ngland's attempt to
locate a northwest passage and the subsequent discovery of
"gold" in the Arctic attracted the attention of rival
European nations. Spain in particular was interested, initially
because it feared the expeditions might infringe on Spanish
territory, and later because it did not want England to compete
with Spanish control of a large portion of the world trade in
precious metals.
In 1578, King
Philip II of Spain sent Don Bernardino de Mendoza
to London to replace the Spanish ambassador, who had been
imprisoned for his role in a plot to drive the English out of
Ireland. Understandably, the English were suspicious of Spain's
new representative. On occasion his coded correspondence with
King Philip was seized and decoded. However, other letters did
arrive in Spain.
Through recent examination and deciphering of these letters, it
has become clear that Mendoza had an informant on Frobisher's
1578 voyage. In a letter to the king dated October 7, 1578,
Mendoza reported that Frobisher's ships had returned to England,
but that he had not heard from his informer on the voyage. Yet his
November 15 letter provides a relatively accurate summary of
Frobisher's activities on that expedition. A chart of the voyage
and ore samples were smuggled to him.
|
|
The first page of the coded manuscript, dated November 15, 1578
(AGS, Estado, leg. 381, f. 266)
Courtesy of Archivo General de Simancas,
(Ministerio de Cultura de España)
|
|
Who was this spy? The main clue to his identity is found in a
statement that this man took part in one of the large assays in
London. Robert Denham, Frobisher's chief assayer on the third
voyage, was the only man who was both involved in the test in
London and a member of the 1578 expedition. Yet his motives for
spying are unclear. He was a well established London goldsmith
with an annual pension of £50 for his work with the Frobisher
enterprise. He was Protestant. He risked death if his deceit had
been discovered. Possibly he was a double-agent working for the
Queen to plant misinformation.
Another theory has pointed the finger of suspicion at gentleman
assayer and mercenary Edmund Stafford, a shadowy figure of whom
little is known for certain and who almost disappears after 1578,
as though the name were an assumed identity for someone else.
If so, George Best - who himself flouted
official orders by making information about the expeditions public - may
have known of the ruse, for he endorsed Stafford's role on the crew of the
Aid and was related to the Stafford family.
Philip II's interest in Frobisher's voyages lasted only until it
became clear that the rock he brought back to England contained
no gold.
|
|