Guy Fawkes Night: The Life and Death of Guy Fawkes Guy Fawkes was born on or about April 13, 1570 in Stonegate, Yorkshire. He was the only son of Edward Fawkes of York and Edith Blake . Prior to the birth of Fawkes, his mother had been delivered of a daughter on October 3, 1568, but the infant (whose had been given the name of Anne), lived a mere seven weeks, being buried on November 14 of the same year. Fawkes had two younger sisters...another Anne (born October 12, 1572), who later married Henry Kilburns in Scotton some time during 1599, and Elizabeth (born May 27, 1575), who later married William Dickenson, also in Scotton, some time during 1594. Fawkes' father had descended from the Fawkes Family of Farnley and was either a notary or proctor of the ecclesiastic courts and advocate of the consistory court of the Archbishop of York.

His mother was descended from the Harrington Family, prominent merchants and Aldermen of the City of York. Fawkes, originally raised as a Protestant, was a pupil of the Free School of St. Peters in York, located in "Le Horse Fayre." This school had been founded by Royal Charter of Philip and Mary in 1557. At this place of learning, Fawkes' schoolfellows may have included John and Christopher Wright (both of whom would be among the co-conspirators of the Gunpowder Plot) and Thomas Morton, who later became the Bishop of Durham. During Fawkes' time at St. Peters, he was under the tutelage of one John Pulleyn, kinsman to the Pulleyns of Scotton and a suspected Catholic who, according to some sources, may have had an early effect on the impressionable Fawkes. In 1578, Fawkes' father died and was buried at St. Michael-le-Belfry on January 17.

For the nine years which followed, Edith remained a sedate and respectable widow before moving to Scotton some time between April 18, 1587 and February 2, 1589. There, she married Dionysius (or Dennis) Bainbridge, son of Philip Bainbridge of Wheatley Hall and Frances Vavasour of Weston (who had previously been associated with the Fawkes Family through her first marriage to Antony Fawkes of York who had died in 1551). Described by a contemporary as being "more ornamental than useful," both Dionysius and Edith seemed to have made use of Fawkes' meager inheritance while it was still within their powers to do so. There is a possibility that Fawkes was married. The International Genealogy Index, compiled by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, records a marriage between "Guy Fawkes" and "Maria Pulleyn" in Scotton during 1590. The same records also note the birth of a son named "Thomas" to Fawkes and Maria on February 6, 1591.

However, these entries appear to have been taken from some secondary source and not from actual parish register entries. Thus, they cannot be authenticated. Fawkes reached the age of majority in 1591 and proceeded to dispose of various parts of his inheritance. The first documentary proof of these actions is through an indenture of lease dated October 14 of that year, whereby it is recorded that "Guye Faux of Scotton" leased "three and a half acres in Clifton" to one "Christopher Lomley of Yorke." This document was found in 1830 by Robert Davis who recorded that the seal bore the "figure of a bird...apparently a falcon." Apparently, such a seal would confirm Fawkes' ancestry since the falcon is the Family Crest of the Fawkes of Farnley. In yet another document, dated August 1, 1592, it is recorded that "Guye Fawkes of the cittie of Yorke" executed an indenture of conveyance to "Anna Skipseye of Clifton." Therefore, it would appear that Fawkes was no longer in Scotton at that time.

For a brief period after this, it would seem that he was employed as a footman by Anthony Browne, the second Lord Montague and member of a leading recusant family. It is believed that Fawkes left England in either 1593 or 1594 accompanied by one of his Harrington cousins who later became a priest. There destination was Flanders, where Fawkes enlisted in the Spanish Army under the Archduke Albert of Austria...later Governor of the Netherlands. Fawkes is known to have held a post of command when the Spanish took Calais in 1596 under the orders of King Philip II.

Described at this time as a man of "excellent good natural parts, very resolute and universally learned," Fawkes was "sought by all the most distinguished in the Archduke's camp for nobility and virtue." He is also described as "a man of great piety, of exemplary temperance, of mild and cheeful demeanour, an enemy of broils and disputes, a faithful friend, and remarkable for his punctual attendance upon religious observance." Physically by now, Fawkes was apparently most impressive in appearance, being a tall and powerfully-built man with thick reddish-brown hair, a flowing moustache, bushy auburn beard and grey-blue eyes. He has also seemingly adopted the name or affectation of "Guido" instead of "Guy." Fawkes' extraordinary fortitude and "considerable fame among soldiers" (possibly acquired through his services under Colonel Bostock at the Battle of Nieuport in 1600 when, it is thought, he was wounded) brought him to the attention of Sir William Stanley (who was in charge of the English Regiment in Flanders), Hugh Owen and Father William Baldwin.

