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Charles Paget (conspirator)
Encyclopedia
Charles Paget was a Roman Catholic
conspirator, involved in the Babington plot
to assassinate
Queen Elizabeth I of England
.
He was also a double agent working for Sir Francis Walsingham
.
In 1586, Mary, Queen of Scots, was accused by the British Government of having received and written letters about a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth. Paget, was named in Mary's trial as one of the correspondents, and a letter to him dated 17 July 1586 formed part of the evidence at her trial. Queen Elizabeth demanded Paget's extradition from France, and threatened to have him assassinated if he remained.
Early in 1588, Paget moved to Brussels
, where he remained for the next eleven years, until 1603, when he returned to Paris
after the death of Queen Elizabeth. He was able to recover both his manor at Weston-on-Trent
and a pension
from King James. He died at the beginning of February 1612, leaving his lands to the sons of one of his sisters, the Roper family. It was Anthony Roper who built the hall at Weston.
and his wife, Anne, the daughter of Henry Preston. He matriculated at Cambridge University from Caius College
in 1559, and was at Trinity Hall, Cambridge
when Queen Elizabeth visited the university in August 1564, but left without taking a degree. Around 1581, he went to France
, to avoid the religious persecution
in England
.
Under his father's will he became entitled to the manor
of Weston
-Aston
and other lands in Derbyshire
. He was a zealous Roman Catholic, and left England, in discontent with its ecclesiastical constitution
, around 1572, and fixed his residence in Paris
. There he became secretary to James Beaton
, archbishop of Glasgow
, who was Queen Mary Stuart's ambassador
at the French court. He was soon joined in the office by Thomas Morgan
(1543-1606 ?) Morgan and Paget were in constant correspondence with Claude Nau de la Boisseliere
and Gilbert Curle, the two secretaries who lived with the queen in England, and they four governed from thenceforth all the queen's affairs at their pleasure.
Paget and Morgan secretly opposed Archbishop Beaton
, Mary's ambassador. Beaton was persuaded to allow them to administratier the queen's dowry in France, which was about thirty million crowns a year. They created an alliance with Dr. Owen Lewis
in Rome, and disagreed with the Jesuits William Allen and Robert Parsons. They were the cause of disagreements among the Catholics Parsons states that the original cause of Paget and Morgan's disagreement with Allen and himself was their exclusion from a meeting held at Paris in 1582. They were not included at the request of Henry I, Duke of Guise
and the Archbishop of Glasgow. The Paris meeting discussed how to put the Queen of Scots back into power and the restoration of England to catholic unity by means of a foreign invasion. After their exclusion from this meeting Paget and Morgan inspired Mary with distrust of Spain
and the Jesuits.
During all this time, while apparently plotting against Queen Elizabeth, Paget was acting the part of a spy, and giving political information to her ministers. In 8 January 1581-1582 he wrote from Paris to Secretary of State
, Frances Walsingham
in these terms :
Again he wrote, on 28 September 1582 :
On 23 October 1582 he informed Walsingham of his intention to go to Rouen
for his health, and to drink English beer. He professed dutiful allegiance to Elizabeth, and his readiness to be employed in any service, matter of conscience in religion only excepted.
, Sussex. On the 8 September he had an interview at Petworth
with the Earl of Northumberland
. He was afterwards secretly conveyed to a lodge in the earl
's park, called Conigar Lodge, where he stayed for about eight day
s. His brother, Lord Paget, was summoned to Petworth, where Charles and the earl had several meetings. On the 16 September, Charles Paget met in a wood, called Patching Copse, William Shelley,, who was subsequently convicted of treason.
