The 1605 Gunpowder Plot, a failed attempt to assassinate King James I and blow up the House of Lords, serves as a crucial intersection of history, religion, and politics, illustrating the intense conflict between Catholics and Protestants during the Protestant Reformation. This episode looks deep into the origins of the plot, exploring how the shifting tides of religious authority and persecution shaped the motivations of the conspirators. We unravel the turbulent backdrop of England's religious landscape, marked by Henry VIII's break from the Catholic Church and the subsequent rise of Protestantism under Elizabeth I and James I. The ramifications of the plot extended far beyond its failure, solidifying anti-Catholic sentiment and leading to harsh legislation that marginalized Catholics for generations. As we trace the legacy of this tumultuous period, we uncover how the Gunpowder Plot influenced cultural narratives and societal divisions that persist to this day.

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Remember, remember the 5th of November gunpowder treason and plot I see no reason why gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes.

Guy Fawkes.

Twas his intent to blow up the King in Parliament Three score barrels of powder below poor old England to overthrow by God's providence he was catched With a dark lantern and burning match.

Holler boys, holler boys Let the bells ring.

Holler boys, Holler boys.

God save the King.

But did this plan ultimately reverse their goals?

Would it have even fixed the issues that they had to begin with?

Had it succeeded?

Where did this all start?

And how did it all end?

All that More on another episode of the Remedial Scholars.

That's ancient history.

I feel I was denied.

Critic, critic.

Need to know information.

Stop skipping your remedial class.

Welcome everyone.

I am the Remedial scholar.

That's right, it's been me all along.

Bet you couldn't have guessed that from the fact that there's literally been never, never been anybody else on this show.

Silly intro aside, I am Levi.

Naturally, if you are new, happy to have you.

Be sure to sign the guest book.

There's also a goodie bag under your chair.

I'm thrilled to today to bring this topic because you know this, this has entered my subconscious in and out throughout the years on the same day, believe it or not, for like the last 15 plus years, maybe even more.

JK no, I.

I looked it up.

It's definitely more than 15 years.

And I hate that because, you know, you're thinking of a time and you're like, ah, that was, that was only a couple years ago.

And then it's like 20.

Every time I think of a film from my youth that happens, I'm like crazy that it's only like five years old and yeah, you know, it's 20.

Yeah, super fun.

Obviously if you were listening and heard the intro, I would imagine, unless you skip it, which is rude, and then also probably read the title, you know the topic.

But there's a slight chance you don't know what mov movie I'm talking about right now.

The Gunpowder Plot is depicted in a miniseries from HBO called Gunpowder.

I hadn't actually watched this until I decided to do this topic.

So that is not what I'm referring to.

So just a.

Just a couple years over 15.

If you haven't seen this movie, you absolutely need to.

It's so good.

I don't care if you are into action movies or anything like that.

The plot itself is super great.

If you haven't seen it or if you have seen it, you know what I'm talking about.

In summary, a mask vigilante uses terroristic methods to attack a fascist government in a dystopian version of London.

Pretty slim version of events.

Well, the vigilante V wearing a mask which is known as the Guy Fawkes mask.

Guy Fawkes was a participant in the gunpowder plot and the use of his mask is symbolic for V V in the movie for its revolutionary message.

Although the original inspiration of the comic of the same name was a decision to make V not just another super suit wearing type character, the design really fit with the, you know, actions of this anti hero.

The depiction has influenced modern versions of what is known as Guy Fawkes Day, which I will discuss in a while, but is, you know, a symbol of protest.

The Guy Fawkes mask, with its high cheekbones, wide smile, pale features contrasted with a black goatee have been used in many different protest forms.

Protests in Hong Kong most recently.

These protesters don the masks of Guy Fawkes to prevent facial recognition technology from linking them for just trying to demonstrate their frustrations.

The hacktivist group called Anonymous uses the mask in their videos and imagery across the Internet, which parallels with a V pretty heavily because of his tendency to break the law, but also sometimes doing just things.

And Anonymous are at the end of the day, hackers, so it makes sense.

Also, the image of V, like his, the way that mask is portrayed in a smile, I feel like.

And maybe it's just me because I've been looking at so many pictures during the research of this, but I feel like.

I feel like I kind of have the V thing going.

I got the, like my eyes squint when I smile and my mustache, if I curled it out, you know, I could, I could, I'm just saying, could be me.

Anyway, yeah.

So beyond the facial image of Guy Fox, why does V for Vendetta cause the gunbox or plot to enter my mind at least once a year for nearly 20 years?

Well, the same nursery rhyme that I opened the show with, one that was used for Guy Fox Day celebrations over the years used in that movie.

Remember, remember the 5th of November.

It just happened, you know, it was a little over a month ago now.

I remembered and then got excited and inspired to do this topic because I watched the movie and I was like, actually, I kind of, kind of want look into the origins of it.

Right?

Because I assume most of you have only had the same passive knowledge about it that I do.

Unless you're from England, you probably know a little more.

Being an American, this topic is not really one that would be part of my lexicon, but it permeates through pop culture.

And now it is time for me to learn and for you to pay the price of that knowledge or enjoy your choice, really.

So we got to set the scene.

We need to understand some things.

One, England.

What's its deal?

Two, why the funny voices and accents?

We know you're just doing it on purpose.

Three, get back on task for the context of England and the greater British Empire at the time.

The changes they made, the people in charge and the conspirators involved after that, go through the plot itself and fallout ramifications and legacy along with what ifs.

Like what?

I guess, kind of with that.

Totally enough preamble.

Let's get into it.

This story, like most, begins with Martin Luther.

Don't you find that he's to blame for most things?

I feel like I've actually used that same line about the Nazis.

But I've learned some things about him during the research for this episode that really don't put him in the best light, honestly.

Used to be one of my favorite historical figures.

Just because of his, like, I'm standing up, you know, standing up to the Catholic Church, nailing these theses on the door.

Oh, happy belated birthday, by the way.

Martin Luther, Anglicanized to Luther, birthed in E in modern day Germany.

Back then still the Holy Roman Empire, which was, well, not really even Roman.

The title comes from the fact that it did cover much of what was once the Western Roman Empire.

But this empire had long since dissolved, almost 400 years before Charlemagne and 900 years before it was referred to as the Holy Roman Empire.

So this was contrasting to the Eastern Roman Empire, which was such until also known as the Byzantine Empire.

What does that have to do with anything?

Not much.

But I just kind of wanted to clarify some names being used and also fear I may have made things more Confusing, So how exciting.

Anyway, the Holy Roman Empire did, however, influence the story of today in a number of ways, with its influen influence and the Pope acting as its proxy king.

In a way, it seemed like there was nothing to kind of stand in the way of it and its decision making.

This kind of emboldened the popes to do things like start wars, you know, like the Crusades, and persecute people, all that fun stuff.

The corruption grew, and the influence of the Pope and priests on the people were subjugated by it increased tensions all around.

Right.

In the 16th century, the Catholic Church was a towering force, intertwining its influence across every facet of European life.

It operated, operated as both a spiritual guide and governing body, with the Pope wielding authority that rivaled kings.

The Church's political power was immense.

Its ability to excommunicate rulers could destabilize entire kingdoms, casting rulers as spiritually illegitimate in the eyes of their people.

Through a complex hierarchy, Church leaders shaped policies that extended beyond the doctrine, affecting territorial control and taxation.

Economically, the Church was one of Europe's wealthiest institutions, owning vast lands and drawing income from mandatory tithes paid by the faithful.

Its opulence was visible in the grand cathedrals, art and universities funded by its wealth.

Yet this wealth also became a source of resentment, as the sale of Church offices and indulgences, which promised reduced punishment for sins, drew widespread criticisms for their abuses.

Kind of.

It drew widespread criticisms for their abuses.

Sorry.

Beyond politics and wealth, the Church permeated the daily lives of ordinary people.

It controlled education, charity, and even health care through its network of monasteries and convents, which cared for the poor, the sick, and the uneducated.

Catholic doctrine shaped societal values and regulated aspects of life like marriage, family, commerce.

Priests.

Although priests through confessions, had deep insight in the lives of their parishioners, reinforcing the Church's role as a moral authority at every level.

Catholic teachings influenced how people lived and what they valued.

The Church also maintained a strict control through a series of powerful punitive measures.

Excommunication, its most severe punishment, cast individuals out of the Church, depriving them of sacrament and often isolating them from society.

You know, if you're excommunicated, turns out your friends who are super religious might not want to talk to you because they feel like you might influence them negatively.

This threat kept both rulers and ordinary people in line, for to be outside the Church's grace was a terrifying prospect.

In deeply religious areas, heresy, or the holding of beliefs counter to Catholic teachings was met with even more Severe punishment the Inquisition, which gained a renewed force in the 16th century, Con conducted relentless trials to root out and punish heresy.

These trials, held across Catholic territories, involved interrogation and torture to extract confessions.

And punishments ranged from imprisonment and public penance to execution by burning at the stake.

Heresy trials targeted Protestants, Jews, Muslims and any other any others seen as a threat to Catherine.

Catherine Catholic orthodoxy Cementing the Church's grip over spiritual and social order.

The Catholic Church's unmatched control over spiritual, political and everyday life fostered tensions that figures like Martin Luther would soon challenge.

