Why was Sir Francis Walsingham important to Queen Elizabeth?

Sir Francis Walsingham, (born c. 1532, Kent, England—died April 6, 1590, London), English statesman and diplomat who was the principal secretary (1573–90) to Queen Elizabeth I and became legendary for creating a highly effective intelligence network.

Was Walsingham loyal to Queen Elizabeth?

Walsingham had been a loyal and important member of Queen Elizabeth I’s government and served as her “spymaster” for many years. He was a crucial figure in Elizabethan times, running the Secret Service as well as serving as Secretary of State during times of international conflict, including the Spanish Armada.

Why was Walsingham exiled?

In the autumn of 1555, as Mary’s government moved from exhortation to return to the old ways, to a more sustained programme of physical coercion, Francis became one of those who could not conform and went into exile (although it is possible he left earlier, perhaps in spring of 1554).

Who was Queen Elizabeth 1 advisor?

Sir William Cecil
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, Burghley also spelled Burleigh, also called (1551–71) Sir William Cecil, (born Sept. 13, 1520, Bourne, Lincolnshire, Eng. —died Aug. 5, 1598, London), principal adviser to England’s Queen Elizabeth I through most of her reign.

Who was William Walsingham and what did he do?

William Walsingham served as a member of the commission that was appointed to investigate the estates of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in 1530, and his elder brother, Sir Edmund Walsingham, was Lieutenant of the Tower of London. After William’s death, Joyce married the courtier Sir John Carey in 1538.

Who was the widow of Sir Richard Worsley?

In 1566, Walsingham married Ursula St. Barbe, widow of Sir Richard Worsley, and Walsingham acquired her estates of Appuldurcombe and Carisbrooke Priory on the Isle of Wight. The following year, she bore him a daughter, Frances.

Who was the Dowager Countess of Essex in 1633?

Frances Walsingham, Dowager Countess of Essex and Countess of Clanricarde (1567 – 17 February 1633) was an English noblewoman.

When did Ursula Walsingham’s stepsons George and John die?

Walsingham’s other two stepsons, Ursula’s sons John and George, were killed in a gunpowder accident at Appuldurcombe in 1567.