Historian and CovSoc member, Peter James, tells us about a Coventry nobleman who used his illicit skills to help some of the most famous medieval espionage specialists.
After studying at Magdalen College Oxford then at the Inner Temple, Arthur Gregory returned home to Coventry in 1568. He took over the management of his father’s estates which lay mainly in Stivichall. On his father’s death he became the main beneficiary of the will. In 1578 he married Jane Ferrers head of the Ferrers family, holders of land in both Stivichall and Tamworth. Two years later in 1580 he acquired another estate in Stivichall from Henry, Lord Berkely consolidating their holdings there. Arthur also held a number of positions at Coventry Corporation with one being coroner. After a series of disputes colleagues accused him of negligence and fraud and in 1598 removed him from all posts. By the time of his death in 1603 he had very few friends and had fallen out with both of his brothers.
Letter of Introduction
One part of Arthur Gregory’s life remained swathed in secrecy and his actions were to have a profound effect on the history of the British monarchy. In his early forties he made contact with Sir Francis Walsingham – Queen Elizabeth I’s private secretary and spymaster. His letter highlighted his illicit skill set that included opening documents and resealing them without detection.
Curious to learn more Walsingham invited Arthur to meet him at Seething Lane near the Tower of London. There he was interviewed and asked to demonstrate his abilities. After making a strong impression he soon became part of a team of specialists involved in espionage. He was never formally employed by the government but was paid for specific tasks.
Spy Network
Arthur Gregory was introduced to the chief cryptographer Thomas Phelippes and they proceeded to work together as part of a wider team. Thomas cracked codes using frequency analysis, matching mathematical patterns and drawing on his understanding of linguistic habits.
The Operation
Letters suspected of being sent between Catholic sympathisers were rerouted to the office of Francis Walsingham. Arthur Gregory removed the wax seals so the documents could be copied, the seals were replaced and they continued to their destinations apparently untouched. It was this method that the team would use later to trick and trap Mary, Queen of Scots.
The Babington Plot
A Catholic priest, Gilbert Gifford, became a double agent and worked to gain the trust and approval of Anthony Babington a Derbyshire gentleman. Mary, Queen of Scots was being held at Chartley Manor in Staffordshire and Gifford befriended a local brewer who supplied the household. The brewer agreed to hollow out the bungs used in his beer barrels and hide conspirators’ letters in waterproof pouches inside them. When beer arrived or left Chartley Manor the brewer would pass the pouch to Gifford who carried it to Walsingham’s office.
Removal & Copying
Letters from Mary used a method of binding known as spiral letterlocking in which the document was strung together then secured with a royal wax seal. Gregory would use custom-made tools to lift the seal. If it was damaged he would take an impression and mould a new one.
Thomas Phelippes copied the text which would be deciphered later, before returning the documents to Gregory for resealing. Gifford then slipped them back into the barrel bung undetected.
The Gallows Letter
On the 17th July 1586 Mary, Queen of Scots wrote a letter from Chartley where she was imprisoned. It was addressed to Anthony Babington a gentleman from Derbyshire and began: “Trustie and wellbeloved. According to zeale and entier affection which I haue knowen in you towardes the common cause of religion and mine”
The opening contained nothing out of the ordinary and read as a courteous greeting. The words that trapped her appeared later. “sett the six gentlemen to woork“ a reference to the planned assassination of Queen Elizabeth.
Mary had no idea that this letter would reach Sir Francis Walsingham. His team intercepted the message and Phelippes deciphered it. On reading it the cryptographer drew a gallows on the outer leaf – a private indication that Mary would be executed for plotting the death of Elizabeth.
Anthony Babington was subsequently arrested and signed a confession acknowledging his receipt of a coded message from Mary, Queen of Scots.
He was tried and executed by being hanged, drawn and quartered in London on 20th September 1586.
Mary Queen of Scots was found guilty of treason and beheaded at Fotheringay Castle on 8th February 1587.
Main Protagonists
Thomas Phelippes struggled to cope in later life building up heavy debts. He endured many spells in debtors prisons and died bankrupt in a prison cell in 1625.
Arthur Gregory was never employed by the government taking part only in certain schemes. He died in 1603 a bitter man with very few friends.
By the time Sir Francis Walsingham died in 1590 he had established a British security service. William Cecil, Lord Burleigh took over the role, groomed his son Robert Cecil and eventually handed it on to him.