With its extensive reach into public and private spheres alike, the Church's power was both revered and resented, setting the stage for religious upheaval that would reshape the Western world.

There were some minor Reformation attempts before Martin Luther challenged the Church.

And many of his issues with it stemmed around the corruption and exorbitant wealth that the Church and even some priests held.

Martin Luther, being a very stubborn and passionate and intelligent man, saw many of these issues that the Church had.

Theological split between Martin Luther and the Catholic Church, you know, definitely redefined Christianity and all of the splinter groups essentially to this day.

In the early 16th century, the Catholic Church emphasized that salvation came through a combination of faith, good work and participation in sacraments.

It was seen as a journey requiring cooperation between believers and the Church, with rites and sacraments such as confession, baptism and communion as essential excuse vehicles of divine grace.

Luther, however, saw a fundamental problem in this view.

Proposing that salvation came through faith alone, he argued that God's grace, granted through belief and trust in Christ, was sufficient for salvation.

Salvation with no need for additional works or rituals.

This radical departure from Church teaching struck at the very heart of the Catholic doctrine.

Authority in matters of faith was another major point of contention.

For centuries, the Catholic Church had held that it was the ultimate interpreter of Scripture, with the Pope and the Church hierarchy serving as spiritual authorities.

Church tradition and papal guidance were viewed as vital, clarifying in clarifying and deepening Christian understanding.

Luther, on the other hand, promoted sola scriptura or scriptura scripture alone, meaning that the Bible was the only legitimate authority.

You couldn't have priests saying, oh well, this is kind of what it meant, right?

He encouraged individuals to read and interpret Scripture themselves without relying on the Church's interpretation, a view that would later fuel the translation of the Bible in to vernacular languages, putting the power of interpretation into the hands of the lay people.

The sacraments were another divine line.

While the Catholic Church recognized seven sacraments, essential essential conduits, as essential conduits of God's grace.

Luther argued for only two Baptism and the Eucharist or communion Right.

He believed that these were the only sacraments with clear biblical support.

Even here, his view of the Eucharist deferred.

Catholics taught that the bread and wine transformed into the literal body and blood of Christ through trans substation, while Luther proposed a different yet equally profound presence of Christ in with and under the elements, in a view sometimes referred to as consubstant.

Consubstantia, substantiation.

There's too many syllables and consonants in that one.

Other practices like indulgences also spark controversy.

Catholic Church taught that indulgences could reduce time in purgatory, where souls were believed to undergo purification before reaching heaven.

Luther saw indulgences as corrupt, accusing the Church of misleading people by implying that forgiveness could be bought.

The role of Mary and the saints represented a final distinct area of theological difference.

The Catholic Church taught that many believers could pray to saints and Mary the mother of Jesus, for intercession, viewing them as spiritual allies in approaching God.

Luther, however, downplayed the role of saints, emphasizing that Christ alone is the mediator between God and humanity.

He believed that prayers should be directed solely to God, reducing the role of saints in daily devotion.

In the end, Luther's emphasis on a personal relationship with God, faith as the path to salvation and the Bible as the ultimate authority stood very heavily contrasting to the Catholic teachings.

His ideas challenged the Church's complex structure of authority ritual, leading to this huge shift that would reshape Christianity.

Through these debates, the Reformation spread across Europe, creating branches of Protestant Protestantism and irrevocably altering the religious landscape.

Well, that's all well and good, Levi, but what.

What does that have to do with some knuckleheads wanting to blow up the King of England?

Well, as the Protestant Reformation took hold spread across Europe, Henry VIII was a knucklehead in his own broke from the Catholic Church and because of this would unwittingly change the course of greater the greater British Empire.

In many ways, his desire to divorce Catherine of Aragon, which was frowned upon and could only be permitted by the Pope, had been denied.

He tried to convince Pope Clement VII that was the that the marriage was against God's will, as the marriage had not produced an heir.

Catherine had given birth several times, but only one female survives stillbirths and infant death.

So he tried and failed to convince Pope Clement to grant him a divorce.

And with that rejection, he pursued it on his own.

The Pope had an interesting and fair reason to refuse the Holy Roman Emperor at the time, as the nephew of the woman Hank was trying to divorce, which is awkward.

Can't exactly refuse the Holy Roman Emperor for the, you know, King of England, especially when you live there in his territory.

Right.

He had found Anne Boleyn, a lady of the court and sister of one of his previous mistress mistresses, to be the woman to bring him an heir.

Big deal.

This was a huge blow to the Catholic Church.

So following the split, Henry and Anne got married and produced a daughter of their own.

Still didn't get that male heir.

Right.

I wonder if he was ever, like, mad about that.

He must.

He must have been.

This guy went through.

Why I was like, they were candy.

After their divorce, Catherine died and Henry threw a party, you know, like you do.

And then when Anne couldn't get any sons to be born, Henry quickly turned on her, alleging that she bewitched him.

Of course, that tricky siren.

She was soon charged with adultery and which I have no out, was a, you know, kangaroo court accusation.

This guy, we need, like, break into him.

He needs his own episode.

I feel like I'm getting too far into the weeds already.

But here's a rundown of his wives and struggles for a son.

Only surviving child was married.

Right.

Married.

Then he married Anne Boleyn that same year and was married for three years.

And Elizabeth the First was born in that first year of marriage.

But then, you know, obviously didn't work out and Anne was executed three years after they got married.

Then he married Jane seymour.

Anne of Cleves was married and divorced in the same year.

No children, and the marriage was annulled after six months.

I'm assuming she couldn't get pregnant was the reason.

No children from this marriage.

And then another Catherine, which is so many.

Catherine's.

Catherine Par.

No children from this marriage either.

And then Catherine would outlive him and remarry after his death.

Only lady to survive being married to him except for his first wife, which is kind of crazy.

1546.

Yeah.

So I guess by the time they had ended their marriage, Catherine Parr, he would have already been like, yeah, this kid, this is the guy.

So I don't.

I don't know.

I mean, you got one, but this is all super pertinent, I promise.

After Anne was killed, his next wife was Jane Seymour, who did birth him a son.

We talked about that.

The way to go, Hank.

You had it in you after all.

This was great timing because while Hank did keep trying for an heir with Jane after.

With Jane dying after childbirth, none of his next three wives could do it.

As you know, little Eddie at a whopping nine years old, takes the throne, which we kind of went over during this time, the Reformation pushed even further.

He.

He dies.

So he's dead.

Died real quick.

Mary.

Bloody Mary succeeds him.

Hank's first child from his first marriage with first Kathy.

Mary, who was once considered illegitimate due to the fact that Henry married his dead brother's widow.

Drama.

She now ascends to the throne.

Mary tries to reverse all of this, wanting to bring the Catholic Church back into the fold.

But Parliament blocked this at literally every turn.

Bloody Mary earned her name from burning Protestants at the stake, some 280 of them during her reigns.

It's pretty gnarly.

But go off queen.

She would succumb to some sickness suspected to be a form of cancer.

And then Hank's second daughter, daughter of Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth the First, would take the throne.

Now, if you're keeping track, that's four rulers in England for, like, in the, like, 10 years.

This is real bad turnover.

Elizabeth would not continue Mary's work and instead, relying on the word of trusted advis advisors, continued the expansion of the Church of England, furthering the Protestant Reformation.

She did all this also did not produce an heir.

Must have been something in the genes, right.

She has been referred to as the Virgin Queen because of this.

This actually helped her reputation, which was, you know, kind of interesting.

Under her rule is.

Is also what is described as the Elizabethan era, where England became more recognized for its artistry and theater than it had for people like Francis Drake and Walter Riley be made names for themselves in naval battles against the Spanish.

During this time we kind of talked about them a little bit in the pirates episodes.

Playwrights like Christopher Marlow and William Shakespeare also grew to prominence.

Also subsequently, a serial killer stalked the streets who made gloves from the hands of women he killed, only ever popping up wherever William Shakespeare's plays were being performed, which is suspicious.

You get it.

Elizabeth sought a balanced approach, aiming to establish a stable, lasting Protestant identity for England that would avoid the extremes of her predecessors.

The act of Supremacy reestablished the monarch as the head of the Church of England, a role her father had created, making Elizabeth the, quote, supreme governor of the Church.

This act confirmed the church's independence from Rome and reaffirmed the break from the Catholic authority.

The act of Uniformity, another key part of the settlement, mandated a common prayer book.

The Book of Common Prayer.

Clever name and required attendance at Protestant services, unifying religious practices across the country.

Elizabeth.

Elizabeth's policies promoted a moderate form of Protestantism that became known as Anglicanism.

And while it adhered to Protestant beliefs, Anglican church retains certain Catholic elements like elaborate ceremonies and vestments to keep more conservative English citizens from rebelling.

This approach, often called the Middle Way, prevented extreme Protestant factions and Catholics from dominating and allowed for a relatively stable religious environment, even if religious tensions persisted.

Elizabeth's support for Protestantism also extended to foreign policy.

She provided aid to Protestant causes across Europe, including support for Dutch Protestants fighting Spanish Catholic rule and French Huguenots.

Not sure how to pronounce that.

I.

Even if I did a French accent, I don't think I could do it.

