The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-10-03
WAKEMAN'S TRAVELS.
Where tho Guy Fawkes Gunpow-
der Plot was Concocted,
ASHBY ST. LEDGERS, ENGLAND,
Ono of the Most Famous Historic
Spots In Great Brltain-..Thc Story
of tho Plot.--Catcsby's lloInc-.-Thc
Three Fnyoritcs--A Dainty Village.

%lcorYMGNr ISgl.1
Special Correspondence Of he Ent.liGeneer.
AsitBY Sr, LEDGER, ESdLASD. Sept. 81.
One feels quite n pridcful thrill OF
original discovery II he can hit an oh.
icct or place in all Europe where the
great American globe trottcr has not
already come; took u hasty glance;
photographed everybody and every.
thing with n snap camera or upon his
majestic memory; Clipped of q piece.
OF tho object or shrine for his collcc.
ton; made half q dozen notes with u
styiographic pen for future reference;
cut his name and the date OF his visit
upon any available woodwork about the
spot, or otherwise left his mark; and
then with a "biifl" and "zipw project.
cd himself mcteorically through space
to the next pleasing or hideous object
OF interest.
| have found one spotin Great Britain
where there is at least no local record Of
the species. The fact is a noteworthy
N and the place itself possesses extra.
ordinary interest. 1t Is called Ashbv
st. l.edgcrs. To be very definite re-
garding a locality go distinctive for its
30 far quite unknown beauties and in
terest, 1t is but q tiny "~village four
miles north IRON Daventry, sixteen
from northampton, in the middivision
OF tho county Of Northampton, hun
drcd OF Fawsley, petty seasonal divis-
ion, union and county court district Of
D%aventry, rural dcanery OF Davcntry,
archdeaconry OF northampton and do
ccsc Of Peterborough.
TIE PLOT.
The taygathcrers Of the crown have
thus infinitely located the village and
parish and to make it perfectly %accessi.
bic to those who do" Ireland, Scotland
and England III one week or less it
should be added that Ashby st. Ledgers
is but fifteen minutes walk westward
from Wilton station, on the main line
OF the London & Northwestern railway
from London to the noted school town
OF Rugby, and that the most noted on
spiracy in English history, popularity
known as Guy Fawkes's GunDowder
Plot" was concocted in the sunny,
s%lumbcrous precincts OF its now crum-
bling and UNCOVERED walls.
TO the casual student OF history the
chief incidents OF the plot may properly
be recalled. Stripped OF their usual big
otcd yerbiage, it was q plan originated
by Sir Robert Catesby, lord OF this very
manor, and other ~malcontents, includ-
ing Thomas Percy, Christopher and
John Wright, Thomas and Robert Win
ter, one Bates, and their drawer tool,
Guido Tor Guy Faux Tor Fawkes), rep
resenting the enemies OF james l., then
recently elevated to the throne under
the union OF the English and Scottish
crowns, and shortly thereafter pro-
claimed king OF Great Britain-to re-
love IN obnoxious government in the
concrete king, lords and commons, at n
single explosion OF gunpowder, instead
OF by q great and protraCted waste OF
g%unpowder through prolonged cruel
civil war, in which an entire nation is
often all but destroyed.
This was probably the conspirators'
co%nsiderate and pleasant view OF the
matter. They rented a fine cellar I'm
mcdiately under parliament house and
succeeded in concealinc within it thirty
barrels and four hogsheads OF gunpow-
der, covered with billets and iaggots OF
wood, great iron bars, stones" etc, be-
sides young and ambitious Mr.. Fawkea,
wrapped in a cloak and booted and
spurred," and provided with "a dark
lanthorn and q finder box with which
to set off the touchwood," which, CON-
municating with the thirty barrels and
four hogsheads OF gunpowder, at the in
slant OF the kings converting parlia-
mcnt, November 1905, was expected to
give immediate relief to the political
situation.
However, by means OF an anonymous
letter to Lord Monteagle, whom some
u OF the conspirators desired to save,
the plot was discovered, voung Mr..
Fawkes, whom the pictures represent rs
having for some time neglected his hair
and beard, was dragged out OF his mvs-
FERROUS surroundings. spread upon n
convenient rack, inducing a confession,
and shortly after hung; while Percy,
Caicsby, Winter and the two Wri2hts
were chased from this place through
Warwickshirc to Holhcacl,, in Stafford
shire, where they were ali slain, fighting
to the death, except Winter. lie was
captured alive, to die on the callows;
and 4 sufficient number OF others, d.
rectly or supposltitiously connected
with this mad effort to proclaim the
young Princess Elizabeth queen in place
OF james, to appaasc Che most ~iastidious
and eyactinS religio-political feeling OF
the time, and cause succeeding genera
tons to
Remember. remember,
The Fifth Of November,
Grnpowder, Treason aud Plot
were put to death in tho Old Palace yard
at Westminster and at st. paul's.
c~ATEsBY's uoME.
The manor OF St. Ledgers, tho former
homeof the arch conspirator, Sir Robert
Catcsby, is one Of the most ancient in
Britain. It possesses an cventful his
tory. | am indebted for its romantic
narrative to my host, Major II. P. Sem
house, its present proprietor and lord OF
the Aside from its peculiar in
forest, in view OF st. Lcdgcr's individual!
historic associations. it is most curious
and fascinating as illustrative OF tho en-
%traordinary recorded, not traditional,
+, age OF innumerablc English estates,
their frequent strange vicissitudcs, and
the almost purely historic volumes
which mightbo written upon nearly any
single piece Of entailcd manoriaI pro-
perty in England.
The manor was granted by William
the Conqucror to Hugh de Grentma;s-
nil over 500 years ago. At the time
"Domcsdav Book" the first tax book oi