Guy Fawkes
English Catholic conspirator in the failed Gunpowder Plot.
He is most known for being discovered on 5 November 1605 about to ignite 36 barrels of gunpowder under the Houses of Parliament.[1] Guy Fawkes's baptism occurred at St Michael le Belfrey in York on 16 April, and he was born in 1570 in Stonegate, York.[2][3][1] Thirteen people were involved in the Gunpowder Plot, but the person whose name is most strongly tied to it is Fawkes.[4]
Quick Facts
- Enlisted
- 20 May 1604
- Role
- Explosives
- Apprehended
- 5 November 1605
- Born
- 13 April 1570 (presumed)
- Birthplace
- York, England
- Died
- 31 January 1606 (aged 35)
- Place of death
- Westminster, England
- Other names
- Guido Fawkes, John Johnson
Facts from the source article.
Life and work
When Guy reached the age of eight, his father died in 1579.[5] The Clifton estate in York that Fawkes had inherited from his father was sold by him in October 1591.[6] Fighting for Catholic Spain in the Eighty Years' War against the Dutch Republic and France took Fawkes to the continent.[6] By 1603 Fawkes had been suggested for a captaincy; he had performed well as a junior officer at the 1596 siege of Calais.[6]
A small group of English Catholics led by Robert Catesby, who intended to kill King James, brought Fawkes into their plot in 1604.[7]
What the cited sources add
The York Museums Trust account states that Fawkes took the name Guido during his time in Spain.[1] The same source notes that as an adult Fawkes inherited property in York at Gillygate and Clifton.[1] A Guardian reader describes Fawkes as "a kind of martyr and freedom fighter of mine"[8] The same reader notes they visit friends for Bonfire Night and have a Guy Fawkes competition.[8]
The York Museums Trust states that in Madrid, Fawkes reunited with Kit Wright and they became part of a conspiracy to assassinate King James and install a Catholic monarch.[1]
References
- "Guy Fawkes", York Museums Trust. facts only, no text reused. historyofyork.org.uk
- Wikipedia, "Guy Fawkes" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Fawkes, Guy" in The Dictionary of National Biography, Leslie Stephen, ed., Oxford University Press, London (1921–1922).; ; (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Guy Fawkes" (CC BY-SA 4.0) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Guy Fawkes" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: House of Commons Information Office, "The Gunpowder Plot", September 2006; Fraser 2005, p. 86 (note) (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Guy Fawkes" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Sharpe 2005, p. 49 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Guy Fawkes" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Nicholls, "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography", Oxford University Press, 2004 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Guy Fawkes" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Northcote Parkinson 1976, p. 46; Fraser 2005, p. 86 (note) (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "What do Catholics do on Guy Fawkes night? Notes and Queries", The Guardian. facts only, no text reused. theguardian.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Guy Fawkes (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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