Fawkes severed his connection with the army of the Archduke on February 16, 1603. At this time, he was granted leave to travel to Spain on behalf of Stanley, Owen and Baldwin in order to "enlighten King Philip II concerning the true position of the Romanists in England." During his stay in Spain, Fawkes renewed his acquaintance with former schoolmate Christoper Wright and the pair began to work toward rallying Spanish support for an invasion of England upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I. This mission would ultimately prove to be a fruitless one. Upon his return from this rallying journey, Fawkes was informed while in Brussels that Thomas Wintour has been asking for him. Around the time of Easter, when Wintour was preparing to embark for England, Stanley presented Fawkes to him. Although it cannot be absolutely proven, it seems likely that it was at this time Wintour informed Fawkes of the conspirators' intentions.

The basis for this is found in Fawkes' confession taken after the defeat of the Gunpower Plot, wherein he states: "I confess that a practice in general was first broken to me against his Majesty for reliefe of the Catholique cause, and not invented or propounded by myself. And this was first propounded unto me about Easter last was twelve month, beyond the Seas, in the Low Countries of the Archduke's obeyance, by Thomas Wintour, who came thereupon with me into England." Some time between Easter and May, Fawkes was invited by Robert Catesby to accompany Thomas Wintour to Bergen in order to meet with Juan De Velasco, Constable of Castile, who was on his way to the Court of King James I to discuss a treaty between Spain and England. Some time in May of 1604, Fawkes met with Robert Catesby, Thomas Percy, John Wright and Thomas Wintour at an inn known as the "Duck and Drake," located in the fashionable Strand District of Londong. There, he agreed under oath with Percy to join the other three in the Gunpowder Conspiracy.

This oath was then sanctified in an adjoining room by the performing of mass and administering of the sacraments by the Jesuit priest, John Gerard. It was at this time that Fawkes assumed the identify of one "John Johnson." Posing as Percy's servant, Fawkes was entrusted to take care of the tenement which Percy had rented. Around Michaelmas, Fawkes was asked to begin preparations for the mining work, which was the original plan of the conspirators (later abandoned altogether) in order to gain access to the Houses of Parliament. However, these mining preparations had to be delayed until early December, given that the Commissioners of the Union between England and Scotland were meeting in the same house. Eventually, the work in the mine proved too slow and too difficult for men who were unaccustomed to such physical labor and further accomplices were sworn into the Plot. Around March of 1605, the conspirators hired a cellar beneath Parliament...once again, through the contacts of Thomas Percy. Fawkes assisted in filling the room with barrels of powder hidden beneath iron bars and faggots (bundles of sticks and branches bound together).

He was then dispatched to Flanders, presumably in order to communicate the details of the Plot to Stanley and Owen. By the end of August, Fawkes was back in London, working on replacing the spoiled powder barrels and residing at the house of one Mrs. Herbert..."a widow that dwells on the backside of St. Clement's Church." However, Fawkes left the home of Mrs. Herbert when she began to suspect his involvement with the Catholics. On October 18, Fawkes traveled to White Webbs for a meeting with Catesby, Thomas Wintour and Francis Tresham, the purpose of which was to discuss how certain Catholic peers could be excluded from the impending explosion. On October 26, the now famous "Monteagle Letter" was delivered into the hands of William Parker, the Fourth Baron Monteagle and concern quickly circulated amongst the conspirators. Nevertheless, the apparent vague nature of the letter prompted Catesby to continue with institution of the Plot. On Wednesday, October 30, Fawkes (apparently ignorant of the letter's existence) inspected the cellar once more and satisfied himself that the gunpowder was still in place and had not been disturbed.

