Listen to A History of the World in Spy Objects: Tom Ayling - Secret Service Payments Book‍

In a quiet room, antiquarian bookseller Tom Ayling unveils a mysterious vellum-bound book with bold black letters: Accounts of His Majesty's Secret Service Monies by the hand of William Lowndes Esquire.
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The King's Secret Service Payment Book

It’s the type of book that brings a glint to Ayling’s eyes. Unassuming in appearance, it harbors the intricate records. Within its seemingly mundane columns, Ayling’s trained eye discerns state secrets, espionage, counterintelligence, and scandals.

The numbers allow Ayling to navigate through the political backdrop of King William III's reign, unraveling secrets surrounding William III's personal affairs, particularly his covert association with Elizabeth Villiers, veiled in entries like "His Majesty's Free Gift and Royal Bounty."

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A History of the World in Spy Objects‍

Expanding the narrative, Ayling exposes the geopolitical dimensions and dives into the mysterious payments to Marguerite Godet, unraveling her connections to espionage and counterintelligence.

Ayling also sheds light on John Gellibrand's suppression of the British press, challenging the presumed freedoms gained during the Glorious Revolution. Purchased at auction by Charles Lowndes, the son of the book's author, the tome's journey through generations attests to its safety and preservation.

Intrigued? The story of the Secret Service Payments Book unfolds, revealing historical secrets and the timeless allure of espionage, in the podcast A History of the World in Spy Objects: Tom Ayling - The King’s Secret Service Books.