All About History The Gunpowder Plot

When we think of the Gunpowder Plot, one name comes instantly to mind: Guy Fawkes. But he had twelve co-conspirators, and wasn’t even the ringleader of the plan or the man behind its inception. The Gunpowder Plot runs much deeper than the actions of one man lurking beneath England’s Houses of Parliament with powder and a slow match and the aim of killing King James. It’s a tale that starts generations beforehand in the reign of Henry VIII, and takes in the Reformation that transformed the religious landscape of Europe, the succession crises that were brought about by Henry’s lack of a male heir who survived long enough to marry, and the persecution of the Catholic faithful as Henry’s warring children each sought to use the conflict between Rome and…

Whereas His Majesty King James has declared that we of the Catholic faith are to be criminalised and persecuted, in contravention of the promises he made to us upon his ascension to the throne, and whereas he enriches himself and his fellow heretics by extorting from us an unjust tax upon our true faith, we declare that His Majesty is a tyrant and his Parliament a place of connivance and mischief, which therefore must be purged from the face of our good country in fire and ruin. Thus, when the great and terrible deed is done, shall we inspire the common folk of the land to rise up with us, overthrow the last vestiges of the King and his lords’ tyranny, and reclaim their Mother Church, her liturgy, blessed saints,…

When Queen Elizabeth I drew her last breath on her mammoth 44-year-long reign, Catholics around England let out their own sighs of relief. Life under Elizabeth had not been easy. Perhaps in retaliation to the brutal rule of her sister Mary, the devout Catholic queen, Elizabeth had introduced a range of legislations that hit Catholics hard. She was likely fearful of Catholics, and she had reason to be, as a Papal Bull declared that a Catholic’s allegiance was not to the Crown, but to God. In one swift move, every Catholic in England was branded a traitor. Simply being a Catholic, or even sheltering Catholics, was not only illegal but akin to high treason. Terrified, but devoted to their faith, Catholics were forced underground and some 130 priests were executed.…

4 November Evening Westminster Catesby, John Wright and Bates decide that the plot will go ahead, despite the discovery that a warning letter was sent to Monteagle, and begin setting out towards the Midlands. Night Parliament vaults The king’s men search the vaults under Parliament. They stumble upon Fawkes standing by a pile of wood, who calmly informs them his name is John Johnson, and that he works for Thomas Percy. Late night Parliament vaults Under the king’s orders, the men return to the vault and find Fawkes dressed ready for a getaway. He is immediately arrested and taken before the king in the early hours of 5 November. 5 November Morning  Westminster Christopher Wright learns of the plot’s discovery and rushes to the Duck and Drake Inn to inform…

The mystery Much of the suspicion surrounding the plot has involved, in some part, the role of the Earl of Salisbury. It was Salisbury who Monteagle alerted upon receiving the letter, and his peculiar actions have prompted many to ponder if he had more knowledge of the plot than he let on. First of all, he failed to immediately inform the king of the plot, who was out hunting and did not return for several days. Salisbury’s involvement in the plot actually began before the letter even arrived, as he was aware that something was being planned. When the king did learn of the letter, Salisbury denied this knowledge completely, and allowed the king to take full credit. This may have been a clever political play, but perhaps it hints…

1517 Martin Luther’s Defiance Luther posts his 95 theses on the church door in Wittenberg in protest at some of the Church’s practices, including the sale of indulgences as a means of raising money. 1520 A Collision Course with Rome Luther publishes and circulates a damning pamphlet in which he discusses the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, as well as openly criticising both the Church and the Pope. 1521 The Diet of Worms Summoned to answer questions before the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, Luther’s actions are deemed unacceptable and he is condemned as a heretic. He is excommunicated by the Pope. 1521 Henry VIII Attacks Luther In answer to Luther’s attack on the Church, English King Henry VIII writes his own pamphlet Septem Sacramentorum, defending the Catholic Church.…