A Plot

The struggle for the minds and hearts of individuals has been an activity since the beginning of time as we know it. [Present day included!]  Since Henry VIII separated the Church of England from the Papacy of Rome, this struggle continued as a major issue between the Catholics and Protestants of  the day.  During the reign of James I, a plot was designed to continue the struggle.

The Gunpowder Plot it has been named.  The book by Alan Haynes [cover shown above] is a comprehensive account of this exploit.  First published 1994 it gives a broad coverage of this topic.  My own Jones family was Catholic during this historical period, and were involved heart and soul in many of these struggles.  My many years of genealogical research involved exploring and trying to understand these issues as branches of my family tree were exposed.   The book shown above was very helpful.

Printed in Great Britain by WBC Limited, Bridgend, it is in both hard cover and paperback.  Struggling with my own brick walls, understanding this religious conflict helped get around a few.

Information Gathering

Intrigue, murder plots, espionage, and all kinds of mysterious activities were part of my ancestors story.  Working through these events as a genealogist was quite a challenge.  [Lots of brick walls here!]

The following text gives one aspect of many issues contained in my family tree.  It is called "Her Majesty's Spymaster". 

On several levels, the Catholics and Protestants were at war with one another.  My Jones family represented those Welsh Catholics who came up on the wrong side of the fence.

The book by Stephen Budiansky presents the story surrounding the "Birth of Modern Espionage".  Published in 2005 by Plume [Penguin Group], N.Y., it is only 154 pages, and is written in a journalist style.  It is the life of Sir Francis Walsingham and his abilities to develop  methods of information gathering.  A context which is vital to understand surrounding the religious conflicts of the day.

Danger

From 1492, the western nations of the world began their "name it and claim it" enterprises.  Religious beliefs were accepted, and served as a major driving force to those adventurers seeking their claim to fame.  [Either in Heaven or on Earth.]

In 1493, the head of this driving force [Alexander VI] could arrange "all lands" to those nations already leading this new exploration. [Spain and Portugal]  Of course, those left out in the cold were to express different opinions regarding the "name" and the "claim" of this new world. 

As time progressed, the Religious beliefs fragmented along the lines of what became called "Protestants" and "Catholics".   It was the "Tudor" age that was to make the most of these differences, changing the Catholic world in England, and beginning an all out war between the nations, and people, that followed each belief system.  It was this division that came to my attention as I climbed my own family tree.  For, my family was "Catholic" in a "Protestant" world.  This produced a great deal of issues for all involved.  The following book discusses some of these factors in the reign of Elizabeth I.

It is titled "Danger to Elizabeth" and is written by Alison Plowden.  It helped introduce me to the concerns of  what became a "Catholic" underground in a predominant "Protestant" world.  It seemed that many in my family participated in a number of events that were to impact their lives and  fortune.

It was first published in 1973 by Stein and Day/ Publishers/Scarborough House, Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.
The subtitle is "The Catholics under Elizabeth I".  Little did I know in 1973 [being Protestant and not meeting a Catholic until high school] that this would become part of my families' story.