This Day in History: 1606-11-05
In 1606 the Observance of 5th November Act 1605 or ‘Thanksgiving Act’ was first enforced seeing celebrations across England for the foiled attempt to kill James I (now known as Guy Fawkes or Bonfire Night).
On the night of the 20th of May 1604 at the Duck and Drake pub in London, Robert Catesby, Thomas Winter, John Wright, Thomas Percy and Guy Fawkes met. Catesby proposed a plan to assassinate the new king by blowing up the House of Lords when King James opened Parliament.
The plan was set in motion when Thomas Percy leased a house next to the House of Lords on the 24th of May 1604 and on the 9th of June Percy became a bodyguard for James I. On the 7th of July 1604, the Parliament meeting ended and the plan was to reconvene on the 7th of February 1605, this became the planned date for the assassination. Shortly before the planned meeting of parliament is postponed until the 28th of July 1605 giving the plotters more time to plan and gain support. Robert Winter, John Grant and Christopher Wright join the conspiracy and in March of 1605, they lease the basement building of the House of Lords. The conspirators move the acquired gunpowder from Percy’s house to the basement in time for the planned parliament meeting on the 28th of July 1605 but once again the meeting is postponed until the 3rd of October. On the 29th of September, Ambrose Rookwood is also recruited to the plot but by the 3rd of October, the meeting of parliament is again postponed until the 5th of November 1605. In October two more conspirators are recruited, Francis Tresham and Sir Everard Digby. On the 26th of October the brother-in-law of Francis Treshman, Lord Monteagle, receives an anonymous letter warning him not to attend the meeting of Parliament. Lord Monteagle informs the King’s minister of the mysterious letter and Catesby accuses Treshman of being an informer. On the 3rd of November, the conspirators meet once more and decide to continue with the plot regardless. The King’s minister advises the King to order a search of all buildings surrounding the House of Lords in preparation for the meeting of Parliament and on the night of the 4th of November 1605, Guy Fawkes is discovered with the gunpowder and arrested. Guy Fawkes is tortured for several days and on the 7th of November he begins to confess to the plot. His co-conspirators had already fled London for the Midlands but were soon surrounded at Holbeach House where Catesby, Percy and the Wright brothers are killed and the other’s captured. On the 31st of January 1606 Fawkes, Rookwood, Thomas Winter and Keyes are all executed for treason. Guy Fawkes was hung drawn and quartered for his part in the plot.
‘The Gun Powder Plot’ as it is now known was a plot to remove the king and bring more religious tolerance for Catholics. An act of Parliament was introduced on the 23rd of January 1606 known as the Observance of 5th November Act 1605 or ‘Thanksgiving Act’ making November the 5th a public holiday. Today effigies of Guy Fawkes are put on bonfires and fireworks are set off in celebration that the plot was discovered and the King was saved.
