November 5 is observed in Britain and most commonwealth countries as “Bonfire night” or “Guy Fawkes Day.” It has never been observed in the United States, however, and many Americans are unfamiliar with the story. The Gunpowder Plot was a conspiracy by wealthy Catholics to kill Protestant King James I (who authorized the 1611 Bible) by blowing up the House of Lords with a huge tranche of gunpowder. It was discovered and averted on November 5, 1605, 515 years ago today.
Background
The Church of England, having been the result of a political compromise during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I rather than a doctrinal construct, was not on a firm foundation. Whoever took the throne after the childless “Virgin Queen” died could reverse her settlement and plunge the country into religious turmoil yet again.
There were several claimants to the throne, but Robert Cecil, the influential Secretary of State, backed James VI of Scotland, and facilitated a smooth transition of power after Elizabeth’s death in 1603. James VI of Scotland became James I of England (and became the monarch of the United Kingdom, after the parliaments of England and Scotland both voted for union in 1607). It was James who authorized the “King James Version” of the English Bible,
When he took the throne, James showed signs of being more tolerant of Roman Catholics than Elizabeth had been. He promised he would not "persecute any that will be quiet and give an outward obedience to the law." Catholics hoped that James would convert to Catholicism, since his mother, Mary Queen of Scots—executed after several plots against Elizabeth—had been a Catholic. James received the envoy of the Catholic Habsburg dynasty and quickly ended the long-running war with Catholic Spain.
These hopeful signs of a more Catholic-friendly government did not stop Catholics scheming against James. In what became known as the “Bye Plot,” two Catholic priests planned to kidnap James and hold him in the Tower of London until he agreed to be more tolerant towards Catholics. This plot was discovered, and the priests were executed. At about the same time, four noblemen, including Sir Walter Raleigh, hatched what became known as the “Main Plot,” to remove James and his family and replace them with Arbella Stuart, a distant descendant of Henry VII. This plot too was discovered and foiled.
But these early plots paled in comparison with the Gunpowder Plot.
The Gunpowder Plot
The Gunpowder Plot was the brainchild of Robert Catesby (1573–1605), who had taken part in the Essex Rebellion in 1601, during which he was wounded and captured. Queen Elizabeth did not execute him, but fined him 4,000 marks (equivalent to about £6 million), forcing him to sell his estate in Chastleton. In 1603 Catesby tried to recruit King Philip III of Spain to launch an invasion of England, assuring him that it would be well supported by the English Catholics.
In February 1604, Catesby discussed with Thomas Wintour and John Wright a plan to re-establish Catholicism in England by blowing up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament. The medieval House of Lords was at the southern end of a complex of buildings on the north bank of the River Thames, in London.
Wintour traveled to Flanders to seek Spanish support. While there he sought out Guy Fawkes (1570–1606), a committed Catholic who had been part of the delegation to King Philip in 1603. Thomas Percy, Catesby’s friend and Wright’s brother-in-law, was introduced to the plot a few weeks later. These five became the main conspirators, but several others were later brought into the plot.
In the early 17th Century, the Palace of Westminster was a warren of buildings clustered around the medieval chambers, chapels, and halls of a former royal palace. It housed both Parliament—the House of Lords and the House of Commons, and the various royal law courts. It was easily accessible, because many merchants, lawyers, and others lived and worked in the lodgings, shops and taverns within its precincts. In other words, much of it was commercial real estate that could be rented and used by anyone.
So the plotters leased an “undercroft,” or what Americans would call a basement or cellar, directly beneath the first-floor of the House of Lords. Unused and filthy, it was ideally suited for what the conspirators planned to do.
The plotters began purchasing barrels of gunpowder to put in the undercroft. By July 20, they had 36 barrels of gunpowder stored there. But plague concerns pushed the opening of parliament back to October. In late August, the conspirators discovered that their gunpowder had decayed, so they went and bought more, along with firewood to conceal it. In those days, firewood was often stored in undercrofts in commercial buildings, so nothing would look amiss to anyone taking a casual peek into the conspirator’s storage space.
Guy Fawkes was to guard the undercroft, wait for parliament to convene, light the fuse that would touch off the three dozen barrels of gunpowder, then escape across the Thames.
Jesuit Priests Discovered the Plot But did Not Report it
In June, Catesby met in London the principal Jesuit in England, Father Henry Garnet, and asked him about the morality of an undertaking that would involve the destruction of innocents together with the guilty. Garnet answered that such actions could often be excused. Later, the Jesuit priest Oswald Tesimond told Garnet he had taken Catesby's confession, during which he learned of the plot. Garnet and Catesby met a third time, in July 1605, at the house of the wealthy catholic Anne Vaux.
Garnet later testified that he had attempted to dissuade Catesby from going through with the plot, but decided that Tesimond's account of the plot was protected from disclosure by Priest/penitent confidentiality and thus could not be reported to the government.
Attempt to Warn Catholics Away Betrays the Plot
But there was increasing concern about the Catholics who would be killed in the explosion. Someone, it has never been established who, contrived to leak a warning letter to a gathering of prominent Catholics:
My Lord, out of the love I bear to some of your friends, I have a care of your preservation. Therefore I would advise you, as you tender your life, to devise some excuse to shift your attendance at this parliament; for God and man hath concurred to punish the wickedness of this time. And think not slightly of this advertisement, but retire yourself into your country where you may expect the event in safety. For though there be no appearance of any stir, yet I say they shall receive a terrible blow this Parliament; and yet they shall not see who hurts them. This counsel is not to be condemned because it may do you good and can do you no harm; for the danger is passed as soon as you have burnt the letter. And I hope God will give you the grace to make good use of it, to whose holy protection I commend you.
One of the people at that gathering, William Parker, promptly turned the letter over to Robert Cecil, who did not immediately inform King James. Parker's servant, Thomas Ward, alerted Catesby about the letter; Catesby suspected a recent recruit to the conspiracy, Francis Tresham, of having written the warning letter. When confronted, Tresham denied having written the letter, but urged Catesby to call off the bombing.
The letter was shown to the King on Friday, November 1st, James immediately seized upon the word "blow" and felt that it hinted at "some strategem of fire and powder.” He ordered a search of the houses of parliament.
The searchers found the conspirator’s undercroft, but saw only a large pile of firewood and Guy Fawkes guarding it. Fawkes said that the firewood belonged to his master, Thomas Percy. When they reported their findings, the mention of Percy's name aroused suspicion as he was already known as a Catholic agitator. The King insisted that a more thorough search be undertaken.
Late that night, the search party, headed by Thomas Knyvet, returned to the undercroft. They again found Fawkes, dressed in a cloak and hat, and wearing boots and spurs. This time, they looked under the firewood and found the barrels of gunpowder. Fawkes was arrested and taken to the King early on the morning of November 5. Several others of the conspirators were later captured and executed.
The English have created a bit of doggerel to teach the basic outlines of the plot
Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent
To blow up the King and Parliament.
Three-score barrels of powder below,
Poor old England to overthrow;
By God's providence he was catch'd
With dark lantern and burning match.
Holla boys, Holla boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!
And what should we do with him? Burn him!
Left: Guy Fawkes, Right: The Guy Fawkes masks that are ubiquitous at Bonfire Day celebrations