Hugo, maybe.

By defending England against Catholic Spain, Elizabeth with reinforced England's Protestant identity and the perception that Protestantism was tied to English nationalism.

Right.

So now you have these two side, like, we don't hate Spain because they're Spain anymore.

We Hate Spain because they're Catholic and trying to take away our religious beliefs.

Right.

Kind of.

Kind of crazy.

So this is all about to make sense, I promise.

Before Elizabeth died, Mary Queen, Queen of Scots, different from Bloody Mary, was suspected as being the next in line.

And the Catholic population was actually okay with that.

Right.

The Queen of the Scots was a major proponent of Cath Catholicism.

James was the sixth King James of Scotland in the first in England.

So that's why the distinction is made.

He's James the First or James vi depending on if you're Scottish or English.

Interestingly enough, James was not that harshly harsh towards Catholics at first.

Anti Catholic laws that had slowly taken a foothold old could potentially be wiped away in their eyes as he ascended.

But soon enough, they found this was not the case.

He intensified restrictions against Catholics, creating laws which prevented them from owning certain things.

Banning priests from England issued an increase in surveillance against Catholic supporters.

Sympathizers impressed them to convert.

In addition, James allied himself closely with Protestant leaders and advisors, signaling that he had no intention of compromising on religious matters.

The final blow came with his support of anti Catholic legislation in Parliament, which hardened policies against Catholics even further.

These cath.

These actions convinced many Catholics that James was not only unsympathetic, but active hostile towards their faith.

This harsh environment helped radicalize certain factions within the Catholic community, notably the subjects within our story.

See brought it.

Brought it all back.

People tired of being subjugated, prevented from being able to own land or weapons or to defend themselves, had to resort to extreme methods for which the English Crown responded with equally extreme methods.

So let's look at the people involved in this plot before the timetable of events here.

First up, the man that pops up on all the articles.

I find about this more so that more so than Guy Fox himself.

Robert Catsby.

Okay, so Robert Catsby.

Not.

Not a distant re relative of Jay.

Who's Gatsby?

Not Gatsby.

Although I'm sure there could be some fictional connection drawn if you wanted to, since Jake Gatsby's name was made up, wasn't it?

Anyway, if you wanted to do some historical fan fiction on this, you probably could.

Could.

Anyway, Robert Catsby, if you have watched the HBO show Gunpowder that I mentioned, is played by Kit Harrington.

That's right, Jon Snow.

So if you want a mental image, that's.

That's who you picture right.

He looks like Jon Snow.

Oddly enough, there is a royal connection here between Catsby and the crown.

His father was one Sir William Catsby and either his father or grandfather was William Catsby, who was part Richard III's council.

Council.

Richard III was succeeded by Henry VII.

Okay, so a little royal connection there.

Catholics were being persecuted.

As I mentioned, this wavered slightly with the rule of Bloody Mary.

But Elizabeth, you know, brought it back.

She's bringing it back.

Robert was born during Elizabeth's reign and his father had been in prison for being Catholic and rabble rousing, I guess, I don't know.

When Robert was 9 or 10 had to have, you know, a profound effect on impact on his youth and attitude towards the Church of England and the Crown itself.

Right.

Robert had been given some education at Gloucester.

Here's the.

I'm going to pause for a second.

So English places that have like, like C E S T E R.

I can't ever remember if you're supposed to pronounce it like Chester or just pronounce it all as like A ou Right.

So Gloucester, Gloucesters.

I don't know, I didn't look into it.

But anyway, it's also not super important, just distracted me.

Gloucester Hall.

But with the anti Catholic sentiment in the country, there was a final oath of supremacy to be taken.

And this would have come in contradiction to Robert's Catholic faith.

So he declined to Finnish school.

Who?

Catherine Lee, who was part of a Protestant family of some repute.

Her uncle published the Geneva Bible, which I'm told is very impressive.

His close relation to her family actually gave him quite a bit of COVID in his Catholic way.

The couple had two children.

One died in infancy and their second son did survive.

However, Robert's wife would die later in the same year.

His father actually died.

So these events in quick succession really pushed him Further into his beliefs solidified him.

Soon, Robert became active in some political action.

Excuse me, joined a failed couple, when I pronounce it Q.

Basically, like she was a traitor somehow, really was not the most effective plan.

Attempting to rally public support, Essex arranged a play about a disposed monarch, hoping to inspire Londoners to join his cause.

However, the public remained indifferent, and when the government forces blocked the streets, his rebellion quickly collapsed.

Essex's followers deserted him and he surrendered.

Robert Catsby joined in because he believed that if Devereaux succeeded, Catholicism would be restored.

Catsby was captured and in this failed coup, but obviously not executed like some others, he did have 4,000 marks, which could be upward of £5 million a day.

Pretty steep.

But it's also hard to tell.

Like, it doesn't really, when you try to find value of money for back then, it doesn't.

Doesn't translate super well.

So it could be, but it could also not be.

Anyway, he had to sell some property to repay some people who helped him finance the fines.

As Elizabeth began to deteriorate in her health towards the end of her reign, many English lords feared Catholic uprisings should she die.

So they began to jail suspects of causing any issues, and Robert might have been jailed again.

So we're gonna leave him in jail right now and meet the next conspirator.

All right.

Or conspirators, I guess.

Another Robert.

Thank goodness we were running low.

And Thomas.

Robert and Thomas Winter.

The brothers were born to devout Catholic parents.

Also, you know, same year Caspy was born.

And similar to Caspy, they too had family who were persecuted for their faith.

Both of these men would have been forming important memories at this point.

If you don't remember, because it's been a minute since we talked about this brutal death method.

It should be called drawn Hanged and quartered in order of operations, but the victim is drawn behind a horse via a wooden panel or ladder sometimes so dragged around briefly hanged so that they don't die, but just choke quite a bit.

And after that they're gutted, emasculated, which reed has castrated and chopped limb from limb and then beheaded.

You know, pretty fun.

And then typically their head was displayed as an omen, basically, don't do this.

Or this could be you.

So these young boys watched this happen to their uncle.

Well, maybe, maybe they didn't watch about it, but, you know, they knew about it and they probably had a pretty good idea of what it meant.

Contemporary accounts followed the brothers following the brothers arrests, described them as wise, educated, witty, resolute.

Robert married a woman named Gertrude and inherited a manner and fortune, both of which he used to shelter priests on the run.

Thomas learned law, but then left the practice to join the army and fought against Spain, France and potentially even some Turks.

I guess the fighting of Spain got, you know, really got to him as they were Catholic nation, there's a little internal conflict and it was tough to reconcile that.

Following this, he.

He made several pilgrimages to Rome and even Spain, which was not pleasing to England when they found this out later on.

Spain actually had an individual who met with Thomas when the plans were being worked out for the plot.

And this man did not believe that they could pull it off.

He did not believe that the Catholics in England could drum up enough support and lied about the support that they said they had.

Right, so that's the winter boys.

We don't know a lot about his early life, but we do know know he has several key links to this story.

One, his wife is related to another pair of brothers who we will meet next.

Second, his cousin is Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland.

This man gave Thomas the duty of being rent collector from some of his properties, as well as constable of one of his castles.

Pretty cool.

He was alleged to have bribed some of his tenants, though mismanaged the funds and properties, and also killed a Scott in a skirmish for which he was imprisoned.

He was released who by?

Robert Devereaux, who we already met, is not known if the conditions of it is not known the conditions of his release.

Thomas Percy was described by several contemporaries as being strong, tall, calm, but could ramp up at any moment dependent on his sword first but also held calming influence.

Sounds like Thomas was quite the rabble rouser.

All right, let's talk about Thomas's in laws.

Next he married Martha Wright and the brothers John, sometimes known as Jack and Christopher or Kit, were also members of this group.

John and Christopher Wright.

The brothers attended boarding school at St.

Peter's School in York.

They had attended with the last of the conspirators who I have mentioned a few times already, Guy Fox.

Though named for St.

Peter's the school itself was relatively conforming to the newer Church of England standards.

Although the headmaster at the time was from a family of Catholics and the headmaster before him had been imprisoned for being Catholic brothers also, like many jailed wall Elizabeth was failing in health.

During this jailing both men were described as skilled with swords, strong, courageous.

John described as having good physique, tall and that his features were pleasing, whatever that means.

Christopher was described as slightly different than John and in the face particularly taller, fatter and having a lighter hair.

So that's nice of them.

All right, last guy, last major guy here, the guy actually.

His parents were both active in the Church of England, but his mother's family were Catholic.

Catholic and his cousin a priest in Rome.

So this caused not too into the weeds for him.

His father died when he was 8, his mother remarrying and this time to a Catholic man which is believed to be his introduction to the faith.

The mom marrying a Catholic man, their her family being Catholic kind of made sense, right?

As I mentioned, he attended St.

Peter's School with John and Christopher Wright and.

Fox.

Fox was by all account a well performing soldier serving under Sir William Stanley, who had previously fought for England but switched to Spain after a surrender.

The siege of Calais was a big moment in the Spanish fight against the Protestants and securing this port city really hit the Protestant French party and the English very hard.

Whether on official business or not, Guy traveled to England to find support for the Catholic cause, Hoping to find prospects in a potential rebellion.

