After the publication of a coauthored paper on Mary, Queen of Scots, in February, I've been working on contemporary materials from my list of leads waiting to be processed. Now, I made more than ten additions related to Elizabeth or Mary.
In "Ciphers during the Reign of Queen Elizabeth I", I added Dudley-Throckmorton Cipher (1560), Cecil-Sadler-Croft Ciphers 1, 2, Randolph-Sadler-Croft Cipher, references to four ciphers from Dubois-Nayt and Nachef (2020), Moray-Wood Cipher (undeciphered), Walsingham-Wotton Cipher (1585) (which turned out to be the same as what I reconstructed before).
Of these, Cecil-Sadler-Croft-Cipher 2 is interesting because of its similarity to another cipher related to Cecil. I believe this shows the kind of ciphers preferred by Cecil, but more materials are needed to be certain.
In "Ciphers of Mary, Queen of Scots", I added Mary-Hamilton Cipher (1569), Throckmorton-Moray Cipher (1569), Chisholm-Grange Cipher (1571), and Mary-Grange Cipher (1571).
The last one is described in the catalogue as one of "Four letters, partly in cipher, from John Chisholme to the Laird of Grange, 6 and 24 February 1571 and no date, London." That is, it has not been recognized to be Mary's. I found the key in the archives, which allowed me to decipher the letter. But in view of the fact that the key is in the collection of an English codebreaker, the plaintext may be found somewhere in the archives.
30/05/2023
Trevanion's Cipher from Architectural Viewpoint
Sir John Trevanion, a Royalist during the English Civil War, is said to have escaped from Colchester Castle, where he was held prisoner, thanks to a letter which hided a message "PANEL AT EAST END OF CHAPEL SLIDES". But nobody seems to know a primary source of this famous episode, as I pointed out in 2012 in Qest for "Trevanion's Cipher".
Now I learned from Paul Hodgett that the same question was raised by his father Michale Hodgett decades ago. In his notes, Michael, an expert on priest holes, observes that the chapel was on the second floor and the wall was thick enough for hiding a mural passage.
Now I updated the page with this architectural observation.
Now I learned from Paul Hodgett that the same question was raised by his father Michale Hodgett decades ago. In his notes, Michael, an expert on priest holes, observes that the chapel was on the second floor and the wall was thick enough for hiding a mural passage.
Now I updated the page with this architectural observation.
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