Lord Paget, writing to his brother on 25 October in the same year, said his stay in Rouen was more misliked than his abiding in Paris, considering that he consorted with men like the Bishop of Ross
. He added that
From this letter it would seem that Lord Paget's interview with his brother at Petworth must have been of a more innocent character than has been generally supposed. However, about the end of November Lord Paget fled to Paris, and thenceforward became suspected of complicity in all his brother's treason
s. On 2 December 1583, Sir Edward Stafford, the English ambassador to France, wrote from Paris to Sir Frances Walsingham :
After this, Charles Paget, in conjunction with Morgan and other malcontents at home and abroad, continued their plans, which were,, well known to the English government; and in June 1584 Stafford, the English ambassador, made a formal demand, in the name of Queen
Elizabeth, for the surrender of Lord Paget, Charles Paget, Charles Arundel, Thomas Throckmorton, and Thomas Morgan, they having conspired against the life of the English queen. The king of France, however, refused to deliver them up, although did imprison Morgan, and sent his papers to Queen Elizabeth.
Paget was regarded with the utmost distrust and suspicion by Walsingham, who, in a despatch sent to Stafford on 16 December 1584, says : Charles Paget is a most dangerous instrument, and I wish, for
Northumberland's sake, he had never been born. In May 1586 Paget, on account of illness, went to the baths of Spain. He was attainted of treason by act of parliament in 1587.
Although all his plots had signally failed, he appears still to have clung to the idea that the Protestant religion in England could be subverted by a foreign force. Writing under the signature of 'Nauris,' from Paris, to one Nicholas Berden alias Thomas Rogers, 31 January 1587-1588, he observed, in reference to the anticipated triumph of the Spanish Armada
:
In the same letter he stated that all Walsingham's alphabet
s or ciphers had been interpreted by him.
, and went to live at Brussels
. His name appears in the list of English exiles in Flanders
who refused to sign the address of the English fathers of the Society of Jesus
.
He continued his correspondence:
He added that
On 27 April 1598 he wrote from Liege to Thomas Barnes in London: I am unspeakably comforted that the queen inclines to listen to my humble suit. The profits of my land are worth £200 a year to myself; it is a lordship called Weston-upon-Trent. ... I cannot capitulate with the Queen; but the greater my offence has been, the greater is her mercy in pardoning and restoring me to my blood and living, showing the liberality which makes her famous, and obliging me to spend my life at her feet.
exiles eventually split into two parties: one, called the Spanish faction, supporting the claims of the infanta to the English crown; while the other, denominated the Scottish
faction, advocated the right of James VI of Scotland. Paget was the acknowledged head of the Scottish faction, and in 1599 he threw up his employment under the King of Spain, and returned to Paris
. Among the State Papers is a letter from a Catholic in Brussels to his friend, a monk at Liege, giving a detailed account of Paget and his "practices." The writer says that from the first hour that his years permitted him to converse with men, he has been tampering in broils and practices, betwixt friend and friend, man and wife, and, as his credit and craft increase, betwixt prince and prince.
Animated by intense hatred of the Spanish faction, Paget lost no time after his arrival at Paris in putting himself in communication with Sir Henry Neville, the English ambassador, who forwarded a detailed account of the circumstances to Sir Robert Cecil
in a despatch dated 27 June (O.S.) 1599. Cecil seems to have been by no means anxious to encourage Paget, but Neville was more favourable to him. Paget said he felt himself slighted by the English government, but he nevertheless seems to have given from time to time important intelligence to Neville and to Ralph Winwood
the succeeding ambassador at the French court
. His attainder appears to have been reversed in the first parliament of James I, probably by the act restoring in blood his nephew William, Lord Paget
, and it is presumed that he returned to England. His paternal estate, including the manor of Weston on Trent and other manors in Derbyshire, was restored to him on 13 July 1603; and on 18 August in the same year James I granted him £200
per annum, part of a fee-farm rent reserved by a patent of Queen Elizabeth, bestowing the lands of Lord Paget on William Paget and his heirs. He died, probably in England, about the beginning of February 1611-1612, leaving a good estate to the sons of one of his sisters.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
conspirator, involved in the Babington plot
Babington Plot
The Babington Plot was a Catholic plot in 1586 to assassinate Queen Elizabeth, a Protestant, and put Mary, Queen of Scots, a Catholic, on the English throne. It led to the execution of Mary. The long-term goal was an invasion by the Spanish forces of King Philip II and the Catholic league in...
to assassinate
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
Queen Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
.
