Tyburn: London's Fatal Tree by Alan Brooke, David Brandon Page A
Authors: Alan Brooke, David Brandon
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according to William Camden, affirmed that he loved the Queen as he loved Jesus Christ, ‘which from a man of the Jewish profession was heard not without laughter’. Lopez and the two others with him were hanged, disembowelled and quartered. It seems that the Queen had some sympathy for Lopez and may have doubted his conviction. For the rest of her life she wore at her waist the ring Lopez had received from Philip of Spain (Hyamson 1908: 136–9).
In 1595 the poet Robert Southwell was hanged at Tyburn. He had received his theological training at Douai and had secretly returned to Britain to officiate at clandestine services. Among the families in whose houses he had ministered were the Bellamys of Uxenden Hall near Harrow-on-the-Hill. In 1592 the entire family was arrested. One who was closely questioned by the Queen’s notorious agent Richard Topcliffe, was Anne Bellamy. He abused his position because he eventually seduced her and made her pregnant. She confessed that her family had indeed used Uxenden Hall to hear Mass and that the priest involved was Southwell. Topcliffe had Southwell arrested, a move he regarded as a really significant blow against the Catholic heretics. The unfortunate Southwell was subjected to torture and three years’ confinement in a dungeon until he was despatched to be hanged and quartered. When he arrived at Tyburn, he stood in the cart and before preaching from Romans 14, asked forgiveness for his sins. He acknowledged that he was a Catholic priest and declared that he never intended any harm or evil against the Queen. The hangman slowly strangled Southwell and when an attendant began to cut the rope of the still breathing priest, Lord Mountjoy and a number of other eminent spectators interrupted and told him to let Southwell alone to die before he was disembowelled. Many others among the crowd repeated the demand. Southwell’s writings, both in prose and verse, had been popular. His verse was widely admired and it is probable that Shakespeare had read Southwell and may even have imitated his literary methods.
Topcliffe (1532–1604) was notorious for the brutal relish with which he hunted out and questioned recusants and Jesuits over a period of twenty-five years which saw him become in effect the man in charge of enforcing anti-Catholic measures. He made extensive use of torture and he even racked prisoners in his own home. His proud boast was that he had invented a rack of his own which inflicted far worse pain than ordinary common racks. Southwell suffered on one of Topcliffe’s racks. He was hung from a wall by his hands, with a sharp circle of iron round his wrist pressing on an artery, his legs bent backwards and his heels tied to his thighs. For a little light relief, when not engaged in hounding Catholics, Topcliffe turned his hand to torturing gypsies.
In the 1580s, one of the leaders of resistance to religious change in Ireland was the rebel Sir Brian-na-Murtha O’Rourke who was active in Connaught. The O’Rourkes were among the most celebrated clans in Irish history and it was claimed that he had ‘made a wooden image for the Queen, and caused the same to be trailed at a horse’s tail … and horseboys to hurl stones at it, every day’ (Montrose 1999: 108). It was also said that he gave shelter to three hundred sailors of the Spanish Armada when their ship was wrecked off the coast of Sligo. O’Rourke was indicted for high treason because he had acted contrary to the laws of the Church of England and Ireland and because he celebrated ‘Popish’ ways. He fled to Scotland but was delivered up to the English by King James VI. In October 1591, O’ Rourke was held in the Tower where an interpreter acted for him as he knew no English. O’Rourke insisted that he would only answer to the Queen and not the court before which he stood. His wish was not granted. Found guilty of high treason, he was hanged at Tyburn in November 1591. On the scaffold it was reported that he
In 1595 the poet Robert Southwell was hanged at Tyburn. He had received his theological training at Douai and had secretly returned to Britain to officiate at clandestine services. Among the families in whose houses he had ministered were the Bellamys of Uxenden Hall near Harrow-on-the-Hill. In 1592 the entire family was arrested. One who was closely questioned by the Queen’s notorious agent Richard Topcliffe, was Anne Bellamy. He abused his position because he eventually seduced her and made her pregnant. She confessed that her family had indeed used Uxenden Hall to hear Mass and that the priest involved was Southwell. Topcliffe had Southwell arrested, a move he regarded as a really significant blow against the Catholic heretics. The unfortunate Southwell was subjected to torture and three years’ confinement in a dungeon until he was despatched to be hanged and quartered. When he arrived at Tyburn, he stood in the cart and before preaching from Romans 14, asked forgiveness for his sins. He acknowledged that he was a Catholic priest and declared that he never intended any harm or evil against the Queen. The hangman slowly strangled Southwell and when an attendant began to cut the rope of the still breathing priest, Lord Mountjoy and a number of other eminent spectators interrupted and told him to let Southwell alone to die before he was disembowelled. Many others among the crowd repeated the demand. Southwell’s writings, both in prose and verse, had been popular. His verse was widely admired and it is probable that Shakespeare had read Southwell and may even have imitated his literary methods.
Topcliffe (1532–1604) was notorious for the brutal relish with which he hunted out and questioned recusants and Jesuits over a period of twenty-five years which saw him become in effect the man in charge of enforcing anti-Catholic measures. He made extensive use of torture and he even racked prisoners in his own home. His proud boast was that he had invented a rack of his own which inflicted far worse pain than ordinary common racks. Southwell suffered on one of Topcliffe’s racks. He was hung from a wall by his hands, with a sharp circle of iron round his wrist pressing on an artery, his legs bent backwards and his heels tied to his thighs. For a little light relief, when not engaged in hounding Catholics, Topcliffe turned his hand to torturing gypsies.
In the 1580s, one of the leaders of resistance to religious change in Ireland was the rebel Sir Brian-na-Murtha O’Rourke who was active in Connaught. The O’Rourkes were among the most celebrated clans in Irish history and it was claimed that he had ‘made a wooden image for the Queen, and caused the same to be trailed at a horse’s tail … and horseboys to hurl stones at it, every day’ (Montrose 1999: 108). It was also said that he gave shelter to three hundred sailors of the Spanish Armada when their ship was wrecked off the coast of Sligo. O’Rourke was indicted for high treason because he had acted contrary to the laws of the Church of England and Ireland and because he celebrated ‘Popish’ ways. He fled to Scotland but was delivered up to the English by King James VI. In October 1591, O’ Rourke was held in the Tower where an interpreter acted for him as he knew no English. O’Rourke insisted that he would only answer to the Queen and not the court before which he stood. His wish was not granted. Found guilty of high treason, he was hanged at Tyburn in November 1591. On the scaffold it was reported that he
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