It all began in 1605 when thirteen young men planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Among them was Guy Fawkes, Britain's most notorious traitor. English Catholics who had been persecuted under Elizabeth I's rule had hoped that after her death in 1603 her successor, James I, would be more tolerant of their religion. James I had, after all, had a Catholic mother. James I was no more tolerant than his predecessor. James I's nine year old daughter Elizabeth was Catholic. A number of men decided to take action.
A small group took shape, under the leadership of Robert Catesby. Catesby
felt that violent action was warranted and suggested blowing up
the Houses of Parliament. In doing so, they would kill the King, maybe even the
Prince of Wales, and the Members of Parliament who were making life difficult
for the Catholics. Today these conspirators would be known as extremists, or
terrorists.
An anonymous Letter
In order to execute their plan stored 36 barrells of gunpowder in a cellar, just under the House of Lords. As the group worked on the plot, it became clear that innocent people would be hurt or killed in the attack, including some people who even fought for more rights for Catholics. Some of the plotters were having second thoughts. It is believed that Lord Monteagle received an anonymous letter telling him to stay away from the Parliament on November 5th.
The Foiled Plot
The warning letter reached the King, and the King's forces made plans to stop the conspirators. Guy Fawkes was in the cellar of the parliament with the 36 barrels of gunpowder when the authorities stormed it in the early hours of November 5th. He was caught, tortured and executed. Although weakened by his torture, Fawkes managed to jump from the gallows and break his neck, thus avoiding the agony of the gruesome latter part of his execution.
The Plot Shook the Country
Even for the period which was notoriously unstable, the Gunpowder Plot struck a very profound chord for the people of England. In fact, even today, the reigning monarch only enters the Parliament once a year, on what is called "the State Opening of Parliament". Prior to the Opening, and according to custom, the Yeomen of the Guard search the cellars of the Palace of Westminster. Nowadays, the Queen and Parliament still observes this tradition.
The Start of a Tradition
The following year in 1606 the King and Parliament mommissioned a sermon to commemorate the event. Lancelot Andrewes delivered the first of many Gunpowder Plot Sermons. This along with the nursery rhyme ensures that this act of terrorism would not be forgotten.
Bonfire Night in England today
Bonfire Night is still commemorated each year with fireworks and bonfired up and down the country. The bonfires are usually crowned with a burning effigy of Guy Fawkes (the guy). The 'guys' are often made by children by crusihng up newpaper into old clothes to make a man. Other larger bonfires make effigies of well known celebrities to keep each year memorable.
Would the Gunpowder Plot Have Worked?
ITV showed a programme The Gunpowder Plot: Exploding the Legend. A full-size replica of the House of Lords was built and destroyed using 36 barrells of gunpowder. The experiment demonstrated that the explosion, if the gunpowder was in good condition, would have killed all of thise in the building. The power of the explosion was such that the 7-foot (2.1 m) deep concrete walls (replicating how archives suggest the walls of the old House of Lords were constructed) were reduced to rubble. Measuring devices placed in the chamber to calculate the force of the blast were themselves destroyed by the explosion; the skull of the dummy representing King James, which had been placed on a throne inside the chamber surrounded by courtiers, peers and bishops, was found a considerable distance from the site. According to the findings of the programme, no-one within 330 feet (100 m) of the blast could have survived, and all of the stained glass windows in Westminster Abbey would have been shattered, as would all of the windows in the vicinity of the Palace. The explosion would have been seen from miles away, and heard from further away still. Even if only half of the gunpowder had gone off, everyone in the House of Lords and its environs would have been killed instantly.
Scarily, calculations showed that Fawkes, who was skilled in the use of gunpowder, had deployed double the amount needed. Some of the gunpowder guarded by Fawkes may have survived. In March 2002 workers cataloguing archives of diarist John Evelyn at the British Library found a box containing a number of gunpowder samples, including a compressed bar with a note in Evelyn's handwriting stating that it had belonged to Guy Fawkes. A further note, written in the C19th, confirmed this but in 1952 the document acquired a new comment: "but there was none left".
Celebrate Bonfire Night with:
Homemade Bonfire Toffee
Firework Cake
An anonymous Letter
In order to execute their plan stored 36 barrells of gunpowder in a cellar, just under the House of Lords. As the group worked on the plot, it became clear that innocent people would be hurt or killed in the attack, including some people who even fought for more rights for Catholics. Some of the plotters were having second thoughts. It is believed that Lord Monteagle received an anonymous letter telling him to stay away from the Parliament on November 5th.
The Foiled Plot
The warning letter reached the King, and the King's forces made plans to stop the conspirators. Guy Fawkes was in the cellar of the parliament with the 36 barrels of gunpowder when the authorities stormed it in the early hours of November 5th. He was caught, tortured and executed. Although weakened by his torture, Fawkes managed to jump from the gallows and break his neck, thus avoiding the agony of the gruesome latter part of his execution.
The Plot Shook the Country
Even for the period which was notoriously unstable, the Gunpowder Plot struck a very profound chord for the people of England. In fact, even today, the reigning monarch only enters the Parliament once a year, on what is called "the State Opening of Parliament". Prior to the Opening, and according to custom, the Yeomen of the Guard search the cellars of the Palace of Westminster. Nowadays, the Queen and Parliament still observes this tradition.
The Start of a Tradition
The following year in 1606 the King and Parliament mommissioned a sermon to commemorate the event. Lancelot Andrewes delivered the first of many Gunpowder Plot Sermons. This along with the nursery rhyme ensures that this act of terrorism would not be forgotten.
Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot...
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot...
Bonfire Night in England today
Bonfire Night is still commemorated each year with fireworks and bonfired up and down the country. The bonfires are usually crowned with a burning effigy of Guy Fawkes (the guy). The 'guys' are often made by children by crusihng up newpaper into old clothes to make a man. Other larger bonfires make effigies of well known celebrities to keep each year memorable.
Would the Gunpowder Plot Have Worked?
ITV showed a programme The Gunpowder Plot: Exploding the Legend. A full-size replica of the House of Lords was built and destroyed using 36 barrells of gunpowder. The experiment demonstrated that the explosion, if the gunpowder was in good condition, would have killed all of thise in the building. The power of the explosion was such that the 7-foot (2.1 m) deep concrete walls (replicating how archives suggest the walls of the old House of Lords were constructed) were reduced to rubble. Measuring devices placed in the chamber to calculate the force of the blast were themselves destroyed by the explosion; the skull of the dummy representing King James, which had been placed on a throne inside the chamber surrounded by courtiers, peers and bishops, was found a considerable distance from the site. According to the findings of the programme, no-one within 330 feet (100 m) of the blast could have survived, and all of the stained glass windows in Westminster Abbey would have been shattered, as would all of the windows in the vicinity of the Palace. The explosion would have been seen from miles away, and heard from further away still. Even if only half of the gunpowder had gone off, everyone in the House of Lords and its environs would have been killed instantly.
Scarily, calculations showed that Fawkes, who was skilled in the use of gunpowder, had deployed double the amount needed. Some of the gunpowder guarded by Fawkes may have survived. In March 2002 workers cataloguing archives of diarist John Evelyn at the British Library found a box containing a number of gunpowder samples, including a compressed bar with a note in Evelyn's handwriting stating that it had belonged to Guy Fawkes. A further note, written in the C19th, confirmed this but in 1952 the document acquired a new comment: "but there was none left".
Celebrate Bonfire Night with:
Homemade Bonfire Toffee
Firework Cake
Learn more about Where History Happened: The Gunpowder Plot