Fox appears to be the only one who saw the writing on the wall When James took the throne as well, Indicating that he was a heretic and that he would persecute and drive out Catholics from England.

Is on his trip back to England in which he met the other conspirators.

So now we can get to the plot.

As I mention, the ascension of James I to the throne gave some people hope that he was going to be more tolerant.

Everyone in this group except for Fox apparently.

He first spoke that he desired tolerance in the Catholics.

That they could believe whatever they want as long as they obeyed the laws of the land.

Tensions arose across Europe between Catholics and Protestants with the Dutch revolt, the French wars of religion and other smaller scales, smaller scale moments of violence erupting.

Catholic revolutionaries began to fight against the policies and some even argued for the removal of what they deemed to be tyrann tyrants.

One plot actually included a man we have talked about before.

Sir Walter Riley.

Riley, the namesake for the city in North Carolina.

Man who sponsored the lost colony of Roanoke.

The trial of Riley following this plot actually inspired reform in how accused have a right to face their accusers in court.

But at the time he was rejected from the request to see the person who actually accused him and cross examine the proof that they had, if there was any.

Riley ultimately convicted but later pardoned by King James.

But he would eventually be arrested again and executed thanks to some breaking of parole stipulations decreed by his initial release at parts not important, but I got distracted.

So as other plots are attempted, strategized and ultimately thwarted, Robert Catsby Jon Snow King of the north is recruiting.

Of course, these sort of things don't just kind of happen in a vacuum.

And while the failures of others might deter some can it can inspire others.

Right after being released on bond of the 4,000 marks that we talked about, Catsby soon attempted to get Philip III of Spain to invade England.

I can see why people were passionate in preventing this attempt.

The slightly national security risk, right.

Choosing religion over the country in which you live seems wild, but you know, that's.

That's just my opinion.

I guess if you feared the eternal damnation of all who follow your same beliefs, then it makes sense.

Catsby persisted, enlisting the help of his cousins Thomas and Robert Winter to help the former king.

Named as unofficial emissary to the king and to try and to convince him to invade.

Philip was not interested in this plan.

Even though he was Catholic himself and recognized the troubles that Catholics were facing, he felt that peace with England was more valuable to him and his people.

So he kind of stayed the course with that.

Despite the claim that there are more than 3,000 Catholics ready to take arms, according to the conspirators, the Spanish leaders disagreed.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Church itself distanced themselves from any of the plots, officially never endorsing such a move and instead condemning these plans.

Pope Clement VII stated that these actions would actually ostracize any remaining members of the revolution.

The men began to meet together.

Realistically, these weren't the sort of revolutionary meetings where they labored over the plans and overlooked a table full of maps or blueprints.

They were.

They were actually pretty docile at the beginning.

They waxed poetically about what they could do, probably shared scripture or whatnot.

Eventually, some of the men got restless.

There's no idea of how long it took for things to kick up.

But at one point, Thomas Percy barged into their planning room, shouting, shall we always gentlemen talk and never do anything?

After which, Catsby spoke with him privately, probably to inform him that there were plans and not to rock the boat.

I also wonder if he was trying to keep that type of conversation from someone you know, and you'll see why I say that in a bit.

Percy continued to.

Percy continued addressing the men, stating that they should kill the king.

But once again, Caspy called him, calmed him down by stating, no, Tom, thou shalt not adventure thy life too small a purpose.

Translation, we're going to do way more than that, little buddy.

Catsby had already planned it, but they were vetting their co conspirators.

Right?

You.

You don't want to just give your plan away to just anybody, right?

You don't want a rando who's going to go back, back out at the last moment, spill the beans.

Slowly, Cats be revealed his plan to the growing inner circle who he trusted the most.

Catsby made the men swear an oath of secrecy, which is the following quote.

You shall swear by the Blessed Trinity and by the sacrament you now propose to receive.

Never disclose, not directly nor indirectly by word or circumstance, the matter that shall be proposed to you to keep secret, nor desist from the execution thereof until tell the rest shall give you leave.

That's right, you swear by the powers of rush, the holy triumvirate, the most sacred of oaths.

I.

I would venture to say that with, you know, staunch Catholics Catholic extremists.

This is probably a safe bet to make, right?

Oh, you want to.

You want to be free to practice Catholicism?

I have a plan.

But you're swearing on your faith to secrecy.

It's checkmate, really.

So now, as the group grows, organizing the logistics of the plan, that grows as well, the plan itself, I should mention.

Killing the King with small potatoes.

Right.

So what.

What are you going to do?

Well, Catsby thought if they could get near the House of Lords, essentially the government building, and loaded with a bunch of gunpowder, they could blow it up at the first session so that not only got the King, but also the lords and any other important person who may be in attendance.

Meanwhile, they would kidnap the princess, who they felt would sympathize with the Catholics and instill her as queen.

So, you know, seems pretty solid.

They needed a house near the House of Lords to set this up.

Also, weirdly enough, they needed gunpowder, like.

Like a lot.

They found a house that actually was connected to the House of Lords, but it was occupied.

Damn.

But Thomas Percy, with his noble connections, was able to secure a lease and then hired Guy Fawkes under the alias John Johnson to be the servant.

So they did not arouse any suspicion of this guy just showing up all the time.

Give him a fake job, that'll cover it.

It's pretty clever.

Although I would have probably gone for a different name.

John Johnson is.

Maybe back then it was pretty normal, but it's.

It's just such a fake sounding name.

This is John Johnson.

Okay, what are you up to?

They would also end up renting another house to store the gunpowder away from the prime location to keep suspicion low and then move it over.

Right.

Parliament was also out of session, which meant that they could spend plenty of time, time in the recess, planning everything, you know, more.

Meanwhile, Percy was playing the zone.

He actually had earned the trust of some local nobles by way of his relative, the Earl of Northumberland.

He started to earn some time with King James and through these meetings, while trying to improve his personal status in the eyes of the Crown.

Despite his Catholic beliefs.

He was also listening to what the King spoke about in relation to Catholics.

And because of this, he was telling people that the King planned on being real chill towards them.

Percy was also appointed to a Mountain Guard troop mounted guard, not Mountain Guard, if that's what it sound like, which was assigned to protect the King, which worked for both of his interest.

Right.

Kept his cover up and continued his double A agent action while the conspirators waited.

It's not like they, you know, sat around making bombs.

They, I mean they did do that, but they also had another plan.

There are stories that the conspirators were digging underneath of the Parliament, but you know, they come from and take interrogate interrogation after arrest.

So this could be some propaganda from the crown or forced confessions.

There's no real way to know.

What we do know is that they were able to rent what is called an undercroft.

This is essentially a cavern, like a big basement where things are stored.

And it's underground, obviously.

Well, the under undercroft had access exactly where they needed to be.

This is important because the whole thing takes place in the old palace of Westminster, which a collection of area which was a collection of various buildings and what you could consider a campus, I guess.

So they all had access to different parts of the undercroft.

And this worked super well for the conspirators.

The reason?

Plague.

Oh yeah, that's still going on a little bit here and there.

Whether whether or not they dug into like actually like dug underneath undercroft as well as just having the undercroft, nobody knows for certain.

I guess over the summer they put together their stores of gunpowder, slowly amass tonnage they needed to set their plan off.

The undercroft I should mention, was directly below the first floor of the House of Lords and was unused for many years.

So it was kind of perfect.

In July, Parliament again delayed by more fear of the plague and the king was off hunting.

This time Catsby recruiting new members to aid in their efforts.

Parliament was proposed postponed until November 5th.

And if you're good at foreshadowing or noticing it, you know that that's the, that's the real day.

By October, everything was in place.

They had just, you know, had to wait and not mess things up.

So yeah, they had gathered an estimated 36 barrels of gunpowder underneath.

Well, the research used a term that is not to be used anymore.

They had barrels and what is now called a bundle of sticks.

But back then that's not what they called it.

If, you know, you know, kind of wild that I'm still seeing that word pop up and research, like I get that's what it was called, but also, you know, you translate other things into modern vernacular.

Why is that?

Not just call it what.

Anyway, they also had coal as well as cases of nails.

That's right.

Medieval pipe bombs, baby.

Meanwhile, architect of this plan, Catsby was now discussing the morality of this plan with his Catholic mentors.

He was not ready to commit to this plan unless he was sure of a few things.

One, would his actions be justified in the eyes of the Lord?

Two, would putting other Catholics in danger during said actions be justified?

It, you know, as the greater good of all the other Catholics.

It, you know, it's real.

It's like one of those people on the train track situations he's got going on.

His.

His confidant gave him the blessing he needed to move forward.

Unbeknownst to most of the conspirators, things began to take a shift against them.

And the plots, you know, climax, right?

A letter was delivered by an unknown person to one Lord monteagle.

William Parker, 4th Baron Monteagle, was about to sit for dinner when the messenger arrived.

Arrived with urgent pleading to give the note to the Lord of the House.

The poor penmanship and unsight document was too illegible to read by the Lord himself, so he summoned someone to help him read it.

It reads as follows, quote, My Lord, out of the love I bear for.

Out of the love I bear to some of your friends, I have a care for your preservation.