He was also a double agent working for Sir Francis Walsingham
Francis Walsingham
Sir Francis Walsingham was Principal Secretary to Elizabeth I of England from 1573 until 1590, and is popularly remembered as her "spymaster". Walsingham is frequently cited as one of the earliest practitioners of modern intelligence methods both for espionage and for domestic security...
.
In 1586, Mary, Queen of Scots, was accused by the British Government of having received and written letters about a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth. Paget, was named in Mary's trial as one of the correspondents, and a letter to him dated 17 July 1586 formed part of the evidence at her trial. Queen Elizabeth demanded Paget's extradition from France, and threatened to have him assassinated if he remained.
Early in 1588, Paget moved to Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, where he remained for the next eleven years, until 1603, when he returned to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
after the death of Queen Elizabeth. He was able to recover both his manor at Weston-on-Trent
Weston-on-Trent
Weston-on-Trent is a village and civil parish in the South Derbyshire district of Derbyshire. It is to the north of the River Trent and the Trent and Mersey Canal. Nearby places include Aston-on-Trent, Barrow upon Trent, Castle Donington and Swarkestone....
and a pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
from King James. He died at the beginning of February 1612, leaving his lands to the sons of one of his sisters, the Roper family. It was Anthony Roper who built the hall at Weston.
Biography
Born around 1546, Charles Paget was the younger son of the English statesman William Paget, the first Baron PagetWilliam Paget, 1st Baron Paget
William Paget, 1st Baron Paget of Beaudesert , was an English statesman and accountant who held prominent positions in the service of Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I.-Early life:...
and his wife, Anne, the daughter of Henry Preston. He matriculated at Cambridge University from Caius College
Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
Gonville and Caius College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college is often referred to simply as "Caius" , after its second founder, John Keys, who fashionably latinised the spelling of his name after studying in Italy.- Outline :Gonville and...
in 1559, and was at Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...
when Queen Elizabeth visited the university in August 1564, but left without taking a degree. Around 1581, he went to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, to avoid the religious persecution
Religious persecution
Religious persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group of individuals as a response to their religious beliefs or affiliations or lack thereof....
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Under his father's will he became entitled to the manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Weston
Weston-on-Trent
Weston-on-Trent is a village and civil parish in the South Derbyshire district of Derbyshire. It is to the north of the River Trent and the Trent and Mersey Canal. Nearby places include Aston-on-Trent, Barrow upon Trent, Castle Donington and Swarkestone....
-Aston
Aston-on-Trent
Aston-on-Trent is a Derbyshire village, situated in the English East Midlands, near Derby. It is adjacent to Weston-on-Trent and is near to Chellaston. It is very close to the border with Leicestershire....
and other lands in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
. He was a zealous Roman Catholic, and left England, in discontent with its ecclesiastical constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
, around 1572, and fixed his residence in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. There he became secretary to James Beaton
James Beaton
Dr. James Beaton was a Scottish church leader, the uncle of Dr. David Cardinal Beaton and the Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland....
, archbishop of Glasgow
Archbishop of Glasgow
The Bishop of Glasgow, from 1492 Archbishop of Glasgow, was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Glasgow and then, as Archbishop of Glasgow, the Archdiocese of Glasgow...
, who was Queen Mary Stuart's ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
at the French court. He was soon joined in the office by Thomas Morgan
Thomas Morgan
Thomas Morgan may refer to:*Thomas Morgan , confident and spy of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots*Sir Thomas Morgan, 1st Baronet , general of the English Civil War...
