed she did not want to take full responsibility for Mary's death. Elizabeth told Davison to keep the warrant, but not to seal it. Davison gave it to Burghley, who immediately sent it to Fotheringhay Castle. Mary was beheaded on February 8, 1587. Officially, Davison stayed as principal secretary until Walsingham died in April 1590. However, Walsingham, the spymaster, was still the more powerful person. Many believe he was behind the plan to execute the Queen of Scots.

The Scapegoat

When Queen Elizabeth heard about the execution, she was very angry. Her anger was mostly aimed at Davison. She claimed he had not followed her orders not to seal the warrant. However, this instruction did not arrive until February 2, 1587, and Burghley had already acted.

Davison was arrested and sent to the Tower of London. He defended himself strongly. But he did not mention that the Queen had wanted Mary to be killed secretly. He was charged in the Star Chamber with misprision (knowing about a crime but not reporting it) and disrespect. He was found innocent of having bad intentions. However, he was ordered to pay a fine of 10,000 marks and stay in prison as long as the Queen wished.

Thanks to the efforts of several important men, he was released in September 1588. This was after the threat of invasion had passed. However, the Queen refused to hire him again. He kept his office, and probably never paid the fine. His friends, especially the Earl of Essex, tried to get him back into the Secretary's office. This was especially true after Walsingham died in 1590. But Burghley wanted the job for his own son, Robert Cecil. So, Davison was kept from the benefits of the office for the rest of Elizabeth's rule. King James I was even less likely to offer him a job.

Davison and his family moved to Stepney. He died there on December 21, 1608, and was buried on the 24th. He had mortgaged his home in 1579. But it seems his widow was not forced to leave. The debt was not collected until much later.

Davison seemed to be a hard-working and honest man. He was clearly made the scapegoat for the Queen's actions. He married Catherine Spelman around 1570. They had four sons and two daughters. His wife was a distant relative of Leicester.

Two of his sons, Francis and Walter, became known as poets.

Many official papers written by Davison, and many of his letters, still exist today. The people in charge of his will were George and Robert Byng, who had helped him mortgage his house. Davison left his widow with many debts. After all debts were paid from selling the house, his second son, Christopher Davison, was to inherit the right to a Treasury Office. This was stated in his will, which was confirmed on January 9, 1609.

Offices Held by William Davison