13 Facts About Henry Cuffe

Sir Henry Cuffe was an English writer and politician, executed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England, for treason.

Maurice Henry Cuffe's journal was printed by the Camden Society in 1841, and the writer's grandnephew John was created Baron Desart in the Irish peerage in 1733.

At Oxford, Henry Cuffe exhibited a conspicuous ability, and became a finished Greek scholar.

Henry Cuffe attracted the attention of Sir Henry Savile, who aided him in his studies, and about 1582 made the acquaintance of John Hotman, a learned French Protestant in the service of the Earl of Leicester.

In 1586, Sir Henry Savile offered him a tutorship at Merton, and there Cuffe pursued his Greek studies with conspicuous success.

Anthony Bacon, to whom Henry Cuffe confided the manuscript, succeeded in distributing a few copies.

Henry Cuffe was deeply interested in Essex's reinstatement at court, both on grounds of personal ambition and of affection for his employer, and, now that few friends had access to the earl, was much in his confidence.

Henry Cuffe urged him to seek at all hazards an interview with the queen, and argued that Elizabeth would be unable to withhold her favour from him after she had heard from his mouth the story of his grievances and of the animosity with which the Cecils, Raleigh, and others regarded him.

Henry Cuffe deprecated all compromise with those he regarded as the earl's enemies; taunted Essex with having already submitted voluntarily to many degradations; advised Essex's friends to form an alliance with all political malcontents to make themselves a party to be feared; laid his plans before Sir Henry Neville, who had just been recalled from the French embassy and had grievances against the government; and obtained Essex's consent to communicate with his old friend Sir Charles Danvers.

Henry Cuffe appears to have told the truth, but his replies show that he had not managed that part of Essex's correspondence, which was mainly in the hands of Anthony Bacon.

Sir Charles Danvers' confession was put in, and it was stated that, in case of the plot succeeding, Henry Cuffe had been promised the speakership in the next parliament.

Henry Cuffe asked for the companionship of a divine before he was executed.

Henry Cuffe began a speech admitting his guilt while denying many of the charges brought against him.