(1543-1606 ?) Morgan and Paget were in constant correspondence with Claude Nau de la Boisseliere
Claude Nau
Claude Nau , full name Claude Nau de la Boisseliere, was a confidential secretary of Mary, Queen of Scots in England from 1575 to 1586....
and Gilbert Curle, the two secretaries who lived with the queen in England, and they four governed from thenceforth all the queen's affairs at their pleasure.
Paget and Morgan secretly opposed Archbishop Beaton
James Beaton
Dr. James Beaton was a Scottish church leader, the uncle of Dr. David Cardinal Beaton and the Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland....
, Mary's ambassador. Beaton was persuaded to allow them to administratier the queen's dowry in France, which was about thirty million crowns a year. They created an alliance with Dr. Owen Lewis
Owen Lewis (bishop)
Owen Lewis, also known as Lewis Owen was a Welsh Roman Catholic priest, jurist, administrator and diplomat, who became bishop of Cassano.-Early life:...
in Rome, and disagreed with the Jesuits William Allen and Robert Parsons. They were the cause of disagreements among the Catholics Parsons states that the original cause of Paget and Morgan's disagreement with Allen and himself was their exclusion from a meeting held at Paris in 1582. They were not included at the request of Henry I, Duke of Guise
Henry I, Duke of Guise
Henry I, Prince of Joinville, Duke of Guise, Count of Eu , sometimes called Le Balafré, "the scarred", was the eldest son of Francis, Duke of Guise, and Anna d'Este...
and the Archbishop of Glasgow. The Paris meeting discussed how to put the Queen of Scots back into power and the restoration of England to catholic unity by means of a foreign invasion. After their exclusion from this meeting Paget and Morgan inspired Mary with distrust of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and the Jesuits.
During all this time, while apparently plotting against Queen Elizabeth, Paget was acting the part of a spy, and giving political information to her ministers. In 8 January 1581-1582 he wrote from Paris to Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
, Frances Walsingham
Frances Walsingham
Frances Walsingham, Countess of Essex and Countess of Clanricarde was an English noblewoman. The daughter of Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth I's Secretary of State, she became the wife of Sir Philip Sidney at age 14. Her second husband was Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, Queen Elizabeth's...
in these terms :
God made me known to you in this town, and led me to offer you affection ; nothing can so comfort me as her Majesty's and your favour.
Again he wrote, on 28 September 1582 :
In my answer to her Majesty's command for my return to England, assist me that she may yield me her favour and liberty of conscience in religion. . . . If this cannot be done, then solicit her for my enjoying my small living on this side the sea, whereby I may be kept from necessity, which otherwise will force me to seek relief of some foreign prince.
On 23 October 1582 he informed Walsingham of his intention to go to Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
for his health, and to drink English beer. He professed dutiful allegiance to Elizabeth, and his readiness to be employed in any service, matter of conscience in religion only excepted.
Secret visit to England
In September 1583 Paget came privately from Rouen to England, assuming the name of Mope. It is alleged that the object of his journey was to concert measures for an invasion by the Duke of Guise and the King of Scots. For a time he hid in the house of William Davies, at PatchingPatching
Patching is a small village and civil parish that lies amidst the fields and woods of the southern slopes of the South Downs in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. It has a history going back to before the Domesday survey of 1087. It is located four miles to the east of Arundel, to the...
, Sussex. On the 8 September he had an interview at Petworth
Petworth House
Petworth House in Petworth, West Sussex, England, is a late 17th-century mansion, rebuilt in 1688 by Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset, and altered in the 1870s by Anthony Salvin...
with the Earl of Northumberland
Henry Percy, 8th Earl of Northumberland
Henry Percy, 8th Earl of Northumberland, 2nd Baron Percy was an English aristocrat and conspirator.-Life:He was born at Newburn Manor about 1532, was second of the two sons of Sir Thomas Percy, who was executed in 1537 as a chief actor in the Pilgrimage of Grace, and Eleanor Harbottle...
. He was afterwards secretly conveyed to a lodge in the earl
Earl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...