The following Sunday (November 3), a few of the leading conspirators met in London and agreed that it appeared the authorities remained unaware of the Plot. However, all but Fawkes made plans for a speedy exit from London. Agreeing to remain and watch the cellar by himself, Fawkes had already been given the task of firing the powder (doubtless due to his munitions experience in the Low Countries where he had been taught how to "fire a slow train"). His orders were to embark for Flanders as soon as the powder had been fired and to spread news of the explosion throughout the Continent. The following Monday afternoon, Thomas Howard (Earl of Suffok and the Lord Chamberlain) searched the buildings of Parliament accompanied by Monteagle and John Whynniard, owner of the munitions-laden cellar. In that cellar, they discovered an unusually large pile of faggots and noted the presence of Fawkes, whom they described as a "very bad and desperate fellow." When asked who claimed this suspicious pile, Fawkes replied that it belonged to Thomas Percy, his employer.

These details were reported to the King and believing by the look of Fawkes that "he seemed to be a man shrewd enough, but up to no good," the cellar was searched a second time...a little before midnight on the following evening. On this occasion, the search party was led by Sir Thomas Knyvett, a Westminster Magistrate and Gentleman of the Privy Chamber. Fawkes had sought out Percy that same day in order to warn him, but had returned to his post before nightfall. Once again, the pile of faggots, coal and iron bars was searched. This time, the powder unearthed. Fawkes was promptly arrested. Upon his person was discovered a watch, slow matches and touchwood. Later, Fawkes declared that if he had been in the cellar when Knyvett entered, he would have "blown him up, house, himself and all!" During the early morning hours of November 5, the Privy Council gathered in the King's bedchamber and Fawkes was brought in under guard. He declined to reveal any information beyond the fact that his name was "Johnson" and that he was a servant of Thomas Percy.

Further questioning later that day unveiled little more than Fawkes' apparent contempt. When asked by the King how it were possible the he could conspire to such a hideous form of treason, Fawkes responded that a dangerous disease required a desperate remedy...and that his intent was to blow all the Scotsmen present back to the border. By order of King James, "gentler tortours" were first to be administered to Fawkes, since torture was contrary to common law unless authorized by the reigning monarch or Privy Council. Eventually, on November 7, Fawkes' spirit was broken. He confessed his true name and that the Plot had been confined to five men. The following day, he recounted the events of the conspiracy without naming names...but, on November 9, Fawkes identified his fellow conspirators, having heard that some of them had already been arrested at Holbeche. Fawkes' final signature (a barely legible scrawl) is testament to his suffering. There is no record of exactly what forms of torture Fawkes was subjected to, although it is almost certain that manacles were employed and, most probably, also the rack.

It would appear that he was also confined for some period of time to the infamous "Little Ease" located in the Tower of London...a cell so small that it was impossible to stand, sit or lie down properly with any degree of comfort. On Monday, January 27, 1606, the trial of the eight surviving conspirators commenced in Westminster Hall. The proceedings were little more than a legal formality since a guilty verdict had almost certainly already been handed down. The conspirators pled their innocence...a plea which caused some consternation among those present at the trial. Fawkes later explained that his personal objection was to the implication that the "seducing Jesuits" were the principal offenders.

On Friday, January 31, 1606, Guy Fawkes, Thomas Wintour, Ambrose Rookwod and Robert Keyes were taken to the Old Palace Yard at Westminster and hung, drawn and quartered "in the very place which they had planned to demolish in order to hammer home the message of their wickedness." The last of the four to suffer his appointed fate was Fawkes...the "romantic caped figure of such evil villainy." A spectator to the scene later wrote: Last of all came the great devil of all, Guy Fawkes, alias Johnson, who should have put fire to the powder. His body being weak with the torture and sickness, he was scarce able to go up the ladder, yet with much ado, by the help of the hangman, went high enough to break his neck by the fall. He made no speech, but with his crosses and idle ceremonies made his end upon the gallows and the block, to the great joy of all the beholders that the land was ended of so wicked a villainy.

According to "A Narrative of the Gunpowder Plot" written by David Jardine in 1857, Fawkes should not be regarded as a "mercenary ruffian, ready for hire to do any deed of blood; but as a zealot, misled by misguided fanaticism, who was, however, by no means destitute of piety or humanity." A Biography of Guy Fawkes the Conspirator in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 | Kibin A Biography of Guy Fawkes the Conspirator in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 Sign Up & Access Essays Already a member? Login here Pages: 2 This preview is partially blurred. Sign up to view the full document. Sign Up & Access Essays Already a member? Login here End of preview Upgrade to view the full document This is an unformatted preview.

