Guy Fawkes

Remember, remember!
The fifth of November,
The Gunpowder treason and plot;
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!

We associate Bonfires with weekend gatherings after a long week to catch up with friends and family, and enjoy the crisp air before the week begins again. In Britain, however, there’s an entire holiday with different meaning completely, that has its origins from the early 17th century. An assassination plot against the British king by a group English Catholics have led to this centuries long tradition every November 5th.

Guy Fawkes, an English soldier, is commonly associated with the Gunpowder Plot against King James I of the newly formed Great Britain (United Kingdoms of England and Scotland). While the exact date is unknown, he is believed to have been born around Spring of 1570 as the second of four children in Stonegate, York. His parents were regular communicants of the Protestant Church of England. However, when Fawkes turned 8 years old, his father died, and his mother remarried years later to an English Catholic of Scotton, Harrogate. It is believed that he converted to Catholicism through his mother’s new marriage, while other sources say that his attendance at St. Peter’s school in York, may have influenced this. Years after leaving school, in 1591, Fawkes sold an inherited estate in Clifton, York, and left for the European continent.

Upon arriving in Europe, Fawkes entered the service of the Spanish in the ongoing Eighty Years War against the Dutch Republic. While in Europe, Fawkes entered the service of Sir William Stanley. Stanley had previously raised an army in Ireland to fight the Leicester Expedition to the Netherlands. Following the surrender to the Spanish at Deventer in 1587, Stanley defected from the English to serve Catholic Spain. Fawkes, quickly proved himself in battle under Stanley’s command at the Siege of Calais and was recommended for Captaincy a few years later. Following his combat exploits, Fawkes traveled to Spain in 1603 to seek support from the Spanish crown for a Catholic rebellion in England. While in Spain, he denounced King James I as a heretic, whom he accused of intending to wipe out papists in Britain. He also denounced Scotland and adopted the name Guido Fawkes, a name he would use in his service of the Spanish. Despite his pledge of allegiance to the Spanish crown and polite reception by the Spanish king Philip III, the Spanish were unwilling to offer him any support. One year later, in 1604, Fawkes returned to England. 

Upon his return, Fawkes became involved with a group of English Catholics, led by an Englishman names Robert Catesby. Catesby had planned to assassinate King James, and replace him with his daughter, Princess Elizabeth, and raise her as a Catholic, all while unbeknownst to her. The first meeting of the conspirators took place in May 1604 in the Strand District of London. At these meetings, the idea was proposed to assassinate the king and cripple his government by blowing up the Parliament House with gunpowder. Through one of the conspirators, Thomas Percy, the group of conspirators were able to gain access to a house that belonged to the Keeper of the Kings Wardrobe. It was in this house where, although never confirmed, the conspirators dug a tunnel to put themselves underneath the Parliament House. Fawkes and company once again attempted to gain support from abroad, although unsuccessful. 

Upon their return to England, they prepared to carry out their plot, however, a handful of conspirators worried about fellow Catholics in Parliament at the time of its opening. Lord Monteagle, a Catholic member of parliament, had received an anonymous letter from a stranger on the road, warning him not to attend the parliament opening. One of Monteagle’s servants had informed the conspirators of the letter, who had decided to go ahead with their plans nonetheless. However, King James was shown the letter and ordered a search of the cellars beneath the parliament, and found Fawkes with 36 barrels of gunpowder, a fuse, a lamp and a box of matches. Fawkes was promptly arrested on November 5th, 1605.

• 3x2.5"
• Embroidered
• Hook backing
• Release: TBD