A clerk noted in the margin of the journal of proceedings of the House of Commons, 5 November 1605: “This last night the Upper House of Parliament was searched by Sir Tho. Knevett; and one Johnson, servant to Mr Thomas Percye, was there apprehended; who had placed 36 barrels of gunpowder in the vault under the House, with a purpose to blow King and the whole Company, when they should there assemble. Afterwards divers other gentlemen were discovered to be of the Plot.”
It is a remarkably dry, bureaucratic record of a conspiracy that came within a whisker of blasting King James I, the Lords and Commons to high Heaven, and later a shocked Parliament would rage over the “most barbarous, monstrous, detestable and damnable Treasons.” They would also discover that ‘Johnson’ was in fact Guy Fawkes, and in the cloak-and-dagger world of 17th-century intrigues there was much more to untangle. Even now people differ over whether Fawkes – burnt in effigy atop bonfires every November – was a freedom fighter or foolhardy fanatic. In the 450th anniversary of his birth in 1570 in York, it’s timely to look again at his story.
Guy was the second of four children of Edward Fawkes, a lawyer in York’s ecclesiastical courts, and was raised a Protestant. However, when he was eight his father died and his mother Edith subsequently married a Catholic, Dionis Baynbrigge: influencing Guy, despite widespread persecution of Catholics at the time, to convert to Catholicism too.
Denne historien er fra November - December 2020-utgaven av The Official Magazine Britain.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November - December 2020-utgaven av The Official Magazine Britain.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Take The High Road
The North Coast 500 is an epic route that takes you past some of the country’s most spellbinding scenery
Where To Stay In 2021
Whether it’s a country house escape, a rustic bolthole or a sophisticated city stay, you’ll find your perfect getaway on these pages
The EMPEROR'S ISLE
Tresco was once a treeless and windswept island, the haunt of smugglers. Dramatically transformed by one man’s vision, it is now one of Britain’s most beautiful spots
Hidden Cornwall
Discover the beautiful, beguiling and rugged land of West Penwith in the far reaches of Cornwall
Wonders of Wales
With its wild cliffs, pretty coves and puffins galore, St Brides Bay holds the best of Pembrokeshire
Yorkshire's MOORS & SHORES
Equal parts mystical moor and secluded seashore, the Yorkshire coast beats some of Britain’s more traditional summer destinations hands down
PEAK PERFORMANCE
From heathery moors to rolling hills and underground caverns, the Peak District is home to some of the most majestic landscapes in the country
Culture CAPITAL
After a year of stop-start openings, London's museums are welcoming visitors back in 2021 with an array of blockbuster exhibitions
HISTORIC NORFOLK
Spend time exploring this peaceful county, whose stately homes are a grand counterpoint to its unadorned rural landscapes
1066 COUNTRY
England’s sunny south coast has a rich heritage, harbouring ancient castles and evocative landscapes that tell the story of the Battle of Hastings and beyond