Sign up to view the full document End of preview Upgrade to view the full document Fawkes Guy was one of the greatest conspirator in the Gunpowder Plot Fawkes pronounced fawks Guy English conspirator born in York A protestant by birth he became a Roman Catholic after the marriage of his widowed mother to a man of Catholic background and sympathiesMiller 578 In 1593 he enlisted in the Spanish Army in Flanders and in 1596 participated in the capture of the city of Calais by the Spanish in their war with Henry IV of France He became implicated with Thomas Winter and others in the Gunpowder Plot to blow up Parliament as protest against the anti-Roman Catholic lawsThis paper will demonstrate the life of Guy Fawkes Guy Fawkes was born on 13th April 1570 Guy Fawkes was the only son of Edward Fawkes of York and his wife Edith Blake of Cambridge Followed by Guy Fawkes birth Edith had given birth to daughter Anne Fawkes on 3rd October 1568 but the infant lived a mere seven weeks being buried on 14th November of the same year Two other sisters were born followed by Anne

 another Anne who later married Henry Kilburns in Scotton on 12th October1572 and Elizabeth who later married William Dickenson also in Scotton on 27th May 1594 Edward Fawkes who was advocate of the consistory court of the Archbishop of York On his mothers side he was descended from the Harrington family who were eminent merchants and Alderman of YorkIn 1605 Guy Fawkesalso known as Guido and a group of conspirators attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament to kill the King James I and the entire Parliament The conspirators were angered because King James had been exiling Jesuits from England The plotters wanted to wrest power away from the king and return the country to the Catholic faith Today they would be known as extremists However in an attempt to protect a friend in the House of Lords one of the group members sent an anonymous @Kibin is a lifesaver for my essay right now!!

- Sandra Slivka, student @ UC Berkeley Wow, this is the best essay help I've ever received! - Camvu Pham, student @ U of M If I'd known about @Kibin in college, I would have gotten much more sleep - Jen Soust, alumni @ UCLA Guy Fawkes Essay - 1031 Words Guy Fawkes Essay ...1203041003 BCS Prof. Yordan Kosturkov HISTORY OF GUY FAWKES 2013 November 5th is known as "Bonfire Night" or "Guy Fawkes Night", and all over Britain people fire off fireworks, light bonfires, and burn effigies of Guy Fawkes. In some towns and cities, the municipality organizes a bonfire and professional firework display in a park. These tend to be very popular. Due to its proximity to Halloween,... 906 Words | 3 Pages Guy Fawkes Presentation Essay ...Guy Fawkes Guy Fawkes was born in 1570, in the English town of York, where he also was educated.

His father died when Fawkes was eight years old, which lead to his mother’s second marriage – with a recusant Catholic. Therefor Guy Fawkes later converted to Catholicism and left to fight for the continent, in the ‘Eighty Years’ War - he fought for the Catholic Spain against Protestant Dutch... 620 Words | 3 Pages Guy Fawkes Essay ...Guy Fawkes Guy Fawkes, also known as Guido, was born on April 13,1570 in Stonegate York. He was the only son of Edward Fawkes and Edith Blake, they had two more daughters. Fawkes was taught at at Saint Peters in York. In Fawkes teen years, his father died and his mother remarried a man of catholic back round. Later, Fawkes joined the Spanish army and held a post when the...

505 Words | 2 Pages Essay about Guy Fawkes Night ...Guy Fawkes Night 5th November, Britain Guy Fawkes Night originates from the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, a failed conspiracy by a group of provincial English Catholics to assassinate the Protestant King James I of England and replace him with a Catholic head of state. In the immediate aftermath of the arrest of Guy Fawkes, caught guarding a cache of explosives placed beneath the House of Lords, James's Council... 307 Words | 1 Pages Was Guy Fawkes Framed? Essay ...destroy parliament with all the people in it. They rented a house next to them and started digging a cellar under the houses of parliament. They stored the gunpowder in barrels under the parliament and waited for the day of the meeting. On the day, Guy Fawkes, an explosives and gunpowder expert, volunteered to light the gunpowder resulting in suicide as well. He was willing to die for his religion and to help all Catholics all around Britain to live happy lives... 536 Words | 2 Pages Explain the problems faced by the government at the time in dealing with the challenges to authority.

