Career
In 1586 Watson became a Roman Catholic priest in France, and during the concluding years of Elizabeth"s reign he paid several visits to England. He was imprisoned and tortured more than once. In September of that year he was resident at Fulham Palace, under the protection of Richard Bancroft.
When Elizabeth died, Watson hastened to Scotland to assure James I of the loyalty of his party, and to forestall the Jesuits, who were suspected of intriguing with Spain.
One or two of the conspirators drew back. But Watson and his remaining colleagues arranged to assemble at Greenwich on 24 June 1603, and under the pretence of presenting a petition to carry out their object.
The plot was a complete failure. Henry Garnet and other Jesuits betrayed it to the authorities, and its principal authors were seized, Watson being captured in August at Hay-on-Wye on the Welsh border.
They were tried at Winchester and found guilty.
Watson and Clark were executed on 9 December 1603, and Brooke suffered the same fate a week later. Grey and Markham were reprieved. Before the executions took place, however, the failure of the Bye plot had led to the discovery of the Main plot.
Cobham appears to have been in communication with Spain about the possibility of killing "the king and his cubs" and of placing Lady Arabella Stuart on the throne.
He was seized, tried and condemned to death, but although led out to the scaffold he was not executed. lieutenant was on suspicion of being associated with Cobham in this matter that Sir Walter Raleigh was arrested and tried.
