Thinker, Gaoler, Soldier, and Spy: Sir John Peyton (1544–1630) and Early Modern Intelligence-Brokering in the Tower of London

Abstract

Through analysing local administrative records, state administrative records, and personal correspondence, this article demonstrates how Sir John Peyton's role as Lieutenant of the Tower of London (1597–1603) provides us with a hitherto unexamined opportunity for commissioning, extracting, brokering, and obtaining intelligence. In doing so, it makes the case for re-examining the often-overlooked contribution of Elizabethan and Jacobean administrators to the history of intelligence-gathering in early modern England, here focussing on the position of the Lieutenant of the Tower of London.