Guy Fawkes and the attempt to blow up the Houses of ...Explain the problems faced by the government at the time in dealing with the challenges to authority. (Guy Fawkes and the attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605) 9 marks The government had many problems at the time in dealing with the challenges to authority, for different reasons. One of these reasons is that they didn't have a police force. This is a problem because a police force are able to properly investigate and track people down.... 551 Words | 2 Pages Guy Fawkes Essay ...﻿Many of you have probably heard of Guy Fawkes Night or Bonfire Night. Which is a day celebrated in Great Britain and New Zeeland on the fifth of November since 1606. Guy Fawkes night is reminiscent of Walpurgis Night (valborgsmässoafton) but the difference is that on top of the fireplace is a straw doll depicting Guy Fawkes. But who is Guy Fawkes and why do British people...

451 Words | 2 Pages Guy Fawkes Night and Modernist Poem Essay ...time, feelings that life was meaningless, that there was nothing good left in the world. The poem consists of five parts but we will be examining only the first part of the poem. THE HOLLOW MEN (1927) Mistah Kurtz-he dead. A penny for the Old Guy I We are the hollow men We are the stuffed men Leaning together Headpiece filled with straw. Alas! Our dried voices, when We whisper together Are quiet and meaningless As wind in dry grass Or rat's feet over broken... 925 Words | 4 Pages Guy Fawkes - History Learning Site History Learning Site historylearningsite.co.uk . The History Learning Site , 17 Mar 2015. 16 Aug 2016. Guy Fawkes is the name most associated with the 1605 Gunpowder Plot – the attempt by Guy Fawkes and others like Thomas Wintour, Everard Digby and Thomas Percy to blow up the king, James I, and members of Parliament.

Guy Fawkes was literally caught on the spot and a ‘guy’ is still burned on bonfires – lit to celebrate the ‘miraculous’ survival of James I. Guy Fawkes was born on April 13th, 1570 at Stonegate in Yorkshire. Fawkes was the only son of Edward Fawkes and his wife Edith. He went to the Free School of St. Peter’s and among the other pupils there were Christopher and John Wright. Fawkes was tutored by John Pulleyn who some at the time believed to be a Catholic. As with so many ordinary people living at this time, the early years of Fawkes are clouded with mystery. If he had not found fame or infamy in 1605, few would have been bothered. There are some secondary sources that state that Fawkes married a Maria Pulleyn in 1590 – but the information for this did not come from parish records so such claims are open to dispute. It is also thought that Fawkes found employment as a footman – his employer was Anthony Browne, 2nd Lord Monteagle.

It is thought that Guy Fawkes left England in 1593 or 1594 for Flanders. Here he joined the Spanish Army, which at the time was under the command of the Archduke Albert of Austria who later became governor of the Netherlands. Fawkes clearly impressed senior officers in the Spanish Army. In 1596, the Spanish took Calais and Fawkes held a position of command during this campaign. Fawkes was described as a man of “excellent good natural parts, very resolute and universally learned." Other references refer to Fawkes’ “virtue" and “nobility". Others noted his religious devotion and his punctual attendance at religious ceremonies. By around 1600, Fawkes was using Guido as a Christian name instead of Guy. In 1603, Fawkes left Archduke Albert’s forces and was granted permission to go to Spain. Here he wanted to enlighten Philip III as to the true standing of Catholics in England. While on this visit he met up again with Christopher Wright. It is believed that the two spent time devising a plan for a Spanish invasion of England on the death of Elizabeth I.

However, any chance of Spanish support for such a venture was minimal as the Spanish were still very much affected by the disaster of the 1588 Spanish Armada – a calamitous defeat that had left deep scars in Spanish society. From Spain, Fawkes went to Brussels. Here he met Thomas Wintour (Winter). In his signed confession after his arrest, though it was signed under the duress of torture, Fawkes claimed that it was in Brussels that Wintour told him of his intention to kill James I. By May 1604, Fawkes had met up with Thomas Wintour, Christopher Wright, Robert Catesby, John Wright and Thomas Percy. They are said to have taken an oath at the Duck and Drake inn in the Strand in London that was to lead to the Gunpowder Plot . The Jesuit priest, John Gerard, sanctified the oath in another room at the inn. Now Fawkes became ‘John Johnson’ who was the servant to Thomas Percy. Probably in March 1605, the conspirators hired a cellar beneath Parliament.

