The Babington Plot
1587
1587
Anthony Babington: The young Catholic gentleman who wrote the incriminating letter to Mary, Queen of Scots, detailing the plot to assassinate Elizabeth I and free Mary. The plot is named after him.
Mary, Queen of Scots: Elizabeth I's Catholic cousin and a claimant to the English throne. Her coded reply, consenting to Elizabeth's assassination, was the key evidence used to convict and execute her for treason.
Queen Elizabeth I: The Protestant Queen of England and the primary target of the plot.
Sir Francis Walsingham: Elizabeth I's "spymaster." He orchestrated the surveillance and interception of Mary's letters, allowing the plot to mature just enough to secure Mary's conviction.
Thomas Phelippes: Walsingham's codebreaker and cryptanalyst who successfully deciphered the coded letters between Babington and Mary, including the fatal "Gallows Letter."
Gilbert Gifford: A Catholic double agent working for Walsingham who helped set up the secret communication channel using the beer barrel.
Robert Poley: Another double agent working for Walsingham who gained Babington's trust.
John Ballard: A Jesuit priest and agent of the Roman Church; a key figure in planning the assassination and foreign invasion aspects of the plot.
William Cecil, Baron Burghley: Elizabeth I's Lord High Treasurer and chief advisor; a critical figure in the trial and condemnation of Mary.
The Conspirators: The men who planned to assassinate Elizabeth, including:
John Savage
Chidiock Tichbourne
Charles Tilney
Robert Barnwell
Chartley Hall, Staffordshire: The manor where Mary was imprisoned under the strict custody of Sir Amias Paulet and where the secret communication system (in the beer barrel) was established and intercepted by Walsingham's agents.
Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire: The location where Mary, Queen of Scots, was tried for treason in October 1586 and subsequently executed on February 8, 1587.
St John's Wood, London (area): The location where Anthony Babington was discovered hiding after the plot was uncovered.
Westminster: The location of the council session where Mary was found guilty of treason after her trial.
The Tower of London: Where the arrested conspirators were held before their execution.
Establishment of the Intercepted Mail System (1586): Walsingham's agents, including Gifford and Phelippes, set up a method to smuggle messages to and from Mary via a watertight box hidden inside a beer barrel cork, ensuring every letter was read and copied.
Babington's Letter to Mary (July 1586): Anthony Babington wrote to Mary outlining the plan for Elizabeth's assassination and her subsequent rescue.
Mary's "Gallows Letter" (July 17, 1586): Mary's coded reply to Babington, which included her consent to the assassination plan, providing Walsingham with the necessary evidence for treason.
Arrest and Execution of the Conspirators (August-September 1586): Babington and his fellow plotters were arrested. They were tried and executed in two batches in September 1586. The first group, including Babington, were famously hung, drawn, and quartered.
Trial of Mary, Queen of Scots (October 1586): Mary was tried for treason at Fotheringhay Castle, with the deciphered letters serving as the main proof of her guilt.
Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots (February 8, 1587): Mary was executed at Fotheringhay Castle, effectively ending the Catholic threat to Elizabeth's reign through her.