Page 87 - All About History 58 - 2017 UK

The Dark Arts of Elizabeth’s Spymaster

“He was a talented Crime and punishment

Elizabeth’s top torturer had ways of making you talk
linguist and used Richard Topcliffe was born into a very well connected family, with links to Anne Boleyn and Katherine Parr.

his skills to spy When his father died young, he found himself in charge of a large and wealthy estate. A close companion of the
queen, he was employed to extract ‘confessions’ through interrogation and often torture. Bashed by some as an
inhumane beast capable of unimaginable cruelty, he would often attend the execution of his victims as a kind
on foreigners of master of ceremonies. Described as a “veteran in evil”, Topcliffe made no attempts to hide his methods but
instead was immensely proud of his work.
in London” Manacles Mental

informants and double agents sourced through Prisoners were hung by the wrists The rack torture
bribery and even threats. At home, men were in metal manacles. This procedure Not all of Topcliffe’s abuse was
would last for hours at a time
trained to decipher correspondence, feigning An Elizabethan classic, a man physical — he would also talk to and
without any break and could
handwriting and even in the art of repairing was fastened to the contraption scream at his victims to break their
cause permanent internal injury
seals so nobody would ever know they had been and very slowly and painfully spirit along with their body. He would
and death.
tampered with. stretched, causing bones to lie to and berate them until they no
It was the vastest and arguably most successful become dislocated. Topcliffe longer knew the truth from their dark
prison cell.
spy ring of the Elizabethan age and a model that put his own spin on this by
placing a large stone under the
would be replicated and expanded on into the
victim’s spine.
20th century. Walsingham was eventually given
an annual stipend of £2,000 a year — a huge
amount for the era — in order to fund his secret
activities. He wasn’t the only person employing Torture
and using spies at this time, far from it, but his machine
ring was so extensive and deployed so expertly
Somewhat of a mystery, Topcliffe
that no one else could hope to rival it. was known to have his own torture
Walsingham’s efforts did not go unrewarded. chamber created in his London
In 1583, one of his spies in the French embassy home. There he claimed to have
in London caught wind of secret documents a torture machine designed by Rape
being passed through the embassy itself. The himself that was apparently far more Although not a legal form of
man suspected of being involved was Francis efficient at eliciting confessions. torture, at least one confirmed case
Throckmorton,and Walsingham placed him under of rape occurred during Topcliffe’s
increased surveillance. He was arrested six months torture sessions. Either himself or
later and on his person was a map of invasion one of his men raped Anne Bellamy
ports and a list of Catholic supporters. to extract a suspect’s location. She
After some persuasive torture techniques, the became pregnant and was forced
details of the plan were confessed. Throckmorton to marry Topcliffe’s servant to
was involved in a planned invasion of England by cover up the crime.
combined French and Spanish troops, as well as a
planned assassination of the queen that would end
by placing Mary Stuart on the throne in her place.
Not only was Throckmorton convicted
of treason and executed, but the Spanish
ambassador, found to be involved in the plot,
Elizabeth gifted this
was expelled from the country. The conspiracy painting to Walsingham
revealed plainly that Spain was never going personally, showing her
trust and appreciation
to be an ally to an England ruled by Elizabeth for his work
and diplomatic relations with the country were
severed — no more Spanish ambassadors would
be welcome in the London court. Spain was now
officially an enemy.
The Throckmorton plot only served to increase
Walsingham’s concerns about growing support
for Mary within England itself and he was right

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