The cellar, on the advice of Fawkes, was filled with barrels of gunpowder that were hidden beneath iron bars and faggots. Fawkes returned to Flanders possibly to let the relevant parties know how far advanced was the plan. In August 1605, Fawkes returned to London and he went to the cellar to check on the gunpowder that had been stored there. The 18th October 1605 is a crucial date with regards to the conspiracy. The plotters met on this day. They discussed how Catholic peers might be spared from the planned explosion. This led to the famed ‘Monteagle Letter’ written in October 26th to William Parker, the 4th Baron Monteagle. A number of the conspirators were concerned when the contents of letter became known. However, they believed that the letter was so vague that they could continue with their plans. On October 30th 1605, Fawkes once again inspected the gunpowder stored in the cellar. On November 3rd, the conspirators met in London – though not Fawkes – to make plans for what should happen after the explosion.

All of them made plans for a speedy exit from London. Fawkes was due to flee to Flanders after the explosion having set a slow fuse. On November 4th, the cellars of Parliament were searched. The Lord Chamberlain, Thomas Howard, Earl of Suffolk led the search party. They found Fawkes and decided that he was a “bad fellow" and reported their findings to James I. The cellar was searched again. Between both searches, Fawkes had left the cellar to seek out Percy to warn him about what had occurred. Fawkes then returned to the cellar. It was during the second search that Fawkes was found again in the cellar. Fawkes was arrested. On him, the arresting party found slow matches and touchwood. Early on November 5th, 1605, Fawkes was questioned. One of his questioners was James I. Fawkes claimed that he was ‘John Johnson’ but he made clear his real intention when he said that he wanted to blow a Scotsman back to Scotland. On November 6th, James I gave permission for the torture of Fawkes to progress from the “gentler tortures" to the “worst".

James wrote “et sic per gradus ad ima tenditur". He told the torturers “God speede youre worke." Fawkes broke his silence on November 7 th . He confessed that he was Guy Fawkes and that five men were involved in the plot. On November 8 th , he gave an account of how the conspiracy was to progress and on November 9 th , he named the other conspirators. No evidence exists as to what tortures were used on Fawkes but it is generally accepted that the torture that most broke him was the feared rack. The trial of the conspirators started on January 27th 1606. There was never any doubt that those arrested were guilty. On Friday 31st 1606, Fawkes was taken to the Old Palace Yard in Westminster – he had been sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered. He was meant to be the last of the conspirators to be executed. It is generally accepted that Fawkes escaped the butchery of this by breaking his neck during the hanging process. While the process of drawing and quartering was carried out, Fawkes was dead.

He was to go into history as the man who tried to bring down a monarchy. Every November 5th, people in England are asked to “remember, remember, the 5th of November, gunpowder, treason and plot." Effigies of Guy Fawkes are burned throughout the land, and in Lewes, East Sussex, an effigy of the pope is traditionally burned to further remind people of the Catholic aspect to the plot. BBC - History - Guy Fawkes (pictures, video, facts & news) Timewatch presenter Alice Hogge introduces Guy Fawkes, the man most closely associated with the Gunpowder Plot. Timewatch presenter Alice Hogge introduces Guy Fawkes, the man most closely associated with the Gunpowder Plot. More information about: Guy Fawkes Guy Fawkes was born in April 1570 in York. Although his immediate family were all Protestants, in keeping with the accepted religious practice in England at the time, his maternal grandparents were 'recusant' Catholics, who refused to attend Protestant services. When Guy was eight, his father died and his widowed mother married a Catholic, Dionis Baynbrigge.

It was these early influences that were to forge Fawkes' convictions as an adult. Fawkes and Spain By the time he was 21 he had sold the estate his father had left him and gone to Europe to fight for Catholic Spain against the Protestant Dutch republic in the Eighty Years War. His military career went well and by 1603 he had been recommended for a captaincy. He had also adopted the Italian variant of his name, becoming known as 'Guido'. In the same year, he travelled to Spain to petition the king, Philip III, for support in fomenting a rebellion in England against the "heretic" James I. Despite the fact that Spain and Britain were still, technically, at war, Philip refused. "A man highly skilled in matters of war" Personally, Fawkes was an imposing man. His former school friend Oswald Tesimond, who had become a Jesuit Catholic priest, described him as "pleasant of approach and cheerful of manner, opposed to quarrels and strife ... loyal to his friends".

