William Parry

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For the fictional character from the His Dark Materials trilogy, see Will Parry

William Parry or Parrie (d. 2 March 1585) was a Welsh doctor who considered assassinating Elizabeth I of England.

In the household of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke until the Earl's death in 1570, Parry then entered the Queen's service. He appears to have involved himself in financial difficulties, and sought a commission from Lord Burghley to spy on Catholics on the Continent, with the idea of escaping his creditors. After two trips abroad, he assaulted one of his creditors in 1580 and was sentenced to death, but received a royal pardon. On a third trip abroad in 1582, he appears to have become a double agent, going over to the Catholic side and considering Elizabeth's assassination. But on his return in 1584, he disclosed his dealings to the Queen, claiming to have done so only to uncover Catholic plots. She pardoned and pensioned him, and rewarded him with a seat in Parliament for Queenborough. However, Parry was still unable to pay off his debts, and attempted to manufacture another plot to be "discovered". He approached Sir Edmund Neville and suggested to him that they should ride up and shoot the Queen in her coach, or kill her during a private audience. According to some accounts, Parry did attempt to carry out the assassination, but lost his courage before he could do the deed. However, it is unclear whether he genuinely intended to kill the Queen, or to raise his own standing by "exposing" Neville. Examined by Sir Francis Walsingham, Parry confessed to plotting the murder, and was hanged at Westminster on 2 March 1585.

An epigram on his death, quoted by Holinshed, was reproduced in The Worm Ouroboros:

It was pittie

One so wittie

Malcontent:

Leaving reason

Should to treason

So be bent.

But his gifts

Were but shifts

Void of grace:

And his braverie

Was but knaverie