"Wilmot's blots" and Cavalier plots, June 1644: fresh evidence from captured correspondence

This article examines two letters of June 1644, each written in cipher, from members of Charles I's household to his nephew, and commander of the Royalist cavalry, Prince Rupert. Both items were intercepted by the Parliamentarians, but remained undeciphered in the archives until their key was b...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Seventeenth century Vol. 36; no. 4; pp. 579 - 596
Main Authors Macadam, Joyce, Roy, Ian
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Durham Routledge 04.07.2021
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
17th century
Attitudes
Correspondence
Digby, George
Epistolography
factionalism
George Digby
Henry Percy
Henry Wilmot
Percy, Henry (1564-1632)
Prince Rupert
Royalist encryption
Royalty
Rupert, Prince (1619-1682)
War
Wilmot, Henry
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Summary:This article examines two letters of June 1644, each written in cipher, from members of Charles I's household to his nephew, and commander of the Royalist cavalry, Prince Rupert. Both items were intercepted by the Parliamentarians, but remained undeciphered in the archives until their key was broken recently. The article discusses this new evidence relating to the factionalism that was crippling the Royalist war effort prior to the defeat at Marston Moor and, specifically, to the attitudes towards the Prince in particular, and the war in general, of Lord Henry Wilmot, Lieutenant General of the cavalry, and the King's Secretary, Lord George Digby. A description is included of the cipher key used in the despatches, with comments on the efficacy of this particular tool. The article concludes with a brief outline of the outcomes for the parties referred to in the letters.
ISSN:0268-117X
2050-4616
DOI:10.1080/0268117X.2020.1792337