GCWBAN The Babington Plot (Unknown Cache) in Utah, United States created by DrJay

This cache has been archived.

Cache_Chameleon: Hi,

It has been over 2 weeks since I last contacted you. Due to the lack of response toward my last note I am archiving the cache at this time. If you decide to make the necessary corrections, feel free to contact me via my profile and I will be glad to unarchive the cache and take another look at it for publishing.

Thanks,

Cache Chameleon
Volunteer Reviewer

GCWBAN ▼

A cache by DrJay Message this owner

Hidden : 5/30/2006

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:

Intrigue and counter-espionage in 16th Century England.

The cache is not located at the posted coordinates, you must decode the message below to find the actual coordinates



	Staffordshire, England - 1587 he religious division between Protestants and Catholics has been raging in England for over a half-century, ever since Henry VIII officially split from the Catholic Church when the Pope refused to grant him a divorce. One result was a question of legitimacy that arose when Elizabeth I, a Protestant, ascended to the throne in 1558. However, many Roman Catholics in England and Ireland feel that Elizabeth's cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, a Catholic, is the legitimate monarch. Since Mary represented a threat to her position, Elizabeth had ordered her imprisoned. For eighteen years she was held in captivity. During that time there have been numerous plots by Catholics to rescue her and, in their view, rightfully restore her to the throne.
	Last June, Mary was contacted in captivity by Anthony Babington, a Catholic supporter who sought to rescue Mary and to "dispatch the usurping Competitor"... assasinate Queen Elizabeth. He refers to six co-conspirators in the assassination plot and requests that Mary guarantee a reward for them. In her coded reply she generally approved of his plans, without specifically supporting plans for assassination, nor guaranteeing reward for the conspirators.
		However, Mary's message was intercepted by agents of Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth's Secretary of State and Controller of Intelligence. His cryptographer decoded the message and the plot was exposed. Walsingham had his cryptographer forge a post-script to the message that would directly implicate Mary in the assassination plot. With this evidence both Babington and Mary were tried and executed, along with the conspirators who were ultimately identified.

Utah, Present day

For years, legend had it that there was an additional conspirator, Charles Barlowe, who had actually secured a large payment of gold from wealthy Catholics across the countryside that was to be distributed to the assassins upon the successful completion of their mission. However, there was never any real evidence to back up this story . . . until recently.

Historians researching the affair discovered that Barlowe, travelling under an assumed name and presumably with his secret treasure, sought passage to the New World with Sir Francis Drake to escape the discovery of his involvement in the plot. He was part of the ill-fated "Lost Colony" expedition to Roanoke Island on the Outer Banks of North Carolina the same year that Queen Mary was executed.

Like so many others in the expedition, Barlowe disappeared along with the treasure. Now, over 400 years after the failed plot against Queen Elizabeth and the execution of Mary Queen of Scots, local researchers have uncovered a most unusual document that may very well be connected to this most intriguing story...

Decode the message and find Barlowe's treasure. No need to make trades. There's a little prize for the first 10 to find it.

This cache was placed by a member of UTAG.

Please follow the

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Ernq gur qrfpevcgvba naq qb n yvggyr erfrnepu

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)

This cache has been archived.

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Geocache Description:

Attributes

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The Babington Plot Mystery Cache

This cache has been archived.

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Geocache Description:

Attributes

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Treasures