Tesimond also claimed Fawkes was "a man highly skilled in matters of war", while the historian Antonia Fraser described him as "a tall, powerfully built man, with thick reddish-brown hair, a flowing moustache in the tradition of the time, and a bushy reddish-brown beard... a man of action ... capable of intelligent argument as well as physical endurance, somewhat to the surprise of his enemies." Fawkes is drawn into the plot It was while on campaign fighting for Spain in Flanders that Fawkes was approached by Thomas Wintour, one of the plotters, and asked to join what would become known as the Gunpowder Plot, under the leadership of Robert Catesby. His expertise with gunpowder gave him a key - and very perilous - role in the conspiracy, to source and ignite the explosive. But 18 months of careful planning was foiled with just hours to go, when he was arrested at midnight on 4 November 1605 beneath the House of Lords. Thirty-six barrels of gunpowder were found stacked in the cellar directly below where the king would have been sitting for the opening of parliament the next day.

The foiling of the plot had been expertly engineered by James I's spymaster, Robert Cecil. Fawkes was subjected to various tortures, including the rack. Torture was technically illegal, and James I was personally required to give a licence for Fawkes to endure its ravages. While just the threat of torture was enough to break the resolve of many, Fawkes withstood two days of the most terrible pain before he confessed all. Famously, his signature on his confession was that of a shattered and broken man, the ill-formed letters telling the story of a someone who was barely able to hold a quill. His fortitude throughout had impressed James I, who said he admired Fawkes' "Roman resolution". Fawkes was sentenced to the traditional traitors' death - to be 'hanged, drawn and quartered'. In the event, he jumped from the gallows, breaking his own neck and thereby avoiding the horror of being cut down while still alive, having his testicles cut off and his stomach opened and his guts spilled before his eyes. His lifeless body was hacked into quarters and his remains sent to "the four corners of the kingdom" as a warning to others.

The burning of the 'guy' Guy Fawkes instantly became a national bogeyman and the embodiment of Catholic extremism. It was a propaganda coup for the Protestant English and served as a pretext for further repression of Catholics that would not be completely lifted for another 200 years. It is perhaps surprising that Fawkes and not the charismatic ring-leader Robert Catesby is remembered, but it was Fawkes who was caught red-handed under the Houses of Parliament, Fawkes who refused to speak under torture, and Fawkes who was publicly executed. Catesby, by contrast, was killed evading capture and was never tried. Through the centuries the Guy Fawkes legend has become ever-more entrenched, and by the 19th Century it was his effigy that was being placed on the bonfires that were lit annually to commemorate the failure of the plot.

Guy Fawkes Day: A Brief History - History in the Headlines Guy Fawkes Day: A Brief History November 5, 2012 By Jesse Greenspan Share this: Guy Fawkes Day: A Brief History Author Guy Fawkes Day: A Brief History URL Google Catholic dissident Guy Fawkes and 12 co-conspirators spent months planning to blow up King James I of England during the opening of Parliament on November 5, 1605. But their assassination attempt was foiled the night before when Fawkes was discovered lurking in a cellar below the House of Lords next to 36 barrels of gunpowder. Londoners immediately began lighting bonfires in celebration that the plot had failed, and a few months later Parliament declared November 5 a public day of thanksgiving. Guy Fawkes Day, also known as Bonfire Night, has been around in one form or another ever since. Though originally anti-Catholic in tone, in recent times it has served mainly as an excuse to watch fireworks, make bonfires, drink mulled wine and burn Guy Fawkes effigies (along with the effigies of current politicians and celebrities).

Catholicism in England was heavily repressed under Queen Elizabeth I, particularly after the pope excommunicated her in 1570. During her reign, dozens of priests were put to death, and Catholics could not even legally celebrate Mass or be married according to their own rites. As a result, many Catholics had high hopes when King James I took the throne upon Elizabeth’s death in 1603. James’ wife, Anne, is believed to have previously converted to Catholicism, and his mother, Mary Queen of Scots, was Elizabeth’s Catholic archrival prior to being executed. There were even rumors, inspired by his diplomatic overtures to the pope, that James himself would become Catholic. It soon became clear, however, that James did not support religious tolerance for Catholics. In 1604 he publicly condemned Catholicism as a superstition, ordered all Catholic priests to leave England and expressed concern that the number of Catholics was increasing. He also largely continued with the repressive policies of his predecessor, such as fines for those refusing to attend Protestant services. Portrait of James I. English Catholics had organized several failed conspiracies against Elizabeth, and these continued under James.

