trygg on Nostr: On this day, in 1570, Guy Fawkes was born in York, England. Fawkes, and many of you ...
On this day, in 1570, Guy Fawkes was born in York, England.
Fawkes, and many of you know, is famous for his central role in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605; a conspiracy to assassinate and replace King James I.
The plot was orchestrated by Robert Catesby - a Catholic and rebel who had already participated in the unsuccessful Essex Rebellion of 1601 - who was motivated by the new king’s harsh intolerance of Catholicism and sought to fight for religious freedom. A total of 13 conspirators would join his cause, Fawkes being one of the first.
Fawkes was a major asset to the plot, mainly due to his extensive military service: he had spent a decade fighting on behalf of Spanish Catholics in the Dutch Rebellion, becoming an officer and fighting courageously at the Siege of Calais in 1596. Because of his experience as a combatant, he was selected for the central role in Catesby’s plot.
The plan centered around the State Opening of Parliament: a ceremonial occasion marking the beginning of a new Parliamentary session, the main event being the King’s Speech, where the King addresses the House of Lords from atop his throne. For the conspirators, it was the instance when they knew the King and his most ardent supporters would be together in one place.
The conspirators tunneled beneath the Palace of Westminster throughout 1605 to smuggle 36 barrels of gunpowder into the undercroft beneath the House of Lords, which would be ignited once the King had taken his place on the Throne on November 5th, 1605.
This amount of gunpowder was more than enough to reduce the building to rubble. Thus, Guy Fawkes took charge of the powder and its ignition.
The plot was exposed when, in late October, a servant of Lord Monteagle was approached by a stranger in the street and handed a letter - the author of which is still unknown to this day - warning the Lord to not attend the State Opening as there would be “a terrible blow to this Parliament.” Lord Monteagle, unsure of the letter’s meaning, passed it along to fellow peers until it was finally shown to the king on November 1st. He immediately ordered inspection of the palace to find any signs of danger.
Finally, on the evening of November 4th, a search party led by Thomas Knyvet entered the undercroft beneath the House of Lords to find a man dressed in a black cloak, hat, boots and spurs, holding a lantern. They arrested the man and searched the room, finding the barrels of gunpowder beneath piles of coal. When questioned, the man claimed the name “John Johnson.”
It was only after days of torture in the Tower of London that this man revealed himself as Guy Fawkes.
His fellow conspirators fled the city upon hearing of his capture and, after attempting to rally additional supporters across the countryside, made their last stand at the Holbeche House in Staffordshire. Most, including Catesby, died in the fight. The remaining conspirators were returned to London for trial and punishment.
All of the men would endure torturous interrogations before finally being found guilty of high treason, and sentenced to death. Fawkes was hanged, drawn and quartered in the Old Palace Yard on January 31, 1606; directly across from the building he had planned to blow up.
The memory of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot live on today in the form of celebrations, books & movies, as well as the iconic mask often used by modern freedom fighters which captures his likeness.
Thank you for reading my first story on Nostr; hope you enjoyed and learned something new. Skol!
Pictured: an engraving of Guy Fawkes alongside his conspirators, by Crispijn van de Passe.
Fawkes, and many of you know, is famous for his central role in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605; a conspiracy to assassinate and replace King James I.
The plot was orchestrated by Robert Catesby - a Catholic and rebel who had already participated in the unsuccessful Essex Rebellion of 1601 - who was motivated by the new king’s harsh intolerance of Catholicism and sought to fight for religious freedom. A total of 13 conspirators would join his cause, Fawkes being one of the first.
Fawkes was a major asset to the plot, mainly due to his extensive military service: he had spent a decade fighting on behalf of Spanish Catholics in the Dutch Rebellion, becoming an officer and fighting courageously at the Siege of Calais in 1596. Because of his experience as a combatant, he was selected for the central role in Catesby’s plot.
The plan centered around the State Opening of Parliament: a ceremonial occasion marking the beginning of a new Parliamentary session, the main event being the King’s Speech, where the King addresses the House of Lords from atop his throne. For the conspirators, it was the instance when they knew the King and his most ardent supporters would be together in one place.
The conspirators tunneled beneath the Palace of Westminster throughout 1605 to smuggle 36 barrels of gunpowder into the undercroft beneath the House of Lords, which would be ignited once the King had taken his place on the Throne on November 5th, 1605.
This amount of gunpowder was more than enough to reduce the building to rubble. Thus, Guy Fawkes took charge of the powder and its ignition.
The plot was exposed when, in late October, a servant of Lord Monteagle was approached by a stranger in the street and handed a letter - the author of which is still unknown to this day - warning the Lord to not attend the State Opening as there would be “a terrible blow to this Parliament.” Lord Monteagle, unsure of the letter’s meaning, passed it along to fellow peers until it was finally shown to the king on November 1st. He immediately ordered inspection of the palace to find any signs of danger.
Finally, on the evening of November 4th, a search party led by Thomas Knyvet entered the undercroft beneath the House of Lords to find a man dressed in a black cloak, hat, boots and spurs, holding a lantern. They arrested the man and searched the room, finding the barrels of gunpowder beneath piles of coal. When questioned, the man claimed the name “John Johnson.”
It was only after days of torture in the Tower of London that this man revealed himself as Guy Fawkes.
His fellow conspirators fled the city upon hearing of his capture and, after attempting to rally additional supporters across the countryside, made their last stand at the Holbeche House in Staffordshire. Most, including Catesby, died in the fight. The remaining conspirators were returned to London for trial and punishment.
All of the men would endure torturous interrogations before finally being found guilty of high treason, and sentenced to death. Fawkes was hanged, drawn and quartered in the Old Palace Yard on January 31, 1606; directly across from the building he had planned to blow up.
The memory of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot live on today in the form of celebrations, books & movies, as well as the iconic mask often used by modern freedom fighters which captures his likeness.
Thank you for reading my first story on Nostr; hope you enjoyed and learned something new. Skol!
Pictured: an engraving of Guy Fawkes alongside his conspirators, by Crispijn van de Passe.