Therefore, I would advise you as your tender your life, as you tender your life, to devise some excuse to shift off your attendance at this Parliament.

For God and man have concurred to punish the wickedness of the time.

And think not slightly of this advertisement, but you but retire yourself into your country where you may expect the event in safety.

For though there is.

This is so hard to read.

For though there be no appearance of any stir, yet I say they shall receive a terrible blow, this Parliament, and yet they shall not see who hurts them.

This counsel is not to be condemned because it may do you good and can do you no harm.

For the danger is past as soon as you have burnt the letter, or I hope God will give you the grace to make a good use of it.

To whose holy protection I command you.

So that's intense, right?

So intense that Montego thought it was a prank, aiming to make him look foolish by missing the opening session, which is very funny to me.

Can you imagine being like that?

Lord Whoever, Lord Frank, he's always trying to make me miss the meetings, man.

He always comes up with the craziest things.

Even though he believed it was a hoax, he did what he thought best and headed off to an informed, warm.

More people that night, right?

He arrived in London searching for.

Searching the court for the Earl of Salisbury, Robert Cecil.

If you watch the show Gunpowder, this guy is one whose head is constantly at like a tilt for some reason.

He like talks tilted and he has a seriously punchable face.

I don't know how to describe it other than pompous and beatific.

Like if you imagine every out of touch noble from this time period, this is the guy, right?

This actor did such a good job in his performance because I hated him and I didn't retain any, any information he ever relayed on screen because I was too worried about hating him anyway.

Cecil was already aware of various plots going on.

Like he's got a lot of feelers out there, a lot of networking.

This letter contained information that he was not aware of at this point, though the fact that the letter delivered directly to Lord Monteagle, telling him to steer clear of Parliament was the most specific warning that gave particulars that caused, you know, pause.

Without a direction of who wrote the letter, there was not a place to start in the investigation.

So such of such potential actors, soon they had all brought the letter to the King and each individual of the court came to their own conclusion that there was a Gunpowder evolved thanks to the mention of the line quote, terrible blow to Parliament.

The King ordered a search of search to find the conspirators.

Conspirators immediately.

But following this order, Lord Cecil slowed the pursuit for any.

For an unknown reason, it's not suspended.

Suspected that he was slowing the investigation because he was not taking seriously.

But the suspicion is that there were some consultations with the other Lords, probably to get a good idea of where to start.

The next day, Lord Montego's servant relayed information towards someone to decipher the letter.

This person was Thomas Wintour.

Hilariously, they picked someone who was actually involved in the conspirator conspiracy to decipher a letter about the conspiracy.

Equally hilarious is that the conspirators not now know that they've been found out.

Right.

Thomas Winter told Robert Catsby and also said that they should flee as they'd been, you know, been had.

Catsby was not worried and instead said that all systems were go and the plan was still on.

Catsby did, however, want to observe the ongoings of Parliament to figure out exactly what they knew by doing so.

Right.

It's going to do a stakeout.

Little double agent counterintelligence never hurt anyone, right?

Guy Fox was the agent in charge observing the court on Wednesday the 30th, returning and letting the team know that none of the plans had been disturbed.

Right.

The Gunpowder's still there, everything's in place.

The next day, the 31st.

Thomas Winter returned.

Friday the 1st, the team was gathering themselves, Winter, Catsby, Tresham and Barnett of the topics discussed, one obviously being how the Lords were reacting to the letter, the other being where the letter came from.

Tresham, Francis.

Francis Tresham was suspected because of his relation to Monteagle's wife.

The suspicion levied on the fact that he may want to save his in law, essentially.

But he fervently denied this and the team believed him.

Now, Saturday 2nd November is if the calendar, you know, sounds familiar, it's actually the calendar we have this year.

It's the same exact one, which is kind of neat.

Not every day you get an order of events that follows our same exact calendar, but here we are like this year in November.

Where's.

Yeah, anyway.

On Saturday, Trish Winter conferred that Tresham revealed that he had learned some information between some of the Lords and the King.

Everyone was lean learning this information, was sure that they was sure that they should stay the course once Thomas Percy arrived and confirmed this decision.

Meanwhile, the Lords began searching about, doing some investigatory things, searching by order, quote above ground and below, which you know, is a direct quote from several, several sources.

The King's order specifically dictated that they look for places which could conceal gunpowder stores.

November 4th, the day before the plan is to be executed.

The team separates before action is taken, you know, final meeting and then split.

This, I assume is in order to have their alibi alibis sorted.

Percy returned to his Lords to investigate where the Monteagle letter came from, while Catsby went off into the country.

Fox was to remain at the residence and maintain his cover as servant, but also was the one to stay and set the fuse to light.

Meanwhile, Lords began their search around the area nearest to the House of Lords, banging on doors, inquiring any people of any sort of suspicious activity.

Some interviewing residents of houses nearby, some checking local surveillance tapes.

Unfortunately for them, all the surveillance tapes are paintings done by old men on balconies.

And with the lack of street lights, there was little light for them to capture the scene properly.

That's not what happened, but that would be awesome.

Like court sketch artists around places, just like constantly painting.

Anyway, as they rounded the, as they rounded around, as they went around, they were coming up short and I suspect this is because of how particular the conspirators were to their secrecy.

Swearing to people, people to secrecy on the Bible probably helps that.

And acting under the COVID of Night traveling by the tims nearby as well, Lord Monteagle and company explored all the different possible locations, eventually going down into the cellar under the House of Lords, where they found lumber and coals stacked near an undercroft.

When questioned who had access to that part particular undercroft, the wardrobe keeper for the House of Lords, informed Monteagle that it was rented to Thomas Percy, who was the.

They knew Thomas Percy because they knew he was related to the Lord of Northumberland along with the house connected to it.

Monteagle immediately was like, okay, wait a minute.

As he had been the one to receive the letter, the one to be addressed.

And with the revelation of the fact that Percy was renting this place, he now believed Percy to be the author of this letter.

While in the cellar, they also ran into Fox, who informed them that he was Percy's servant.

And this introduction seemed to go well.

And Monteagle left with the others and convened with the King with the new information.

They told King of King of the Jimothy that they had discovered one place in the cellar that had a lot of wood and coal, which definitely raised some suspicion because.

And that, oh well, it raised suspicion.

And they also had reason to suspect Percy.

The combination of the fact that there was so much firewood and coal for a house that was only occupied by one man and a servant also made them concerned.

They also didn't feel like Fox or John Johnson as they knew him.

Looked much like a servant, a former military man, tall, strong looking.

Servants did not typically look like this.

Apparently upon upon learning all of this, James decided this Undercroft and this house needs to be searched.

Fears of hidden gunpowder suspected from the writings in the letter being the driving force behind this, they devised a plan to prevent a few things from happening.

The first thing, they wanted to conduct a search without making the Lords look foolish for following false leads or being duped by a hoax.

Second was that if they did investigate the House of Thomas Percy, who was under the charge of the Earl of Northumberland and a friend of Lord Monteagle, this could embarrass the entire party, cause a rift in the House of Lords.

Their plan was instead to have the Keeper of the Wardrobe return to the cellar and investigate to see what he could uncover.

Basically like having an informant go down, pretending to have missed misplaced some items that were in his charge.

While he did that, a local magistrate named Sir Thomas Nivet would.

Could be knivet, but I'm gonna say Nivet.

It starts with a K, but anyway would have a posse of sorts as waiting Nivet conducting his own search, came across Fox at the cellar dressed like he was about to leave town.

This was odd considering the time of night and his pretend job as the house servant.

What are you leaving town for?

Your job's tied to the house.

He was arrested and fought hard to resist being captured and subsequently searched.

They then removed the coals and wood to reveal the 36 barrels of gunpowder.

They found Fox still under the COVID of his alias John Johnson, carrying a lantern, striking match for lighting a fuse and a pocket watch.

The pocket watch was especially peculiar because this wasn't, you know, 18th or 19th century Sherlock Holmes type stuff.

This is barely the 17th century.

1605, not many people carried them and even less house servants as Fox alleged to be had them.

It's first reported that Fox was defiant, fighting off searches, but then soon became lethargic and ultimately sad that he was unable to accomplish his mission.

Remember, he was a dutiful soldier who put up, was put up to be captain.

So not being able to accomplish the mission had to really have gotten to him.

It's also suspected that he had not been at the door of the cellar when the men arrived, but in instead been inside.

He could have, you know, he could have lit the fuse and still blew up the building.

Nobody important would have been there, but the plan would not have been a complete failure like it turned out to be.

They documented the things they found and took Fox to Whitehall palace around 4 4am on Tuesday 5th November.

Remember, get it all right.

The King was notified immediately and Fox was then brought to him for the King to do his own questioning before, well, before the torture got the answers out.

The King was also interested to what kind of man would be capable of plotting such a violent act.

Fox maintained defiance, mourning the fact that he was unable to fulfill his duties.

Fox squared every accusation as his plan.

You know, he sold nobody out in this series of questioning.

He insisted that should anyone be responsible for his failure, it is the devil who done it.

Snap.

He also maintained his allegiance was to God and not the King.

Oh man, this guy, it's getting real crazy.

He continued to ascertain his name as John Johnson, servant of Thomas Percy, defiant to the end, kind of.

