Lois Newby

My research examines Royalist she-intelligencers during the British and Irish Civil Wars and the Interregnum (1642–1660), exploring how these women emerged, developed, and sustained Royalist conspiracies and efforts to restore the monarchy as intelligencers, messengers, and spies in a period marked by warfare, a temporary acquisition of agency, and exile.

This project moves beyond the dominant Anglo-centric narratives that have traditionally shaped understandings of early modern espionage by highlighting the distinctly continental and transnational character of the Royalist cause. Operating across Europe, Royalist exiles drew on the expertise, techniques, and networks of foreign courts, diplomatic communities, and military institutions. My research situates the she-intelligencer within this wider European landscape, tracing how continental methods of intelligence gathering were incorporated into Royalist practice and how these women acted as vital conduits between dispersed Royalist centres and broader European intelligence systems.

• Gender
• Royalism
• Early modern intelligece and espionage
• Mapping
• Network analysis

During my integrated master's studies, I was invited to lead a session for the LIB2002 Careers and Placement Preparation module. I guided students on how to prepare for and search effectively for placement opportunities, helping them strengthen their applications.