The Hidden History & Legacy of Tudor Espionage
Tuesday 22nd September 2026 at 6.30pm (following Choral Evensong at 5.30pm)

Join us for Choral Evensong at 5.30pm and stay for this month’s St Olave Lecture at 6.30pm. Sally Gibbins, Principal of the Francis Bacon Society, joins us to talk about the hidden world of Tudor Spies and intrigue centred around St Olave Hart Street. With music, letters and readings from the Tudor period, we will explore the important connections among notable parishioners of St Olave’s, including Elizabeth I’s spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham, poet Sir Philip Sidney, statesman Sir Francis Bacon, his brother cryptographer and spy Anthony Bacon, and court favourite the Earl of Essex. The histories associated with these people and landmarks highlight the complex relationships and activities that shaped the perilous political affairs of the Tudor era and would leave a lasting legacy to the world of espionage and national security. Tickets for the talk are £5 and available at this link.