's park, called Conigar Lodge, where he stayed for about eight day
Day
A day is a unit of time, commonly defined as an interval equal to 24 hours. It also can mean that portion of the full day during which a location is illuminated by the light of the sun...
s. His brother, Lord Paget, was summoned to Petworth, where Charles and the earl had several meetings. On the 16 September, Charles Paget met in a wood, called Patching Copse, William Shelley,, who was subsequently convicted of treason.
Lord Paget, writing to his brother on 25 October in the same year, said his stay in Rouen was more misliked than his abiding in Paris, considering that he consorted with men like the Bishop of Ross
John Lesley
John Lesley was a Scottish Roman Catholic bishop and historian. His father was Gavin Lesley, rector of Kingussie, Badenoch.-Early career:...
. He added that
he was sorry to hear by some good friends that he carried himself not so dutifully as he ought to do, and that he would disown him as a brother if he forgot the duty he owed to England.
From this letter it would seem that Lord Paget's interview with his brother at Petworth must have been of a more innocent character than has been generally supposed. However, about the end of November Lord Paget fled to Paris, and thenceforward became suspected of complicity in all his brother's treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
s. On 2 December 1583, Sir Edward Stafford, the English ambassador to France, wrote from Paris to Sir Frances Walsingham :
Lord Paget, with Charles Paget and Charles Arundel, suddenly entered my dining chamber before any one was aware of it, and Lord Paget says they came away for their consciences, and for fear, having enemies. They also told him that for all things but their consciences they would live as dutifully as any in the world.
After this, Charles Paget, in conjunction with Morgan and other malcontents at home and abroad, continued their plans, which were,, well known to the English government; and in June 1584 Stafford, the English ambassador, made a formal demand, in the name of Queen
Elizabeth, for the surrender of Lord Paget, Charles Paget, Charles Arundel, Thomas Throckmorton, and Thomas Morgan, they having conspired against the life of the English queen. The king of France, however, refused to deliver them up, although did imprison Morgan, and sent his papers to Queen Elizabeth.
Northumberland's sake, he had never been born. In May 1586 Paget, on account of illness, went to the baths of Spain. He was attainted of treason by act of parliament in 1587.
Although all his plots had signally failed, he appears still to have clung to the idea that the Protestant religion in England could be subverted by a foreign force. Writing under the signature of 'Nauris,' from Paris, to one Nicholas Berden alias Thomas Rogers, 31 January 1587-1588, he observed, in reference to the anticipated triumph of the Spanish Armada
Spanish Armada
This article refers to the Battle of Gravelines, for the modern navy of Spain, see Spanish NavyThe Spanish Armada was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England to stop English...
:
When the day of invasion happens, the proudest Councillor or Minister in England will be glad of the favour of a Catholic gentleman.
In the same letter he stated that all Walsingham's alphabet
Alphabet
An alphabet is a standard set of letters—basic written symbols or graphemes—each of which represents a phoneme in a spoken language, either as it exists now or as it was in the past. There are other systems, such as logographies, in which each character represents a word, morpheme, or semantic...
s or ciphers had been interpreted by him.
Brussels
In March 1587-1588 he entered the service of the king of SpainPhilip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
, and went to live at Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. His name appears in the list of English exiles in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
who refused to sign the address of the English fathers of the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
.
He continued his correspondence:
I am incited to boldness with you by your favour to my nephew Paget, and the good report I hear of your sweet nature, modesty, and wisdom. I desire ardently to do a service agreeable both to the queen and the king of Spain. I am under obligation to the one as an English subject, and
to the other as a catholic prince who has relieved me in my banishment.
He added that
His Highness ' was willing to treat with allies, and particularly with the queen, that the crowns of England and Spain might return to their old amity
On 27 April 1598 he wrote from Liege to Thomas Barnes in London: I am unspeakably comforted that the queen inclines to listen to my humble suit. The profits of my land are worth £200 a year to myself; it is a lordship called Weston-upon-Trent. ... I cannot capitulate with the Queen; but the greater my offence has been, the greater is her mercy in pardoning and restoring me to my blood and living, showing the liberality which makes her famous, and obliging me to spend my life at her feet.
