Betrayed by King James I, who changed his mind about relaxing the penal laws against the Catholics, a group of Catholics decided it was time for violent measures.
Robert Catesby and Guy (Guido) Fawkes led a group that planned to use gunpowder to blow up the Houses of Parliament and the king with it. The planned explosion was to take place during a State opening in November 1605 and if it had succeeded the king and the government would have disappeared in a gigantic ball of flames.
The plan was to stack barrels of gunpowder in the cellar beneath the Parliament without being spotted by the Parliamentary Guards. To do this the plotters rented a house opposite the Parliament where they could store the gunpowder. From the basement of the house they dug a tunnel into the cellars of the Parliamentary building.
The work went well and 30 barrels of gunpowder was transferred into the cellars beneath the Parliament Building. Unfortunately one of the conspirators fearing for the life of his brother, who was an MP, warned him to stay away and when asked why, had to tell him of the conspiracy. Being an upstanding citizen as well as an MP the brother informed the Parliamentary guards, a search was made on the 4th of November and Guy (Guido) Fawkes was captured in the cellar with the gunpowder.
Catesby and the other six conspirators, which included Robert Winters and John Wright were tracked down to Holbeach House where they we besieged. In the subsequent attack by the authorities Robert Catesby was killed and the others were captured. All those involved were found guilt of the plot and executed. Guy Fawkes was tortured, tried, convicted, hung, drawn and quartered. The plot passed into history and today fireworks are set off and effigies of Guy Fawkes are burnt on a bonfires on the 5th of November, to celebrate the foiling of a dastardly plot.
