Elizabethan Espionage: Plotters and Spies in the Struggle between Catholicism and the Crown by Patrick H. Martin (review)

Elizabeth Espionage: Plotters and Spies in the Struggle between Catholicism and the Crown aims to defend the Catholics of Elizabethan England from the charge of terrorism. Its main argument is that English Catholics were more the victims than the terrorists, during what Martin calls "the struggle over England's religious identity" during the late sixteenth century. He aims to showcase this by re-examining the activities of late Elizabethan spies in a search for their underlying motives, in contrast to much scholarly study which consistently portrays spies as nothing more than traitors.

Martin focuses especially on two spies who worked for opposite sides: George Gifford and William Sterrell. Martin portrays Gifford as an agent provocateur for the spymaster Francis Walsingham, while Sterrell secretly worked for the Earl of Worcester as a Catholic counter–spy. These two characters come alive in the pages of Martin's work, as he presents and examines primary evidence such as letters, notes, and trial transcripts. He delves into the complex world of the code words and aliases they chose, which clearly demonstrates the humor and intelligence of these brave men. Their humanity is shown through Martin's examination of what he calls 'seepage': tiny slips of information or phrasing that shows the true author of various documents, and allows their movements and loyalties to be tracked despite constant misdirection.

The book is structured like a legal defense, complete with an eloquent opening statement in the preface, background information on the defendants in the opening chapters, and the careful presentation and analysis of evidence in the second half of the book. It is perhaps for this reason that a few arguments are not entirely supported by historical evidence: defenses, after all, are meant to convince and persuade, putting the defendant in the best light possible. The result is that the motivations of the defendant's enemies are often oversimplified: in this case, it can be seen in the portrayals of both Walsingham and the queen herself. Martin also assumes that Sterrell was affected by particular events that occurred during his childhood, although there is little evidence that he was even aware of them. It may be logical that a Catholic child would be affected by the brutal execution of Catholic priests, but it is still an assumption.

Thus, perhaps the greatest value of this work lies in this characterization. George Gifford and William Sterrell are forgotten men in current scholarship about the struggle for faith in Elizabethan England, but both deserve further study. Sterrell especially was so carefully placed at court, and had such important patrons during his long and fruitful career, that he could have easily been the sole focus of the book. Elizabethan espionage through his eyes exclusively, from the 1580s to the accession of James VI and I, would have tied together all the various strands of intrigue that make this book so fascinating, and provided a clear timeline.

Martin's defense of English Catholics effectively demonstrates how many of the alleged plots against the queen during this time were actually manufactured, or at least encouraged, by the Elizabethan government itself. Martin successfully unpacks the sources, taking nothing at face value, and uncovers new meaning in primary evidence. As he declares in the preface, he aims to show that the goal of Elizabethan Catholics was not to terrorize but to gain some measure of toleration. His portrayal of men such as Sterrell fulfils that goal with skill and style, showing that their ultimate goal was to support their fellow English Catholics, whether that meant supporting the queen or working around her.