Day 61- Gunpowder, Treason and Plot

It's Guy Fawkes Day here in England. While Hallowe'en celebrations in the more "American" style are on the rise here, it doesn't begin to compare to the celebration around Guy Fawkes Day. I'm sure if in Canda we had a day that involved bonfires, taffy apples, burning effigies and fireworks, we might find Hallowe'en getting a run for it's money.

If you're not fully up on the origins of Guy Fawkes Day, here it is as small an nutshell as I can offer.
In 1603, Protestant Queen Elizabeth I died, leaving in her wake banned masses, executed priests and Catholics finding ways to practise their faith in secret. She was followed to the throne by James I (VI in Scotland) who had initially claimed he would be more tolerant of those who practised quietly. But he was soon strictly enforcing the old laws. And, as to be expected, rebellion was soon to follow.

The leader of this rebellion was a man named Robert Catesby, who led plot to overthrow the King, raise James's 1-year-old daughter Princess Elizabeth as a Catholic, and place her on the throne. Now, what's interesting is that Robert Catesby at one time owned Chastleton Estate, a place Phil and I came near to on our Cotswolds walk on Friday. Catesby had been part of an earlier rebellion against Elizabeth I and was fined ₤3,000 (about Cdn$10-milllion today). As a result, he lost Chastleton, which probably led to his continue his fight when James I was in power.

But I digress. So, Catesby began to plot the overthrow with 12 other conspirators, which would involve blowing up the House of Lords and in turn assassinating the King and everyone in the House of Lords. Guy Fawkes was pulled into the plan as he was an expert in gunpowder. His job was not only to source the gunpowder to be used, but to ignite it. After 18 months of careful planning, Fawkes was beneath the House of Lords with 36 barrels of gunpowder ready to light it during the State Opening on November 5, 1605.

But the authorities had been anonymously warned of the plot. A midnight check of the rooms beneath the House discovered Fawkes, and the plot was foiled. Although not the ringleader, Fawkes would for evermore be the primary face of the plot...and the face of the mask used in the movie V for Vendetta, and now used to depict rebellion everywhere.

 Most of the plotters tried to flee, but were killed or captured. In the end, after torture and confessions, eight were convicted of treason and hung, drawn and quartered.

Around London, people lit bonfires to celebrate the fact that James I had survived the plot, and within months and Act was enacted to observe the 5th of November as an annual day of thanksgiving. A focus of this celebration of Gunpowder Treason Day, as it was originally known, was anti-Catholic sentiment, and effigies were burned, including those of the Pope.

In the 18th Century, children began taking an effigy of Guy Fawkes around and begging for money. The expression "penny for the Guy" can still be heard by school kids sometimes going door to door. Soon the day become known as Guy Fawkes Day.

Violent class-based clashes in several cities in the mid 1800s and a lessening of anti-Catholic sentiment saw Guy Fawkes Day banned. But by the 20th century is was back in full explosive force, but with a stronger community feeling. Today, the bonfire has stayed and often includes the burning of a Guy Fawkes effigy, and fireworks have been added. Often money is collected for various charities.

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And on this fine, sunny Guy Fawkes Day, Phil and I did a local walk (no bus service on Sundays here). We walked through the old airbase, over pastures and through woods to a village called Great Wolford.

We'd had rain overnight on Friday into Saturday, so we had a bit of a mucky walk in many places. At one point, we found ourselves off the path and in an area obviously being cleared to make way for hunting. Luckily we found the right path before being mistaken for two very large pheasants, which are absolutely everywhere!

Sadly, the pub in Great Wolford is permanently closed. However, we made our way back to Moreton in time to have Sunday Roast at The Swan, a place we haven't eaten at yet. Then a lazy evening of singing along to the movie Grease on the tellie. ;-)

The roots of this tree appear to have grown up against a long gone wall or building. Very unusual!