Meanwhile, other conspirators were now aware of the plot had been made right.

They knew that it was found out.

It's not sure when specifically, but the morning of the 5th, the Wright brothers notified Thomas Winter of the collapse of the plot.

Soon the streets were full of gossip and the word quickly spread around London that a massive plot to blow up Parliament had just been foiled.

That was probably the most exciting thing they had to talk about.

The only conspirator that did not know right away was Robert Catsby.

I mentioned he was off.

He was preparing to grab the princess.

That was his part, Elizabeth.

Princess Elizabeth, who was, you know, their coup replacement once the King had and company were blown to smithereens.

And they would have been blown to smithereens.

This like there's a modern estimate of how much damage 36 barrels of gunpowder could have done and it would have leveled that building and damaged quite a few around it anyway.

So he returned to the rest of the men eventually, who were going to be aiding in the snatch and grab of the princess, which had been disguised as a hunt.

And there it was revealed to him that the truth of the plot was now known.

Men still believe due to Cats persistence, that an uprising could happen, right?

Yes, the action was foiled, but now people know that there serious people about it, right?

They still had this belief that there were thousands and thousands of Catholics to join the cause.

Catsby had sent a letter off as the remaining conspirators fled to find weapons and a place to wait for backup.

This letter was delivered to one of his Catholic confidants, a priest who he had consulted with before in asking if it was, you know, God's will for him to kill men for this cause.

This letter was a call to action of sorts, wanting to raise more forces to fight his fight.

And it was meant with a responding letter that requested Catsby to give this fool's errand up.

So.

Yikes.

The conspirators traveled to Staffordshire, or Staffordshire, to take defense in Holbeck House, a mansion belonging to a member of their party.

Several men took this opportunity to flee, feeling as though the jig was indeed up.

Going back to Fox now for a moment, he was brought to the Tower of London, a prison, and the King had ordered the extraction of information by any means necessary.

The written record of torture used is pretty limited, as torture was usually enough explanation.

But I think it is important to note what types of treatment this man could have undertaken before relenting.

On 6 November, Wednesday, Fox was taken into a chamber and most certainly placed on the rack.

This is the device that held your arms and your legs spread like arms above your head and your legs straight down.

And then turning gear slowly stretched your body to points.

It was not designed to withstand.

I will say the first little bit on the rack probably feels real good, right?

A little spinal decompression.

Yeah, after that probably gets less fun either way.

He would have also more than likely been placed in what are called manacles, which are wrist irons that hold them tightly together restricting, restrict restricting movement.

And then the arms are placed there, you know, shackled behind your back and then your wrist shackled together with this thing and then a rope attached to the irons and then lifted up so your arms are being like lifted up backwards.

Sounds real bad.

I don't like.

Other favorite methods of the time include thumb screws which you can figure out what why that would suck.

Yeah.

He could have also had his fingernails pulled out also super fun.

Amount of torture he underwent is not known for certain.

But we do know he went through a lot because the signature he left on the confession letter looks like he wrote it with a pen in his mouth.

It talk about signature under duress.

Ultimately he did confess his real name and by the 8th of November he had given up most of the information.

He explained that the they had planned to blow the parliament up because it was the only way to ensure that the King and his son were both killed and that they had a separate party to kidnap Princess Elizabeth to install her as the queen.

Back to the party in whole back house.

The day, the same day Fox made his final confession, 8 November, the remaining conspirators realized that the fate of their plans, you know, there it really started to set on them.

No one had joined them, nobody.

They had put out letters, tried to raise resistance and yet they were alone and even less than they had originally originally arrived because some people left, they fled.

Even worse, they were preparing to hunker down.

Gunpowder ironically ignited not the stuff they wanted to go off, but a bit of the gunpowder they had assembled to mount their defense.

The explosion knocked a few of them about.

Catsby and a few others were charred by the fire.

A messenger had seen the fire blow and when passing some of the conspirators who were arriving told them that Catsby had just died.

Basically because the blast looked that bad.

They found out soon that it was not the case.

But some of them did leave.

At that point, Catsby had not died, but several of the men were injured in the blaze.

One guy even blinded by the light.

I'll see myself out.

Catsby.

The rights Thomas Percy, a man named Rookwood and Grant barricaded themselves in the mansion, prepared to fight the sheriff of worst Shire.

Wash your sister sauce.

Yeah.

And his band of 200 merry men encircled the property with flintlock rifles.

The 11 revolutionaries fought against the small army musket balls ripped through the house and the posse rotated in the into the courtyard where the battle was moved into a semi.

Hand to hand combat situation, obviously if it's flintlock, it's hard to reload and it's easier just to fight hand to hand after the first few rounds have been fired.

The first fall was Thomas Winter and then the Wright brothers and Rookwood.

Robert Catsby and Thomas Percy were fighting back to back when they were both shot with a single shot which ended up killing both of them.

The dead were quickly stripped of their belongings and wounded, taken into custody and then subject to questioning, I.

E.

You know, torture.

All in all, four men were killed, seven taken captive.

It was impossible for the men to have mounted an escape, but the four dead were the Wright brothers, Catsby and Percy.

Following this, the seven who were captured were immediately questioned.

Questions usually started out simple, but if they were any hesitation or resistance, the threat of torture lubricated the words rather quickly for most.

That's half the power of torture, you know.

One, it instills fear of others and quickly they can reveal their secrets.

Two, it extracts information out of those who don't get scared, scared right away eventually.

Sometimes information might just be led, like, you know, leading questions that lead to it.

But you know, I mean, Guy Fox withstood two days of it, which is pretty intense.

This much is confirmed by head torturer Sir Edward Edward Koch, who stated that torture inspired the confessions for most of the conspirators.

There are only records of two confessions.

Guy Fawkes, which I mentioned, and his, you know, shaky signature which showed how battered his body had become.

Literally only signing his first name to get it done faster.

And I don't know if you're aware, but Guy is pretty short.

He actually signed the, I think it's like a Spanish for like he signed Guido essentially, which is kind of funny.

Winter, who had been shot in the shoulder of his writing arm, was also able to shot in his writing arm.

So his signature was also indicative of stress, though it's not clear how much from the torture versus like how much of, of it just being his wound from the gunshot.

The, the Earl of Northumberland was caught up in this as well after Thomas Percy was found dead with the conspirators.

Conspirators proving his connection to the plot.

If you remember, Earl Henry Percy related to Thomas and now the only one who could say for certain if he knew anything about it or not was dead.

All his formal, formal titles were removed.

He was no longer allowed to hold public office and find around £8 million in today's money which would be hard to pay when he has been removed from his Lordship.

Others who were deemed to be connected to the plot, like the priest, counseled, who counseled Catsby during the formation of the Plot, were listed in the trial papers, although only one of them was apprehended.

All seven consecutive conspirators, surviving conspirators, were charged with consenting contriving a plot in which a connection was a connection to treason.

And they all pleaded not guilty.

All right.

Sir Edward Koch and Sir Edward Phillips acted as the prosecutors of sorts.

There was an effort by these men to put blame more squarely on the priests in the Catholic Church, believing them to be much more involved than others had suspected.

This is a quote from the trial regarding the plot.

Quote it had three roots, all planted, watered by Jesuits and English Romans Catholics.

The first root in England in December and March, the second in Flanders in June.

The third in Spain in July.

In England it had two branches.

One in December was 12 months before the death of the late Queen of Blessed memory.

Another in March wherein she died.

So that's interesting, right?

Does this extend.

Does this plot like extend so much further than we thought?

I don't.

I don't really think so.

I think this was more of a way for the Crown to justify their pushing away from the Catholic Church Church.

Like see, they're still going after us.

They still don't like us.

They also continued stating that the laws against Catholics were a direct result of their own behavior and previous plots.

I don't know that that, that's true, but I think it makes sense that they thought that.

I just can't find any evidence that points to that.

But for instance, if the priests, the priests that were in consultation of cats be backed up in the end they felt it was too dangerous of a plan ultimately.

I also think that if it were organized by the Church, it would have been better planned maybe.

I also believe that it is fair to say that they would have been especially upset had the plan gone through.

But you know, for me it's like a good zone play.

If it happens, cool, good for them.

But if not, hey, we, we didn't, we didn't condone it.

Sir Edward Koch defends, defended the penal laws against Catholics, arguing that they were moderate and fair.

Initially, Catholics participated in Protestant church services for 10 years under Elizabeth until Pope Pius V issued a bull excommunicating the queen and releasing her subjects from loyalty to her.

This led to recusancy not only not out of religious belief, but as a declaration of allegiance to papal authority over the crown.

Koch highlighted that the penal laws were enacted only after repeated acts of treason by Catholics, including the spread of seditious books and the arrival of seminary priests trained in trained abroad to incite rebellion and convert subjects to papal allegiances.

Right.

He contrasted the leniency of Elizabeth's reign, during which fewer than 30 priests were executed for treason over 44 years, with the brutality of Mary the first reign, which saw about 300 people executed for their religion.

Koch emphasized that the laws targeted actions, not beliefs, focusing on preventing treason rather than persecuting religious practice.

King James echoed this sentiment, asserting that no one was executed for religious beliefs alone.

Despite this, Catholic conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot claim persecution drove them to their actions.

