Who was Guy Fawkes?

Thu 03 Nov 2016

OK, you probably have no idea what we’re talking about, but this little rhyme is one that every student in the UK learns when they’re at school and it refers to November 5th 1605 - the day when Guy Fawkes planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament (naughty, naughty).

Now every year on this date, popularly known as Bonfire Night, British people light fireworks and bonfires to commemorate the day of the failed plot.

What was the plot?

It all goes back to May 1604, when the Gunpowder Plot was born. The scheme was headed by a man named Robert Catesby. Catesby and a group of men, including Guy Fawkes, planned to use gunpowder to blow up both King James I and the Houses of Parliament.

The plot was born out of anger. The men believed King James I had gone back on his promise to put a stop to the mistreatment of Catholics who were forced to practice their religion in secrecy. Rather than putting a stop to the mistreatment, King James I passed more laws against them.

To carry out their plan, the men bought the house next to the parliament building, which had a cellar that went under the Houses of Parliament. They filled the cellar with barrels of gunpowder.

A total of 36 barrels, amounting to two tonnes of gunpowder were hidden and Guy Fawkes had the important job of guarding the barrels and lighting the fuse. But the plan failed when Lord Monteagle received an anonymous letter on October 26th 1605 urging him not to attend the opening of parliament.

The letter aroused suspicion and was shown to the King, which ultimately led to the discovery of the barrels of gunpowder. Guy Fawkes was arrested on the night of November 4th as he entered the cellar.

What happened to Guy Fawkes?

Guy Fawkes was the first to be caught and taken to the Tower of London to be questioned and tortured. He eventually told the truth and his punishment was to be hung, drawn and quartered (cut into four pieces) – how gruesome! Over time the other conspirators were also caught and executed except for one – Francis Tresham.

Who sent the letter?

It has never been proven but it is believed Monteagle’s brother-in-law, Francis Tresham, sent the letter. Recent historians argue Lord Monteagle and Robert Cecil (King James I’s chief minister) were working together with Francis Tresham to set up Guy Fawkes and the other conspirators as a way to further people’s hatred towards Catholics.

Why the bonfires?

In celebration of his survival, King James I ordered that people have a bonfire on the night of November 5^th, a tradition that continues to this day all around the UK, apart from Northern Ireland.

 Did you know?

• Guy Fawkes’ name was actually ‘Guido’ – he adopted this name whilst fighting for the Spanish
• He was actually born a Protestant but converted to Catholicism when he was 16 years old
• Although an important member of the group, Guy Fawkes wasn’t the main person behind the plot
• There was enough gunpowder to blow up the entire building and cause considerable damage within a one mile radius
• Some people now believe that even if Guy Fawkes wasn’t caught the plot could not have been unsuccessful because the gunpowder was too old 
• In 2002 Guy Fawkes was named as the 30th Greatest Briton in a poll conducted by the BBC
• Another reason Guy Fawkes wanted to kill King James I was because he was a Scotsman and many English people did not want a Scot to rule the country
• An empty island north of Santa Cruz Island is named Isla Guy Fawkes (Guy Fawkes Island) because it’s believed he intended to escape there

http://greatbritishmag.co.uk/lifestyle/who-was-guy-fawkes