Anthony Babington – Conspired with Mary Queen of Scots to Assassinate Elizabeth I

Anthony Babington – Conspired with Mary Queen of Scots to Assassinate Elizabeth I

Anthony Babington was an English gentleman convicted of plotting the assassination of Elizabeth I of England, and conspiring with the imprisoned Mary, Queen of Scots.
For this he was hanged, drawn and quartered.

The “Babington Plot” and Mary’s involvement in it were the basis of the treason charges against her, which led to her exEcution.

Anthony was born into a noble family, to Sir Henry Babington and Mary Darcy, on 24th October 1561.

Babington was employed as a page boy in the Earl of Shrewsbury’s household.

The Earl was at this time the gaoler of Mary, Queen of Scots and it is likely that it was during this time that Babington became a supporter of Mary’s cause to ascend the throne of England.

In 1579 he was married to Margery Draycot.

In about 1580, while travelling on the continent, he met conspirator Thomas Morgan, who persuaded him to courier letters to Mary while she was still being held by his former master, the Earl of Shrewsbury.

He also assisted the movement of priests in the Catholic Midlands.
By 1586, Mary was removed to the harsher regime of Tutbury, and consequently communications closed down with her.
Babington’s role as a courier came to an end.

Twice in early 1586 he received letters from France destined for Mary, but in each case he declined to ‘deal further in those affairs’.

Around this time he was reportedly considering leaving England permanently.

He was introduced to Robert Poley, a man with good political contacts – with a view to securing a ‘licence’ to go to France.

Unknown to Babington, Poley was an agent for Francis Walsingham, and was under orders to infiltrate known Catholic circles.

Poley intentionally failed to obtain a passport for Babington, and instead persuaded him that he was a Catholic sympathiser and could be trusted.

It was Babington’s misplaced trust of Poley that was a large contributory factor in his eventual downfall.

During Elizabeth’s reign her court was particularly concerned about the prospect of Mary Stuart coming to the throne.
The Queen’s security forces, led by Sir Francis Walsingham with its ruthless and cunning spies like Poley were more than effective at their job.

During one of Walsingham’s investigations, a suspect named Gilbert Gifford was arrested and interrogated.

To avoid punishment, Gifford agreed to act as a double agent.

Gifford made contact with the French Embassy in London, and arranged the smuggling of letters from Mary Stuart to her followers.
This was to be achieved through the use of beer barrels.

Gifford ensured that Walsingham was given access to these communications, which revealed Mary’s requests to the French and Spanish that they intervene on her behalf.

On 6th July 1586, Babington wrote to Mary Stuart, telling her that he and a group of friends were planning to assassinate Elizabeth, whom Mary would then succeed.

Babington and Mary Stuart’s defenders claim that in the sixteenth century it was held that the killing of “tyrants” was morally acceptable.

In their eyes, Queen Elizabeth was a tyrant, and needed to be eradicated.

Babington decided to write to Mary to seek her authorisation.

It was believed by Catholics that Elizabeth’s claim to the throne was void.
This was due to Elizabeth being the daughter of Anne Boleyn – whose marriage to Henry VIII they considered illegal.

Mary replied to Babington, in which she stressed the necessity of foreign aid if the rescue attempt was to succeed.
However, she left the matter of the assassination to Babington’s conscience…..

In the meantime Babington’s growing involvement with the plot was being reported to Walsingham, by Poley.

When Walsingham and his officials had gathered sufficient evidence, Babington and his crew were rounded up.

By the 3rd of September 1586, Babington was in the Tower of London.

Babington’s house was to be searched, and his goods and papers seized.

Babington’s house was almost empty, except for his two sisters, Madeleine and Ellen, and his two-year-old daughter.
His wife had already fled…..

Babington, aged 24, and his thirteen conspirators were convicted of high treason and sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered.

His offer to Elizabeth of £1,000 for his pardon was rejected.
The exEcution of the first seven, including Babington, took place on the 20th September 1586.

The condemned men, kept in the Tower of London, were marched from their cells, strapped to sledges and pulled by horses through the streets of London.

On reaching a specially erected scaffold in St. Giles’ Field near Holborn, where they were to be hanged, drawn and quartered.

St. Giles’ Field was chosen for symbolic purposes – the men had used these fields for secret meetings as they plotted to assassinate Elizabeth I and replace her on the throne with Mary Queen of Scots.

One after another, the men were left to swing briefly by the neck, until they were half-dead.

Then they were cut down from the gallows, still alive and conscious, and made to watch as the exEcutioner hacked off their genitals and dug out their guts, and then their hearts with his knife.

As their insides were cast into a burning brazier, each man’s body was then dismembered, and the severed head set above the gallows.

Babington was the second man to die.
He stood beside the scaffold awaiting his fate watching coolly, not even removing his hat.

When it was Babington’s turn to suffer, he was hanged, then pulled down still breathing, to face the exEcutioner’s knife.

He cried again and again ‘Parce mihi Domine Iesu’, ‘Spare me Lord Jesus’.

When it was all over, parts of the mens bodies were then distributed to prominent locations around the city, to warn all of the consequences of disloyalty to the monarch.

17th c. Portrait of a young gentleman said to be Anthony Babington.
Unknown author