November the 5th is a date that has been fully engrained in our brains. What is now an evening that features a beautifully lit sky complete with sparklers, hot dogs and mulled wine, was once a notorious night in history where one of the most famous criminal ploys- The Gunpowder Plot – was uncovered.
SOME GUY
You’ve probably heard bits and bobs about Guy Fawkes before, with his striking moustache and explosive skillset, but who was Mr. Fawkes, and what connection does he have to our city? Guy Fawkes was born in York in 1570 at the rumoured site of the popular High Petergate pub, the Guy Fawkes Inn. Raised within a Protestant family, Fawkes later turned his attention to Catholicism following the passing of his father. On his 21st birthday, Fawkes set off to Europe to fight for Catholic Spain in the Eight Years War. It was here he’d learn all there was to know about explosives and how (and we guess, how not) to use them!
AND SO THE STORY GOES…
During his time abroad, Fawkes’ fate took a turn when he met Thomas Wintour. Wintour was seeking a crew of Catholic conspirators to join figurehead, Robert Catesby in a secret murderous plan. Catesby’s plan was to blow up Parliament during its State Opening where the King, Queen and England’s next heir would be brutally murdered. In March 1605, the gang rented a ground-floor cellar, beneath the House of Lords. Over time, they filled this cellar with 36 barrels of gunpowder. Naturally, Fawkes was nominated guinea pig and was given the terrifying task of setting off the explosives underneath the Houses of Parliament.
A TERRIBLE TWIST OF FATE
With impeccable timing, an anonymous letter exposing the gruesome plan landed in the laps of the authorities. On the 5th of November, The House of Lords was searched and Fawkes was discovered in the cellars. Whilst Catesby and a few others were later shot dead, Fawkes and his surviving gang, including Thomas Wintour, were sentenced to death for treason. On January the 31st 1606, they were hung, drawn and quartered. Fawkes was the last to go up the gallows. The body parts of the treasonous gang were then displayed throughout the capital city to warn civilians of the consequences of their crimes.
REMEMBER, REMEMBER THE 5th OF NOVEMBER…
Soon after, The Observance of 5th November Act 1605 was created, an annual decree that would involve a church service, fireworks and bonfires, which still lives on in part today. Although Guy Fawkes was technically not the brains behind the plot, he certainly leaves behind a major legacy that remains many centuries later.
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