William Parry (spy)
William Parry (or Parrie) (died 2 March 1585) was a
Early life
He was the son of Harry ap David, a gentleman of Northop, Flintshire, and his wife Margaret, daughter of Pyrs or Peter Conway, archdeacon of St. Asaph and rector of Northop. Harry ap David, on his son's account, was in the guard to Henry VIII, and died about 1566, leaving fourteen children by his first wife and sixteen by his second, Parry's mother. Parry was originally named William ap Harry.[1]
Parry was apprenticed to John Fisher of Chester, who had some legal knowledge in law; he attended a grammar school and made attempts to escape from his master.[2] In about 1560,[2] he went to London to seek his fortune. A marriage with a Mrs. Powell, widow, and daughter of Sir William Thomas, brought him some income.[1]
In the household of
Spy
Parry sought a commission from
In 1580 Parry again returned to England. in November, after renewed proceedings by his creditors, he made a personal assault on Hugh Hare, one of them, in the Inner Temple. Parry was convicted and sentenced to death. He received a pardon from the Queen. He found sureties for his debts, one of whom was Sir John Conway, a connection of his mother's.[1]
On a third trip abroad in 1582, Parry appears to have become a
Informant
On his return to England in 1584, Parry disclosed some of his dealings to the Queen, claiming to have acted only to cover Protestant plots. She pardoned him; Parry started to demand rewards. The Queen pensioned him, and rewarded him with a seat in Parliament for Queenborough. Parry was at this point playing a double game. He tried the effect of a protest in parliament against the treatment of Catholics.[1][2]
However, Parry was still unable to pay off his debts, and attempted to manufacture another plot to be "discovered". He approached Sir Edmund Neville and suggested to him that they should ride up and shoot the Queen in her coach, or kill her during a private audience. According to some accounts, Parry did attempt to carry out the assassination but lost his courage before he could do the deed. However, it is unclear whether he genuinely intended to kill the Queen, or to raise his own standing by "exposing" Neville.
Six weeks later Neville informed against his fellow conspirator, stating that he had plotted to murder the Queen while she was driving in the park. Parry was arrested on a charge of high treason, and placed in the Tower of London. He wrote a full confession to the Queen, and sent letters to Burghley and the Earl of Leicester.[1]
Death
On 11 February 1585 Parry was expelled from Parliament. Parry was taken to the
Claude de Courcelles, the secretary of the French ambassador in London, Michel de Castelnau, was alleged to have carried letters to Parry. This led to suspicion of the involvement of Mary, Queen of Scots.[4]
After Parry's death a work, published, probably, at the instance of the government, and entitled A true and plain Declaration of the Horrible Treasons practised by William Parry, charged him with various atrocious crimes. It also made remarks on his, birth and parentage.[1]
Epigram
An epigram on his death, quoted by
- It was pittie
- One so wittie
- Malcontent:
- Leaving reason
- Should to treason
- So be bent.
- But his gifts
- Were but shifts
- Void of grace:
- And his braverie
- Was but knaverie
- Vile and base.
References
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
- ^ a b c d [1]History of Parliament: Members 1558-1603 - Parry (Ap Harry), William (d.1585) of London. Article by M.A.P. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ Stephen Alford, The Watchers (Penguin, 2013), p. 191.
- ^ Alexandre Labanoff, Lettres de Marie Stuart, vol. 6 (London, 1844), p. 110, 146-149.
- Attribution
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Parry, William (d.1585)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
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