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Sir Griffin Markham (d. aft. 1644) was an English soldier.


Life

Griffin Markham was the son of Thomas Markham (1530–1607) and of Mary Griffin (1540-ca.1633) of Ollerton, Nottinghamshire. He likely converted to Roman Catholicism early in his life, under the influence of his mother. On 29 May 1592, he married Anne Roos. Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, knighted him in 1591 at the siege of
Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of ...
. During the Nine Years War in Ireland (1594–1603) he commanded the cavalry under Sir
Conyers Clifford Sir Conyers Clifford (c. 1566 – 1599) was an English politician and military commander. Life and career He was the son of George Clifford, esq., of Bobbing Court in Kent, by his wife Ursula, daughter of Roger Finch. His elder brother, Henry ...
, and his opportune arrival and counter-charge after the defeat of the infantry at the Battle of Curlew Pass (1599) saved the army from complete disaster. His right arm was broken during the affray. Markham was banished from court for unknown reasons around 1593. Although he had anticipated the accession of King James I with a degree of hope, after it occurred in March, 1603, he experienced disappointment with the new monarch's lack of favour, and took part in the
Bye Plot The Bye Plot of 1603 was a conspiracy, by Roman Catholic priests and Puritans aiming at tolerance for their respective denominations, to kidnap the new English King, James I of England. It is referred to as the "bye" plot, because at the time i ...
(June, 1603) and subsequently the Main Plot (July, 1603), for which he was convicted (1603) and sentenced to death. However, he was reprieved from execution and exiled (1605).Markham, p. 102 His properties were given to his cousin, Sir John Harington. He spent the rest of his life in exile in Europe, acting as a spy for
Robert Cecil Robert Cecil may refer to: * Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury (1563–1612), English administrator and politician, MP for Westminster, and for Hertfordshire * Robert Cecil (1670–1716), Member of Parliament for Castle Rising, and for Wootton Ba ...
, and joining the English regiment in the Low Countries; there he fell out with Sir
Edmund Baynham Edmund is a masculine given name or surname in the English language. The name is derived from the Old English elements ''ēad'', meaning "prosperity" or "riches", and ''mund'', meaning "protector". Persons named Edmund include: People Kings and ...
, a conspirator in the Gunpowder Plot, and fought a bloody duel with him.


Notes


References

** * English duellists English army officers English knights English spies People of Elizabethan Ireland Year of birth missing Year of death missing 16th-century spies {{England-mil-bio-stub