William Herle (spy)

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William Herle (died 1588) was a pirate and spy who was imprisoned in the Marshalsea prison in 1571. He became known for his part in Elizabeth I's intelligence network inside the jail, smuggling letters to William Cecil, Lord Burghley, about people involved in the so-called Ridolfi plot, a Roman Catholic plan to assassinate the Queen and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots.[1]


  1. ^ Adams 2009.


  • Adams, Robyn. "'The Service I am Here for': William Herle in the Marshalsea Prison, 1571," Huntington Library Quarterly, June 2009, Vol. 72, No. 2, pp. 217–238.