Paris and the Scottish faction
The English CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
exiles eventually split into two parties: one, called the Spanish faction, supporting the claims of the infanta to the English crown; while the other, denominated the Scottish
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
faction, advocated the right of James VI of Scotland. Paget was the acknowledged head of the Scottish faction, and in 1599 he threw up his employment under the King of Spain, and returned to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Among the State Papers is a letter from a Catholic in Brussels to his friend, a monk at Liege, giving a detailed account of Paget and his "practices." The writer says that from the first hour that his years permitted him to converse with men, he has been tampering in broils and practices, betwixt friend and friend, man and wife, and, as his credit and craft increase, betwixt prince and prince.
Animated by intense hatred of the Spanish faction, Paget lost no time after his arrival at Paris in putting himself in communication with Sir Henry Neville, the English ambassador, who forwarded a detailed account of the circumstances to Sir Robert Cecil
Robert Cecil
Robert Cecil may refer to:*Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury , statesman, spymaster and minister to Elizabeth I of England and James I of England...
in a despatch dated 27 June (O.S.) 1599. Cecil seems to have been by no means anxious to encourage Paget, but Neville was more favourable to him. Paget said he felt himself slighted by the English government, but he nevertheless seems to have given from time to time important intelligence to Neville and to Ralph Winwood
Ralph Winwood
Sir Ralph Winwood was an English diplomat and politician.-Life:He was born at Aynhoe in Northamptonshire and educated at St John's College, Oxford....
the succeeding ambassador at the French court
Government of France
The government of the French Republic is a semi-presidential system determined by the French Constitution of the fifth Republic. The nation declares itself to be an "indivisible, secular, democratic, and social Republic"...
. His attainder appears to have been reversed in the first parliament of James I, probably by the act restoring in blood his nephew William, Lord Paget
William Paget, 4th Baron Paget de Beaudesert
William Paget, 4th Baron Paget of Beaudesert was an English peer and colonist born in Beaudesert House, Staffordshire, England to Thomas Paget, 3rd Baron Paget and Nazareth Newton. He was a descendent of William Paget, 1st Baron Paget. William's father had been stripped of his title after fleeing...
, and it is presumed that he returned to England. His paternal estate, including the manor of Weston on Trent and other manors in Derbyshire, was restored to him on 13 July 1603; and on 18 August in the same year James I granted him £200
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
per annum, part of a fee-farm rent reserved by a patent of Queen Elizabeth, bestowing the lands of Lord Paget on William Paget and his heirs. He died, probably in England, about the beginning of February 1611-1612, leaving a good estate to the sons of one of his sisters.
Major works
- A proposition for calling the Jesuits out of England, by means of the French king, during the treaty, and entitled A Brief Note of the Practices that divers Jesuits have had for killing Princes and changing of States, June 1598. Manuscript in the State Papers, Dom. Eliz. vol. cclxvii. art. 67.
- Answer to Dolman [Robert Parsons] on the Succession to the English Crown, Paris, 1600. John Petit, writing from Liege to Peter Halins, 25 July (O.S.) 1600, remarks : ' A book has come out in answer to that one on the succession to the crown of England, which is all for the Scot, but I cannot get sight of it. Clitheroe was the author, and he being dead, Charles Paget has paid for its printing' (Cal. State Papers, Dom. Eliz. 1598-1601, pp. 456, 460). It appears that the latter part of the book was written by Paget.
- An Answere made by me, Charles Paget, Esquier, to certayne untruthes and falsityes, tochinge myselfe, contayned in a booke [by Robert Parsons] intitled a briefe Apologie or defence of the Catholicke Hierarchie & subordination in Englande, Printed with Dr. Humphrey Ely's ' Certaine Briefe Notes vpon a Briefe Apologie set out under the name of the Priestes united to the Archpriest,' Paris 1603