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You are here: UK History > Evolution of British politics > The Gunpowder Plot
Remember, remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot… Perhaps one of the most memorable dates in British history, the Gunpowder Plot remains one of the best known attacks against parliament and government.
The plot emerged from ongoing tensions between Protestants and Catholics that had been taking place since the Reformation under Henry VIII. The Gunpowder Plot was taking place against the backdrop of a divided Europe and persecutions against Catholics in England.
After James I made peace with Spain, British Catholics assumed that it would also mean a leniency towards them, but they would end up being disappointed. This would lead a group of Catholics from the midlands to take action. All members of the plot had previously been involved in other schemes to...Read More
Remember, remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot… Perhaps one of the most memorable dates in British history, the Gunpowder Plot remains one of the best known attacks against parliament and government.
The plot emerged from ongoing tensions between Protestants and Catholics that had been taking place since the Reformation under Henry VIII. The Gunpowder Plot was taking place against the backdrop of a divided Europe and persecutions against Catholics in England.
After James I made peace with Spain, British Catholics assumed that it would also mean a leniency towards them, but they would end up being disappointed. This would lead a group of Catholics from the midlands to take action. All members of the plot had previously been involved in other schemes to further the Catholic cause and for this plot, was led by Robert Catesby, a gentleman from Warwickshire. In May 1604, he proposed a plan to blow up the Houses of Parliament during the ceremonial opening of parliament which in turn would also kill the king.
Thomas and Robert Winter, a pair of brothers who were drawn into the plot. Thomas would attempt to abandon the plot after learning that it had been discovered.
John and Christopher Wright, another pair of brothers who were known to the authorities before the plot and were deemed to be dangerous.
Thomas Percy, John and Christopher’s brother-in-law, he was from a wealthy and powerful family but was known for his violent behaviour. He was also the steward of the Earl of Northumberland, which would allow him access to the House.
Robert Catesby, the plot’s mastermind.
Francis Tresham, known to be the most reluctant of the plotters. His brother-in-law was a member of parliament and it is believed that he tipped him off.
Robert Keyes, Keyes was known to have supplied the gunpowder.
John Grant, Grant provided weapons.
Guy Fawkes, the most well-known of the conspirators, he was brought in as a gunpowder expert and was caught in the storeroom of the House of Lords with the gunpowder on 5th November 1605.
Thomas Bates, a servant of Catesby, it is likely that he was there out of duty rather then belief.
Ambrose Rookwood, one of the plot’s financers.
Sir Everard Digby, another financer.
The plotters planned to not only blow up parliament and kill the king, but hoped that after the explosion, they could gather together the Catholic gentry and take control of the Princess Elizabeth, one of King James’ younger children who would not be at the opening of parliament and install her as monarch instead. They hoped that she would be easier to manipulate and would help end the persecution of the Catholics.
It is known that a small number of priests did know of the plot and tried to discourage it but did not pass the information on to government.
The plotters would initially rent a house on the side of the House of Lords and attempted to dig a tunnel under the Commons, but this proved too difficult. Instead they rented a basement undercroft directly underneath the House of Lords. They installed 36 barrels of gunpowder in the storeroom, which Guy Fawkes was watching over. After a series of postponements, the opening of parliament was finally set for 5th November 1605.
Although there had been inklings of a scheme against parliament, there was no concrete grounds for concern until parliament received an anonymous written warning. The warning was given to Lord Monteagle, a Catholic nobleman, telling him not to attend the state opening of parliament, it is believed that the letter was sent by Francis Tresham.
The letter was passed to Robert Cecil, the Earl of Salisbury, the king’s most important minister. The letter is now held by the National Archives.
The plotters found out about the letter through one of Monteagle’s servants. Suspicion fell on Tresham, but he was able to convince them otherwise and they decided to go ahead with the plot anyway.
On the evening of 4th November, Sir Thomas Knyvett, a royal official and Edward Doubleday, searched the cellars of the House and discovered Guy Fawkes who was using the pseudo-name John Johnson, guarding the gunpowder. According to an entry in the Journal of the House of Commons, Fawkes was arrested and the House was briefly assembled the following morning to be informed. Once word had reached the plotters that they had been discovered, the majority fled to the Midlands and the government issued a series of warrants for their arrest.
