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 A HISTORY OF NORFOLK and half the number only raised to protect the counties instead of going on foreign service.^ Elizabeth was of course gladly acknowledged in Norfolk, her mother's county. The most important local event during her reign, but one which cannot be dealt with in this section, was the settlement in Norwich of the Dutch refugees who fled from Spanish persecution in the Low Countries. The intrigue of the duke of Norfolk with the agents of the pope and his corre- spondence with Mary queen of Scots led to his confinement in the Tower in 1569, which is said to have caused the little insurrection which took place here in 1570, variously known as Appleyard's, Redman's, or Throgmorton's conspiracy, for which Throgmorton and others were hanged. Whether the primary object of the conspiracy was to aid the duke, as has been suggested, or not, it certainly seems to have been directed against the ' strangers,' as the Dutch immigrants were called. The scheme was to meet at Harleston fair, aided by men from Bungay and Beccles, to come to Norwich on the mayor's feast day, and to expel all foreigners from the city and the county. One of the conspirators — another of the Wymondham family of Kett, who seem to have been the veritable stormy petrels of the period — betrayed the others.' John Throgmorton of Norwich was the chief conspirator, and seems to have done his best to save his friends' lives by stating that none deserved to die but himself, 'for that he had procured them.'^ All the chief conspirators appear to have been men of position, viz. Thomas Brooke of Rollesby, gent., George Redman of Cringleford, gent., John Appleyard, gent., Mr. Hobart, Bryan Holland, esq., Thomas Nalder or Nailer, and ' another ' who was probably the Marsham who said the queen had had two children by the earl of Leicester. A newsletter dated the last of August, 1 570,* says that one of the objects was the imprisonment of the earl of Leicester. It is very noticeable that the conspirators had prepared a proclamation inveighing against the wantonness of the court and the influence of new men.^ John Appleyard, one of the con- spirators, was half-brother of Amy Robsart. Throgmorton was probably of the family of Sir Richard, who was poisoned by or on behalf of the earl in 1571, and who was one of the chief denouncers of Amy Robsart's supposed murder. Is it possible that we have in this conspiracy something nearly resembling a vendetta against Leicester.? Printing was first introduced into the city of Norwich in 1570 by one Anthony de Solempne, one of the ' strangers,' who is said to have been made a freeman of the city as a reward.^ In 1 57 1 the duke of Norfolk was again sent to the Tower and next year was convicted of treason for conspiring to marry Mary queen of Scots, and to dethrone Elizabeth, for which offences he was beheaded on Tower Hill, on 2 June, 1572. He is recorded to have boasted that when he was at home and in his tennis court at Norwich he thought himself as good as any Scotch ' Mason, op. cit. 147. ' The chamberlain's book of 1 570 says the conspiracy was betrayed by one Master Hellmes— probably an error for Helhves or Hehvys. The names of the other conspirators and details of the accusations against them are given by Mason. Hist. o/Norf. 158—9. ^ Stow, op. cit. 666. * A'd/j/C Ant. v, j6. ' Eastern Counties Collect. 209. ' Blomefield, op. cit. iii, 295. He was certainly made a freeman, II December, I 570, as 'Anthony de Solen, pryntcr, non-apprenticed,' but whether for this reason is not certain. 500