By Rebecca Reed, CRM Executive.

With many celebrating Bonfire Night over the past weekend, we thought we would take a look back into the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, it was a failed assassination attempt against King James I of England and VI of Scotland by a group of English Catholics led by Robert Catesby. These included 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. Guy Fawkes who has 10 years of military experience fighting in the Spanish Netherlands in the Dutch Revolt was in charge of the explosives.

The plot was in revolt to the Protestant monarchy England and Scotland had at this time, where Henry VIII took control of the English Church from Rome, it started several decades of religious tension in England. English Catholics struggled in a society dominated by the newly separated and increasingly Protestant Church of England. Henry’s daughter, Elizabeth I, responded to the growing religious divide and introduced the Elizabethan Religious Settlement, which required all appointed to a public or church office to swear allegiance to the monarch. The penalties were severe, fines were imposed, and repeat offenders risked imprisonment and execution. Catholicism became marginalised, but despite the threat of torture or execution, priests continued to practise their faith in secret.

The plan was to blow up the House of Lords on 5th November 1605, this was revealed to the authorities by an anonymous letter sent to William Parker on the 26th October. During a search of the House of Lords on the 4th November 1605, Guy Fawkes was discovered guarding 36 barrels of gunpowder, enough to reduce the House of Lords to rubble. Fawkes was subsequently arrested. Most of the conspirators fled from London when they found out the plot was discovered and tried to enlist support along the way. Several made a stand against the Sherrif of Worcester at Holbeche House, Robert Catesby was one of those shot and killed. At the trial on the 27th January 1606, eight of the survivors including Fawkes were convicted and sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered.

Now for the gory bit…

Although Catesby and Percy escaped execution, their bodies were exhumed and decapitated and their heads placed on spikes outside the House of Lords. On a cold 30th January, Everard Digby, Robert Wintour, John Grant and Thomas Bates were tied to hurdles and dragged through crowded streets of London to St Paul’s. They were stripped of their clothing and climbed a ladder to place their heads in nooses. They were quickly cut down while conscious then castrated, disembowelled and then quartered. The following day Guy Fawkes, Thomas Wintour, Ambrose Rockwood and Robert Keyes met the same fate. Keyes did not wait for the hangman’s command and jumped from the gallows, he survived the drop and was led to the quartering block. Guy Fawkes did the same and managed to break his neck, he avoided the agony of the gruesome second part of the execution.

The thwarting of the Gunpowder Plot has been commemorated for many years afterwards with special sermons and other public events such as the ringing of church bells this has evolved into the Bonfire Night we know today, and many will still burn an effigy of Guy Fawkes.

Remember, remember the fifth of November,
Gunpowder treason and plot.
We see no reason
Why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!

Guy Fawkes, guy, t’was his intent
To blow up king and parliament.
Three score barrels were laid below
To prove old England’s overthrow.

By god’s mercy he was catch’d
With a darkened lantern and burning match.
So, holler boys, holler boys, Let the bells ring.
Holler boys, holler boys, God save the king.

And what shall we do with him?
Burn him!

You can read all about London’s dark history in our history category here. Not all of it is pretty.