Though the first part of their plan had failed, Catesby was keen to carry out the rest of the plot and tried to rally Catholics in England and Wales to join an uprising against the government. They stole horses from Warwick Castle, but in the end there was no more than fifty people involved. The remaining plotters were caught by government authorities on 8th November at Holbeach House in Staffordshire. Several of them had been injured trying to dry out their gunpowder which had gotten damp in the escape. There was a brief shootout in which Catesby, Percy and the Wright brothers were killed, but Thomas Winter and Ambrose Rookwood were captured and returned to London.
Over the next few days, Sir Evarad Digby, Thomas Bates, Robert Keyes and Francis Tresham were arrested, with Robert Winter remaining at large until the following January.
The conspirators were interrogated for three months in the Tower of London with evidence that at least one of them being tortured. The King sent an order to the Tower of London on 6th November 1605 authorising the use of torture on Fawkes, who initially refused to talk. The order is held by the National Archives.
Although it is not known whether any of the other conspirators were tortured, it was authorised against some of the minor figures involved and others who were arrested under suspicion of involvement. Following his torture, Fawkes’ signature appears on a confession that is dated 8th November. A further more detailed confession dated the following day appears to show more evidence of torture, as his signature on this confession is barely legible.
Francis Tresham died of natural causes while in custody, while the other surviving conspirators were tried in Westminster Hall on 27th January 1606. They were all condemned to death with Thomas Winter, Ambrose Rookwood and Robert Keyes being executed by being hung, drawn and quartered, outside Westminster Hall in the Old Palace Yard on 28th January and Sir Everard Digby, Robert Winter, John Grant and Thomas Bates being executed two days later at St Paul’s Churchyard. Guy Fawkes was also due to be executed on 27th January but escaped his guards and jumped to his death instead. The heads of Thomas Percy and Robert Catesby were recovered from their bodies following a shoot out with officials in Staffordshire and were mounted on Parliament House.
Parliament met in January 1606 and passed a Thanksgiving Act which made services and sermons commemorating the plot a regular annual feature to take place on 5th November. In fact, until 1959, it was illegal not to celebrate Bonfire Night, with only Guy Fawkes' former school in York and the bonfire nights that fell during the two World Wars being exempt. During the war, it was expected that people would mark the date inside and without attracting attention. Over the years, thousands of sermons were delivered, with tradition quickly growing of marking the day with bonfires and the ringing of church bells. Fireworks were also included in some of the earlier celebrations. The custom of burning effigies of the pope and the devil began during the reign of Charles I and were even more popular by the reign of James II of England, following the removal against Catholic worship, a Guy, in the likeness of Guy Fawkes replaced the figure burned and it was also around this time that the famous rhyme came into circulation.
The discovery of the plot had a lasting effect on the treatment of Catholics in England and its failure is commemorated every year on 5th November, a day that has become known as Bonfire Night. By early 1606, there were calls for action against Catholics from MPs. The king argued that the majority of English Catholics were loyal subjects, however he did support legislation which made Catholics swear an oath of loyalty to him and to deny the power of the Pope. The plot’s discovery seems to have ended active Catholic conspiracy in Britain, but suspicion continued and life for Catholics remained uncomfortable.
In the 1630s, protestants thought that Charles I’s policies were leading the English church too close to the former Catholic ways and it was this that helped draw parliament into a war with the king during the English Civil War. From 1660 onwards, during the reign of Charles II, many people through that Catholics were planning to take over the country, something that became more intense when it was revealed that the king’s brother, James, had converted.
From 1678-1681, there was a supposed Popish Plot which was designed to assassinate Charles in favour of James, but this turned out to be fictional. James did ascend the throne after the death of Charles, though he was later deposed in the Glorious Revolution and replaced by Mary II and William III who were seen to have rescued England from a Catholic threat. After this, penalties against Catholics were rarely enforced and some of the penalties against them were removed. Through the 18th and 19th century, Catholics were increasingly accepted in English politics and society with the final legal disabilities being removed in 1829 as part of the Catholic Emancipation Act.
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