Though Koch noted that no penalties had been imposed on recusants during James's first year on the throne.

The conspirators justification of religion was undermined by their intent to commit treason at the site where these unjust laws were enacted.

But as we learned, that's not quite the case.

To me, this all kind of reeks of like victim mentality by the government when we have a record to show that they did act against Catholics quite often and not in a response to what they were doing.

After the Attorney General's address during the Gunpowder Plot trial, the conspirators confessions were read and acknowledged.

Evidence showed that Jesuit priest Hammond absolved the conspirators after their treason was discovered, implicating the Jesuits in the plot.

All defendants were found guilty and several expressed varying levels of remorse or justification.

For example, Thomas Winter asked for leniency for his brother and Fox despite.

And Fox disputed parts of the indictment but was informed these were formalities.

Right.

Others, like Bates and Robert Winter sought mercy without denying their guilt, while Rook Rookwood argued he was drawn into the plot by loyalty to its leader Catsby.

A conversation between Robert Winter and Fox revealed their regent regret did not revealed their regret that no one had publicly defended the plot and their hopes and their hope that their their sons might avenge their cause.

Sir Everett Digby tried desperately, confessed, tried separately, confessed to his guilt citing religious zeal and loyalty.

Catsby and his Motives.

He claimed that he acted to protect Catholicism, fearing stricter laws under the King, though these fears were unfounded.

According to the court, Digby requested clemency for his family and a noble execution by beheading and this was denied.

Attorney General Sir Edward Coke and the Earl of Northampton rebuke Digby harshly, though the latter adopted somewhat milder tone.

The Lord Chief justice pronounced judgment, reviewing that Elizabethan laws against recusants and priests as necessary and justified.

Paul's Churchyard.

The following day Thomas Winter, Ambrose Rookwood, Robert Keyes and Guy Fawkes were executed near West Minister.

Many, many displayed penance, penance, penance on the scaffold with Fox notably the most defiant.

Earlier showing the greatest remorse.

All reaffirmed their allegiance to the Catholic Church and asked for their undying declaration to be publicized.

Once again, executions were as followed drawn to the gallows by horse through the streets, strung up by their necks, hanged near death, then dropped to the ground castrated and their general was burned in front of them before being disemboweled and their hearts removed while their limbs severed.

Most notable of these execut executions were Robert Keys and Guy Fawkes.

Keys first jumped from the gallows trying to break his own neck and trying to deter his fate of the same as the others.

Did not.

Did not succeed though.

Instead quartered much faster.

I didn't even get to choke out a little bit.

So he was aware everything.

So that's pretty brutal.

Guy Fox, however defiant until the end, you know, he did the same and actually did break his neck and prevented the government from gaining any such satisfaction in torturing him one last time before his death.

Now not completely done.

The close, confident confidant of Catsby, priest Henry Garnet was captured after fleeing several fleeing for several months.

His role was challenged in what capacity he held in relation to the plot.

He claimed that his knowledge came through confession and could not be disclosed due to religious obligations.

However, evidence showed Grant or Garnet actively engaged in the conspiracy, including correspondence, meetings and prayers for his success.

Remembering the fact that he consulted Catsby about the deaths of innocents and neglected to notify any proper authorities.

The trial revealed Garnet's use of the Catholic doctrine of equivocation, allowing misleading statements under specific mental reservations.

This doctrine was criticized as deceptive.

Additional evidence including letters written in invisible ink urging others to deny his confessions.

And secret conversations with hall overheard by hidden witnesses.

Garnett also admitted burning incriminating documents documents and consulting on aspects of the plot, undermining his defense of a passive knowledge through confession alone.

Despite his claims of moral opposition to the plot's violence, Garnett was implicated as an active participant.

He expressed remorse for not fully revealing his knowledge, but refused further public confession on the scaffold, citing exhaustion.

Before his death, he acknowledged the Plot's cruelty and wickedness, but declined to elaborate further, saying something like, that's my stomach.

Put that back in or something.

It's messed up.

Meanwhile, the fallout of the plots transcribed differently across the country and Europe itself, direct response to the failed plot and execution seem to solidify the plans England held in pushing out any Catholic influence, working directly opposite to any plans that the conspirators had to retain any rights for the Catholic people.

The aftermath of the Gunpowder Plot reverberated across England, reshaping its political, religious and cultural landsc landscape.

Following the trials and executions of the conspirators, the English government had acted swiftly, divisively, to, you know, tighten its grip on power and protect the Protestant state.

King James the First and his advisors used the failed plot to justify expanding authority and introduce stricter measures targeting Catholics.

Parliament enacted harsh anti Catholic legislation, including fines for recusancy, restrictions on Catholic land ownership, and oaths of allegiance that forced subjects to reject papal authority.

Catholics were barred from holding any public Catholic office and many professions, isolating them further from English society.

The discovery of the Plot reinforced suspicions that Catholics were inherently disloyal and treasonous, making coexistence increasingly difficult.

The Catholic community bore the brunt of the fallout.

Persecution intensified as Catholics were surveilled, arrested, ostracized.

Those who had lived peacefully within their communities were now vilified as potential traitors.

The government and Protestant clergy capitalized on the public's outrage, spreading anti Catholic propaganda through sermons, pamphlets and plays that painted Catholics as dangerous enemies of the state.

The failed plot became a symbol of Protestant unity and the divine protection.

The repercussions of the Gunpowder Plot extend beyond England's borders, though relations with Catholic nations, particularly Spain, were strained and many believe foreign powers had inspired or supported the conspirators.

Despite official Denunciations of the plot by some Catholic leaders, including the Pope.

Mistrust of Catholics remain entrenched.

Ireland with its significant Catholic population also suffered in the wake of the Gunpowder Plot.

The English government, fearing Irish Catholics uprising for foreign intervention imposed draconian policies on the Irish.

Catholic landowners were stripped of their holdings and harsh penalties were enforced to suppress Catholic religious practices.

And then this marked the beginning of a system sustained campaign of repression against Irish Catholics.

Sowing the seeds for centuries long conflict between England and Ireland.

The Gunpowder Plot also left a huge mark on England's national identity.

It was immortalized as a defining moment in the country's history, symbolizing the triumph of Protestantism and loyalty to the monarchy over treachery and foreign influence.

Anti Catholic sentiment shaped political policies for generations, contributing to events like the the Popish.

The Pop.

Ultimately, Gunpowder Plot's legacy was one of deepened divisions, entrenchment of Protestant dominance and the marginalization of Catholics both in England and across the Irish across the Irish Sea.

Some cool links to the story outside of outside of historical records and in literary references starting with 1.

John Milton.

As a staunch Protestant and vocal critic of Catholicism, Milton absorbed the cultural hostility towards Catholicism that the plot had amplified.

The attempted assassination of King James I and Restore Catholicism in England reinforced Protestant fears of Catholic treachery and tyranny, themes Milton frequently engaged with in his writing.

In works like Ar?

Ar Pagidi Pagetica aragitica, Milton equated Catholicism with authoritarianism and deception.

Reflecting the protest Protestant narrative that arose in the wake of the plot.

He viewed Roman Catholic Church as a corrupt institution that threatened both individuals conscious and the broader liberties of Protestant England.

Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost, while not directly about the Gunpowder Plot, echoes the themes of rebellion and deceit.

Satan's revolt against God mirrors the Protestant portrayal of Catholic plots in the English monarchy.

Portrayal is cloaked in falsehoods, false righteousness.

The plot also shaped Milton's political philosophy which was deeply root deeply rooted in the belief that both political and religious tyranny must be resisted in the tenure of the king and magistrates.

He argued that the rulers who betray the trust of the people may be overthrown, a notion informed by a nation still gripping with the memory of treason.

Like that embodied in the Gunpowder Plot, Milton's personal life also reflected the tensions of the time.

Growing up in a Protestant household with a father who had been disinherited for converting from Catholicism, Milton was acutely aware the divisive religious politics in his area in his era.

The Gunpowder Plot, occurring during his formative years, reinforced his animosity towards Catholicism and his commitment to Protestant values.

In his broader writings, Milton contributed to the Protestant triumphalism that had emerged after the plot, celebrating England as a national nation divinely chosen to resist Catholic oppression and uphold true Christianity.

So pretty exciting.

He has a vision of England as a leader in spirituality and in intellectual liberty.

Was deeply tied to the legacy of the Gunpowder Plot, which solidified England's Protestantism and yeah as and made it a bastion against Catholic tyranny.

Essentially.

It also had a certain impact on William Shakespeare, or Billy Shakes, if you will.

The plot had profound influence on William Shakespeare's work, particularly his Jacobean plays, as it is as it shaped the cultural and political anxieties of the era.

P.L.

scott's theme of treason, regicide and divine justice found a a direct echo in Macbeth.

Written shortly after the failed conspiracy.

The play's exploration of moral and cosmic consequences of regicide mirrors widespread fear of treachery that gripped England after the plot.

Shakespeare emphasized the sacred nature of kinship along with King James, the first belief in divine right of kings.

The witches in Macbeth, with their chaos and malevolence, symbolize the subversive forces undermining the natural order, much like contemporary portrayals of the Catholic conspirators as agents of diabolic of diabolical evil.

