Guy Fawkes
Guy Fawkes was born on April 13, 1570 in Stonegate, Yorkshire, and died on January 31, 1606 in Old Palace Yard, Westminster. He was Edward Fawkess only son, although there were 2 younger sisters while an elder sister passed away after 7 weeks of birth.
The Fawkes Family Edward Fawkes was a descendent of the Fawkes family from Farnley with a prominent career in the ecclesiastical courts. He was appointed as an Advocate of the court to the Archbishop of York. His maternal side is the eminent Harrington merchants and Aldermen of York. Guy Fawkes married Maria Pulleyn in Scotton in the year 1590 with a son, Thomas, born on February 6, 1591. When Guy Fawkes was of age, he proceeded to dispose part of his inheritance. Fawkes leased a vast land of 3.5 acres in Clifton and other smaller spots elsewhere around York. The falcon is the Fawkes family crest as found in many of the ancient documents handled by the family.
The Rise of Guy Fawkes Historical documents reveal Guy Fawkes to have left Scotton to be employed as a footman to Anthony Browne who was a second Lord Montague. Fawkes was believed to have left England sometime between 1593 and 1594 for Flanders with a Harrington cousin. Fawkes enlisted himself in the Spanish army while in Flanders. He rose to a post of command in 1596 when Calais fell to Spain. Fawkes began making a great impression not only by his capabilities, but also by his distinctive appearance as a tall and powerfully built man with bushy reddish-brown beard and thick hair. He exhibited an extraordinary fortitude with a good reputation among the soldiers. He adopted the more affectionate Guido name while catching the attention of Sir William Stanley, Father William Baldwin and Hugh Owen. He renewed his acquaintance with Christopher Wright as they joined forces in securing Spanish support to invade England after Queen Elizabeth died but it was a futile attempt.
A Strong Involvement Fawkes returned to Brussels and was presented to Thomas Wintour by Stanley. Wintour may have updated Fawkes of the conspirators intentions as noted from his confession. In May 1604, Fawkes teamed up with Thomas Wintour, Robert Catesby, John Wright and Thomas Percy on a gunpowder conspiracy with an oath through mass. Fawkes took on the identity of John Johnson disguised as Percys servant who was entrusted to care for the rented tenement of Percy. Soon enough, Fawkes followed instructions to commence the necessary preparations on working the mine, but delay set in until early December. Work in the mine was slow and difficult due to the unfamiliar strenuous labour. More accomplices were sworn in to boost the operations for faster results. The conspirators hired a cellar right under Parliament in March 1605 where Fawkes was involved in hiding barrels of gunpowder beneath iron bars and faggots. He went on to Flanders to update the conspiracy plot to Stanley and Owen. He met up with other notably conspirators to discuss excluding certain Catholic peers from the planned explosion, but a week later, the infamous Monteagle Letter was sent to William Parker concerning the conspiracy. However, the letter was vague in details which allowed the conspirators to carry on with their plans. Fawkes was ignorant of the letter and did not prepare an exit plan like the other conspirators. Hence, he agreed to safeguard the cellar of gun powder personally with the task of ignition due to his similar experience in the Low Countries.
Thomas Howard, the Lord Chamberlain, attempted a search of the parliament buildings with Monteagle and John Whynniard. They only found the pile of iron bars and faggots to conclude that Fawkes was not a credible character. A second search was conducted with Sir Thomas Knyvett leading the team. Fawkes was arrested upon discovering the gun powder, a watch and slow matches as well as some touchwood. Fawkes divulged no other information except his pseudonym name Johnson and that he was Thomas Percys servant. Interrogations revealed Fawkes apparent xenophobia and his adamant stance in pushing the Scots back to Scotland even with gun powder. Subsequently, the other conspirators were arrested and tried in Westminster Hall. They were found guilty and hung. A general consensus on Fawkes reports him not as a mercenary ruffian, but a misguided zealot on fanaticism to participate in the conspiracy.
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