The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in earlier centuries often called the Gunpowder Treason Plot or the Jesuit Treason, was a failed assassination attempt against King James I of England and VI of Scotland by a gang of Roman Catholic activists led by Warwickshire-born Robert Catesby.
November 5 commemorates the failure of the November 1605 when the incident occurred. Britons have festivals all over England at night. During these celebrations participants dress in an array of costumes and carry torches. The most famous festival site is Lewes England
The tradition dates back to when Protestant King James I acceded to the throne, English Catholics had hoped that the persecution they had felt for over 45 years under Queen Elizabeth I would finally end, and they would be granted the freedom to practice their religion.
King James I, was the son of Mary Queen of Scots who was executed by Queen Elizabeth I for plots of her own after 19 yrs of imprisonment.
The plan was to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of England’s Parliament on 5 November 1605, as the prelude to a popular revolt in the Midlands during which James’s nine-year-old daughter, Princess Elizabeth, was to be installed as the Catholic head of state.
Catesby may have embarked on the scheme after hopes of securing greater religious tolerance under King James had faded, leaving many English Catholics disappointed.
His fellow plotters were John Wright, Thomas Wintour, Thomas Percy, Guy Fawkes, Robert Keyes, Thomas Bates, Robert Wintour, Christopher Wright, John Grant, Ambrose Rookwood, Sir Everard Digby and Francis Tresham. The names of the conspirators were named by Fawkes while he was tortured in the Tower of London.
Fawkes, who had 10 years of military experience fighting in the Spanish Netherlands in suppression of the Dutch Revolt, was given charge of the explosives.
The plot was revealed to the authorities in an anonymous letter sent to William Parker, 4th Baron Monteagle, on 26 October 1605. During a search of the House of Lords at about midnight on 4 November 1605, Fawkes was discovered guarding 36 barrels of gunpowder—enough to reduce the House of Lords to rubble—and arrested.
Most of the conspirators fled from London as they learned of the plot’s discovery, trying to enlist support along the way.
Several made a stand against the pursuing Sheriff of Worcester and his men at Holbeche House; in the ensuing battle, Catesby was one of those shot and killed.
At their trial on 27 January 1606, eight of the survivors, including Fawkes, were convicted and sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered.
simplified transcript of the Monteagle letter :
My lord, out of the love I have for some of your friends, I want to make sure you are safe.
Because of this I would advise you to not attend this sitting of parliament because God and man have agreed to punish the wickedness of this time.
Do not think this is a joke, go to your estate in the country where you will be safe, because although there is no sign of any problem yet, this parliament will receive a terrible blow, but they will not see who it is that hurts them.
This advice should not be ignored as it may do you some good, and it can do you no harm because the danger will have passed as soon as you have burned this letter.
I hope God grants you the grace to make good use of it, and that he protects you.
Details of the assassination attempt were allegedly known by the principal Jesuit of England, Father Henry Garnet.
Although he was convicted of treason and sentenced to death, doubt has been cast on how much he really knew of the plot.
As its existence was revealed to him through confession, Garnet was prevented from informing the authorities by the absolute confidentiality of the confessional.
Although anti-Catholic legislation was introduced soon after the plot’s discovery, many important and loyal Catholics retained high office during King James I’s reign.
The thwarting of the Gunpowder Plot was commemorated for many years afterwards by special sermons and other public events such as the ringing of church bells, which have evolved into the Bonfire Night of today.
Commemoration of the Plot
The fifth of November is variously called `Firework Night’, `Bonfire Night’ or `Guy Fawkes Day’.
An Act of Parliament was passed to appoint 5th November in each year as a day of thanksgiving for `the joyful day of deliverance’. The Act remained in force until 1859.
On 5 November 1605, it is said the populace of London celebrated the defeat of the plot by fires and street festivities.
Similar celebrations must have taken place on the anniversary and, over the years, became a tradition – in many places a holiday was observed.
(It is not celebrated inNorthern Ireland).
It is still the custom in Britain on, or around, 5th November to let off fireworks. For weeks previously, children have been making guys – effigies supposedly of Fawkes –
burnt on the November 5th bonfire.
The word `guy’ came thus in
Institutions and towns may hold firework displays and bonfire parties, and the same is done, despite the danger of fireworks, on a smaller scale in back gardens throughout the country. In some areas, such as Lewes and Battle in Sussex, there are extensive processions and a great bonfire.
Children exhibit effigies of Guy Fawkes in the street to collect money for fireworks,
sometimes using the chant:
The symbolism of the disguise Guy Fawkes was wearing when caught is also used today-most notably by the online hacktivist group “Anonymous. ”
Wearing the mask for the hackivist group became popular during the protest movement Occupy Wall St. in the United States.
However, the issues were not the same.
The main issues raised by Occupy Wall Street were social and economic inequality, greed, corruption and the perceived undue influence of corporationson government—particularly from the financial services sector.
Facts in relation to the Guy Fawkes celebration that are most surprising :
- Guy Fawkes did not die from being hung, drawn and quartered:
As he awaited his grisly punishment on the gallows, Fawkes leapt to his death – to avoid the horrors of having his testicles cut off, his stomach opened and his guts spilled out before his eyes. He died from a broken neck.
- Guy Fawkes was not the Gunpowder Plot’s ringleader:
There were 13 conspirators in the plot, which was masterminded by Robert Catesby, a charismatic Catholic figure who had a reputation for speaking out against the English crown. But it was Fawkes who gained notoriety after the plot was foiled, for he was caught after sneaking into the cellar beneath the House of Lords to ignite the explosives.
- Guy Fawkes won the unlikely admiration of King James I:
Fawkes withstood two full days of torture and expressed his regret at having failed his mission. His steadfast manner earned him the praise of King James, who described Fawkes as possessing “a Roman resolution”.
- Guy Fawkes has an island named after him:
He is one of Britain’s most infamous villains, whose effigy has been burned and whose demise has been publicly celebrated for more than four centuries. Yet to the north-west of Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos Islands, a collection of two uninhabited, crescent-shaped islands is named Isla Guy Fawkes, or Guy Fawkes Island.
- The Houses of Parliament are still searched once a year to make sure there are no conspirators hiding with explosives:
Before the annual State Opening of Parliament, the Yeomen of the Guard search the Houses of Parliament to make sure there are no would-be conspirators hiding in the cellars. This has become more of a tradition than a serious anti-terrorist precaution.
- The cellar that Fawkes tried to blow up no longer exists:
It was destroyed in a fire in 1834 that devastated the medieval Houses of Parliament
The gunpowder would have done little damage to Parliament:
The 36 barrels of gunpowder that Fawkes planted in a cellar below the Houses of Parliament would have been sufficient to raze it to the ground, while causing severe damage to neighbouring buildings. However, some experts now claim that the gunpowder had “decayed”, and would not have properly exploded even if ignited.
7. The letter (which could well have been sent by Lord Monteagle’s brother-in-law Francis Tresham), was made public and this led to a search of Westminster Palace in the early hours of November 5.
Explosive expert Fawkes, who had been left in the cellars to set off the fuse, was caught when a group of guards discovered him at the last moment.
Fawkes was arrested, sent to the Tower of London and tortured until he gave up the names of his fellow plotters.
Lord Monteagle was rewarded with £500 plus £200 worth of lands for his service in protecting the crown.
The scheme began to unravel when an anonymous letter was sent to William Parker, the 4th Baron Monteagle, warning him to avoid the House of Lords.