Specific references in the play, such as Porter's speech about equivocation, directly allude to the rhetoric of Catholic defenders like Jesuit priest Henry Garnett, highlighting the moral ambiguity, ambiguity, ambiguities surrounding the event.

Beyond Macbeth, the broader themes of political instability, rebellion and fragility of legitimate of legitimate authority appear in Shakespeare's work of the period.

In King Lear, he delves into the chaos and societal breakdown that ensure or ensue when power is misused or undermined, reflecting fears of the consequences that the Gunpowder Plot had.

The Gunpowder Plot succeeded In Coriolanus, Shakespeare examines tensions between rulers and the ruled, exploring how ambition and unrest can destabilize governments.

These plays reflect collective unease of society grappling with the threat of treason and the preservation social order.

Shakespeare's relationship with King James also played a role as he sought to align the works with the king's concerns.

Macbeth, for instance, pays homage to James by emphasizing his Scottish ancestry through the virtuous portrayal of Banquo an ancestor of the Stuart line.

And by addressing James's interest in witchcraft.

Pretty fun.

The language and imagery in Shakespeare's post post plot plays also reflects the pervasive of darkness and paranoia of the time.

Macbeth, Vivid references of blood and darkness, unnatural acts and, you know, moral corruption.

Othello has a lot of, you know, treacherousness, psychological, ethical dimensions.

You know, regicide being a main theme in some of these.

So ultimately, you know, Gunpowder Plot is influenced quite a bit outside of that.

Let's talk real quickly about the yearly commemoration of the event.

So while the trials were going on, basically, which is kind of funny, they're like, remember how you guys failed?

We made a holiday out of it.

The day chosen was, you know, the 5th of November, when the plot was supposed to go off.

Initially the event was simply referred to as the Day of Thanksgiving.

But over time, it became popularly known as Guy Fox Night, named after Guy Fox, you know, one of the most famous guys in this, which is kind of funny.

And then effigies were paraded through the streets during this and burned at the end of the night.

In its earliest years, Bonfire Night was marked by fervent anti Catholic sentiment.

Communities lit bonfires to symbolize the destruction of the conspirators treachery and held special church services to offer thanks for the king's deliverance effort.

Effigies of Guy Fawkes, often accompanied by those of the Pope, were prominently burned and expressions of Protestant triumph.

The day reinforced loyalty to the monarchy and Protestantism.

As time passed, Bonfire Night evolved.

By the 18th century, its religious and political overtones kind of dwindled, although the anti Catholic sentiment certainly still there.

Fireworks and feasting.

Communal bonfires became central features, shifting the focus to entertainment rather than political messaging.

Children created their own effigies of Guy Fawkes, asking for a penny for the Guy to fund their fireworks and bonfires.

A precursor to modern trick or treating, almost.

Burning of the Fox effigies remained a tradition.

And then in the 19th century, it kind of continued to further secularize itself.

But the celebration continued as cultural tradition.

Effigies continued to be central to this thing.

More fireworks displayed.

Today, Bonfire Night is celebrated as a largely secular and apolitical event, while the historical context of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot remains part of the Narrative.

The f the focus is on the fireworks, bonfires and community gatherings.

Refreshments such as toffee apples, roasted chestnuts and hot drinks add to the festive atmosphere in some areas.

Burning of guy fox effigies persists.

Persists though the tradition has begun become more symbolic and playful.

Has also lost popularity recently with Halloween being a more preferred holiday, but still there.

So.

So that's it.

It seems like a lot.

This is definitely a longer one.

But I just kept finding more and more information that was super interesting and I hope, hope you don't mind.

I hope it wasn't super boring stories.

Actually quite important in regards to our history as a country, but also some of my familial history, as evident by my red hair.

I have an Irish ancestry, a lot of English too, actually.

I have family members who left Ireland, albeit a couple decades following the true potato famine.

But I have no doubt that the people were still reeling from the economic impacts at that time.

The Protestant Reformation and Gunpowder Plot not only shaped the marginalization of Irish Catholics and you know, solid like further pushed laws and regulations that contributed to the, the Potato famine, but it also contributed to the Puritan migration from England to the New World.

The reformation in the 16th century Fractured Christianity in Europe, leading to England's adoption of Protestantism.

This transition had more divisive action just besides Catholics and Protestants.

And it is kind of crazy.

So.

So you will have that and then you have, you know, the focus on the Catholics which really pushed legislation towards the Irish.

English rulers viewed Catholicism as a threat, leading to oppressive policies that confiscated land that we, you know, we learned about this and then suppressed all these practices, marginalized these Irish Catholics and then further continued to strip away rights and push laws, leaving them impoverished and reliant on subsistence farming, particularly of the potato.

And then at the same time of the Reformation, you have the English Protestantism dissenters fracturing within it, particularly the Puritans, while the Gunpowder Plot was carried out by Catholic conspirators.

It definitely like fractured religion in a big sense.

Puritans now, they were like, well, okay, we have the Church of England, but you guys aren't doing it right.

It got a more aligned closer to like Calvinist beliefs.

And they found themselves increasingly at odds with the monarchy and established church.

James and his successor, Charles the First, viewed Puritanism as a threat to royal authority and social stability, leading to the persecution of these dissenters.

The pressure to conform, combined with political and religious unrest drove many Puritan Puritans to seek freedom of worship elsewhere.

These interconnected events illustrate the far reaching consequences of the Protestant Reformation and the Gunpowder Plot.

In Ireland, systematic oppressions laid the groundwork for the Potato famine and mass immigration.

While in England, persecution of Puritans by the same church pushed them to seek refuge across the Atlantic.

Together, these movements shaped the global legacy.

Really like you could trace it all the way back without this, maybe no United States as we know it.

It's super, super weird how it's all tied together.

And ultimately this tale really personifies why I kind of dislike religion in general.

I try not to voice too many opinions of my own in regards to religion politics on this show, but I think this is a good moment to maybe clarify some things and maybe help you understand a little bit about me.

You have a religious, you have a religion being wielded as a weapon, as it often was and still is to a certain extent.

You have persecution of one group over another.

Both which believe basically the same thing.

Just how to do it a little bit differently.

They ultimately believed Jesus as their one true God.

Yes.

Yet they practiced a very slightly different version of said religious.

And due to that fact, they're prevented from doing all sorts of things, namely owning anything of value, being represented fairly and not being killed.

Not only are the people who follow these teachings put in danger, but sometimes they assume the responsibility of fighting on the behalf of their fellow.

Insert cause name here.

The ones instituting these sweeping policies, infringing on the rights of others are often people who would not be touched had they been of that same group.

During Elizabeth's.

Elizabeth the first reign, Mary Queen of Scots was not persecuted as Catholic.

Why Bloody Mary was not either.

Yet the peasants of the time were the ones really persecuted for whatever their beliefs were.

Guy Fawkes and the like were not exactly royal like they were.

They had some money, they weren't peasants.

They were kind of in that middle ground.

But they were mostly just kind of normal people.

Right.

And they wished to believe in their religion the way they were raised to and stuck to their beliefs.

Some of them were definitely not peasants.

Right.

Some of them really didn't hold any official titles though.

Religion to me has kind of Always been this way.

The dominant religion in power constricts and attacks the smaller ones.

Very rarely is true tolerance among religions a thing.

Throughout history, Church of England had a Bible created just for their followers and then used it to ostracize many and force others to convert.

Catholics did the same before them.

And so on it goes.

As long as there have been people believed, as long as people have believed in otherworldly people controlling our destiny, we have used those people to justify poor treatment of those we should be caring for.

In the Protestant Reformation, the common person was a pawn in the game of chess being played between the King of England and the Pope, along with the kings of Spain and France.

Religious persecution used force to be forced.

Used to force people into a sort of serfdom, causing a rift between the people of Ireland and the English that is stated still prevalent to this day.

I often wonder about early Catholicism, Christianity, if the early adopters of the religion, particularly the kings, used it as a tool.

More so than we assume.

We discussed, you know, people bribing the oracle at Delphi to gain political influence over for the Spartans to unseat political power in Athens, you know, was that something Constantine thought he could do to manipulate people better than the Roman gods?

I don't know.

In my mind, the common people are usually the ones who believe the most passionately, and the rulers are typically the ones who have a sense of how to get people to be okay with their plans and manipulate their base.

So it's not like out of the realm of possibility that early Christian rulers saw this new spreading religion that the common people loved as a tool in which they could quell any rebellions and whatnot.

I mean, I don't have a whole lot of proof for this, but Charlemagne comes to mind of like banning a lot of pagan practices and things to assert his like rule as the true rule.

Anyway, all right, I've waxed poetically enough.

Thank you for spending your time with me.

I hope this was interesting to listen to as it was to write.

It really was such a fascinating story to learn about.

So many different angles and contextual connections I would have never have considered.

And I love doing topics like this for that very reason.

That being said, if you want to suggest a topic that you think would be fun for others to hear, please drop a comment in the Facebook group on the YouTube.

You can also send an email through the button button within the link tree that is in the description.

Also in the description, our friends, the Macabre Emporium, Dark Windows Podcast, a real Creature feature and of course, the west of Nowhere podcast.

Until next time, keep questioning the past.

The future will thank you.

See you next time.