Babington Plot
Background
The Babington Plot was a plan in 1586 to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I, a Protestant, and put her cousin, Mary Stuart, a Catholic, on the English throne. It led to the execution of Mary Stuart for treason. The plot was organized by Anthony Babington!, a young Catholic nobleman from Derbyshire, who had been a page in the household of the Earl of Shrewsbury.
The Plot
The plot was named after Anthony Babington, who was the key figure in the conspiracy. Babington, a Catholic, was deeply troubled by the treatment of Catholics in England and was sympathetic to the cause of Mary Stuart. He was introduced to John Ballard, a Jesuit priest who had been sent by the Pope to coordinate an English Catholic rebellion. Ballard convinced Babington to lead a group of six Catholic nobles in a plot to assassinate Elizabeth and free Mary.
The plan was for Babington and his co-conspirators to murder Elizabeth and then incite a rebellion in London. Simultaneously, the Spanish forces would invade England. Mary would then be placed on the throne as the Catholic Queen.
Discovery and Aftermath
The plot was discovered by the English Secretary of State, Sir Francis Walsingham. Walsingham had developed an extensive network of spies and informants, and had also intercepted letters between Babington and Mary. In these letters, Mary gave her blessing to the plot. This was the evidence that Walsingham needed to implicate Mary in the plot and have her executed for treason.
Babington and his co-conspirators were arrested and executed. Mary was put on trial and found guilty of treason. She was beheaded in February 1587.
Significance
The Babington Plot had significant implications for England. It led to the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, which removed a significant Catholic threat to Elizabeth's throne. It also led to a strengthening of anti-Catholic sentiment in England. The plot also demonstrated the effectiveness of Walsingham's spy network and led to increased surveillance and control of Catholics in England.