Florence Hensey (also Henchy, Henzy; ) was an Irish physician, and a spy for France during the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...

Life

Hensey was born in

Kildare Kildare () is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. , its population was 10,302, making it the 7th largest town in County Kildare. It is home to Kildare Cathedral, historically the site of an important abbey said to have been founded by Saint ...

about 1714, a son of Florence Henchey of Ballycumeen, County Clare, and his wife Mary; the couple had two other sons and a daughter."Henchy (Hensey, Henzy), Florence"
''

Dictionary of Irish Biography The ''Dictionary of Irish Biography'' (DIB) is a biographical dictionary of notable Irish people and people not born in the country who had notable careers in Ireland, including both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. History The ...

''. October 2009. When very young he came to England, and in October 1748 entered as a student of medicine in

Leyden Leiden ( ; ; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 127,046 (31 January 2023), but the city forms one densely connecte ...

, where he graduated M.D. He afterwards travelled in, and studied the languages of, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. He then settled in Paris, where for some years he practised as a physician, and learnt French. Finally he moved to England, and commenced practice in London. On the outbreak of the

in 1756, Hensey opened a correspondence with a former fellow-student who was then engaged in the French foreign office. As a result he entered the French service as a spy, and in return for a salary of a hundred guineas a year supplied information as to the movements and equipment of the English fleet. He warned the French of the intended

Raid on Rochefort The Raid on Rochefort (or Descent on Rochefort) was a British amphibious assault, amphibious attempt to capture the France, French Atlantic port of Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, Rochefort in September 1757 during the Seven Years' War. The raid ...

in 1757, and his warning seems to have contributed to the failure of that enterprise. Hensey wrote his reports in

lemon juice The lemon (''Citrus'' × ''limon'') is a species of small evergreen tree in the ''Citrus'' genus of the flowering plant family Rutaceae. A true lemon is a hybrid of the citron and the bitter orange. Its origins are uncertain, but some ...

between the lines of innocuous-looking letters sent to France through intermediaries, including his brother Joseph who was chaplain to the Spanish ambassador at

the Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

. A postman, who had observed his frequent foreign correspondence, called the attention of his superiors to the matter, and evidence was obtained which led to his arrest, on 21 August 1757, as he came from the chapel of the Spanish ambassador in Soho Square. After many examinations before the secretary of state, Hensey was committed to

Newgate Prison Newgate Prison was a prison at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey, just inside the City of London, England, originally at the site of Newgate, a gate in the Roman London Wall. Built in the 12th century and demolished in 1904, the pr ...

on 9 March 1758, and on 8 May was brought before the King's Bench and ordered to prepare for his trial. The trial took place before Earl Mansfield on 12 June, occupying all day. The evidence of guilt was overpowering; further letters were found at Hensey's lodgings in

Arundel Street Arundel Street is a street in the City of Westminster, London, that runs from Strand, London, Strand in the north to Temple Place in the south. It is on land once occupied by Arundel House and its gardens. Location Arundel street runs from Str ...

, Strand, in a bureau of which he alone had the key, and were conclusively shown to be in his handwriting. There was practically no defence, and such technical objections as were raised were overruled. On 14 June Hensey was condemned to death as a traitor; but on 12 July, the day appointed for his execution, he received a respite for a fortnight, and this period was afterwards extended, until on 7 September 1759 he was released on bail in order to plead his pardon next term. The reprieves may have been due to co-operation with the authorities in providing further information, or because of official Spanish intervention. After this Hensey disappeared, his destination perhaps being France or Ireland.

References

Attribution *

External links

"1758: Not Florence Hensey, Seven Years’ War spy"
ExecutedToday.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Hensey, Florence People from Kildare (town) 18th-century Irish medical doctors People of the Seven Years' War 18th-century spies French spies Medical doctors from County Kildare Leiden University alumni