POLITICAL HISTORY 



Great indignation was aroused in 1586 by Babington's conspiracy 

 against the queen's life. Babington had been detained at Walsingham's 

 house in London, apparently as his guest, until one night he discovered 

 that the all-powerful minister was fully informed of his intention to 

 assassinate the queen. 824 Babington immediately took to flight, and 

 having warned his fellow-conspirators they all fled to St. John's Wood, 826 

 which then afforded good covert to robbers and outlaws. To disguise 

 Babington his friends cut off his hair and ' besmeared and soiled the 

 natural beauty of his face with green walnut shells.' 2S * ' Being con- 

 strained by famine ' they went to Okington at Harrow--on-the-Hill, a 

 house belonging to a Roman Catholic family of the name of Bellamy. 

 There they were hidden in a barn, fed, and clothed ' in rusticall habit.' 

 Warrants had been issued for their arrest, and such was the popular 

 indignation aroused by Walsingham's exaggerated reports of the plot 227 

 that the fugitives did not dare try to make their escape. When they 

 had been in hiding for ten days, however, they were discovered, and 

 were taken to London for their trial. Suspicion fell heavily on all recusants 

 living within a few miles to the north of London. 828 Many houses were 

 searched, 229 and many persons examined. The Bellamies suffered severely 

 for having aided the fugitives; Mrs. Bellamy was committed to the Fleet 

 Prison, and her son Jerome was executed on the charge of having 

 'aided and relieved Babington, Barnewell, and Dune in the woods and in 

 his mother's hay-barn after that he understood that search was made for 

 them as traitors for conspiring the death of the queen's majesty.' 2SO 



Two years later the whole county was in a bustle of preparation to 

 resist the Spanish invasion. The conduct of military affairs in Middlesex 

 lay mostly in the hands of Sir Gilbert Gerard, Sir Robert Wroth, and 

 Sir Owen Hopton. 831 Under their direction, the quota of men for the 

 county was drilled for many months before the invader sailed. 232 In 

 April 1,500 men were raised, in June 1,000 more, and in July, thirty- 

 five lances, and eighty-eight light horse. 233 Middlesex with Warwick- 

 shire and Leicestershire supplied the guard for the queen's person, and in 

 July, 1,000 of the county's trained bands were specially detailed for this 

 purpose. 284 When the army was finally mustered, it was quartered 



ni Camden, Annals, 305. m Ibid. 306 ; Mackintosh, Hist, of Engl. iii, 309. 



"* Camden, Annah, 306. 



*" Nevertheless Burghley found reason to complain of the way in which the search was prosecuted. 

 On his way from London to Theobald's he noticed groups of men standing about in the villages. At 

 last, in Enfield, he asked some of these what they did, and was told that they were searching for three 

 young men. He asked how they would identify them, and was answered, ' Marry, my lord, by their 

 favour.' ' What mean you by that ? ' he asked. ' Marry,' said they, ' one of the party hath a hooked 

 nose.' ' And have you no other mark ? ' enquired Burghley. ' No,' said they. Burghley to Walsing- 

 ham, 10 Aug. 1536 ; Cooper, Noticei of Anthony Babington ofDethick, 178. 



"" Cal. S.P. Dom. 1581-90, pp. 345-7. 



"* Cooper, Noticei of Anthony Babington of De thick, 183. 



130 Cal. S.P. Dom. 1581-90, p. 347. 



01 Acts of the P.O. 1588, p. 219. n> Cal. S.P. Dom. 1581-90, pp. 271, 441. 



"* Acts of the P.O. 1588, pp. 25, 144, 169. There was some difficulty in raising these, for 

 though the people were willing to serve, they were not well able to bear the expense, the citizens of 

 London who held lands in Middlesex were also taxed in the City, and the inhabitants of the Tower 

 Hamlets already served in the Tower. m Ibid. 202. 



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