In 1603 a few priests and laymen hatched the so-called Bye Plot to kidnap James, only to be turned in by fellow Catholics. Another related conspiracy that year, known as the Main Plot, sought to kill James and install his cousin on the throne. Then, in May 1604, a handful of Catholic dissidents—Guy Fawkes, Robert Catesby, Tom Wintour, Jack Wright and Thomas Percy—met at the Duck and Drake inn in London, where Catesby proposed a plan to blow up the Houses of Parliament with gunpowder. Afterwards, all five men purportedly swore an oath of secrecy upon a prayer book. Eight other conspirators would later join what became known as the Gunpowder Plot. But although Catesby was the ringleader, Fawkes has garnered most of the publicity over the past 400-plus years. Born in 1570 in York, England, Fawkes spent about a decade fighting for Spain against Protestant rebels in the Spanish-controlled Netherlands. He also personally petitioned the king of Spain for help in starting an English rebellion against James.

According to writings in the Spanish archives, Fawkes believed the English king was a heretic who would drive out his Catholic subjects. Fawkes also apparently expressed strong anti-Scottish prejudices. By 1605 Fawkes was calling himself Guido rather than Guy. He also used the alias John Johnson while serving as caretaker of a cellar—located just below the House of Lords—that the plotters had leased in order to stockpile gunpowder. Under the plan, Fawkes would light a fuse on November 5, 1605, during the opening of a new session of Parliament. James, his eldest son, the House of Lords and the House of Commons would all be blown sky-high. In the meantime, as Fawkes escaped by boat across the River Thames, his fellow conspirators would start an uprising in the English Midlands, kidnap James’ daughter Elizabeth, install her as a puppet queen and eventually marry her off to a Catholic, thereby restoring the Catholic monarchy. Nineteenth-century depiction of the Gunpowder Plot’s discovery. On October 26, an anonymous letter advising a Catholic sympathizer to avoid the State Opening of Parliament alerted the authorities to the existence of a plot.

To this day, no one knows for sure who wrote the letter. Some historians have even suggested that it was fabricated and that the authorities already knew of the Gunpowder Plot, only letting it progress as an excuse to further crack down on Catholicism. Either way, a search party found Fawkes skulking in his cellar around midnight on November 4, with matches in his pocket and 36 barrels of gunpowder stacked next to him. For Fawkes, the plot’s failure could be blamed on “the devil and not God.” He was taken to the Tower of London and tortured upon the special order of King James. Soon after, his co-conspirators were likewise arrested, except for four, including Catesby, who died in a shootout with English troops. Fawkes and his surviving co-conspirators were all found guilty of high treason and sentenced to death in January 1606 by hanging, drawing and quartering. A Jesuit priest was also executed a few months later for his alleged involvement, even as new laws banned Catholics from voting in elections, practicing law or serving in the military. In fact, Catholics were not fully emancipated in England until the 19th century.

After the plot was revealed, Londoners began lighting celebratory bonfires, and in January 1606 an act of Parliament designated November 5 as a day of thanksgiving. Guy Fawkes Day festivities soon spread as far as the American colonies, where they became known as Pope Day. In keeping with the anti-Catholic sentiment of the time, British subjects on both sides of the Atlantic would burn an effigy of the pope. That tradition completely died out in the United States by the 19th century, whereas in Britain Guy Fawkes Day became a time to get together with friends and family, set off fireworks, light bonfires, attend parades and burn effigies of Fawkes. Children traditionally wheeled around their effigies demanding a “penny for the Guy” (a similar custom to Halloween trick-or-treating) and imploring crowds to “remember, remember the fifth of November.” Guy Fawkes himself, meanwhile, has undergone something of a makeover.

Once known as a notorious traitor, he is now portrayed in some circles as a revolutionary hero, largely due to the influence of the 1980s graphic novel “V for Vendetta” and the 2005 movie of the same name, which depicted a protagonist who wore a Guy Fawkes mask while battling a future fascist government in Britain. Guy Fawkes masks even cropped up at Occupy Wall Street protests in New York City and elsewhere. “Every generation reinvents Guy Fawkes to suit their needs,” explained historian William B. Robison of Southeastern Louisiana University. “But Fawkes was just one of the flunkies. It really should be Robert Catesby Day.” Tags

Question: In which English city was Guy Fawkes, of Gunpowder Plot fame, born?
Answer: York