Recusancy (from Latin : recusare , lit. 'to refuse' ) was the state of those who remained loyal to the Catholic Church and refused to attend Church of England services after the English Reformation .
148-528: Robert Wintour (1568 – 30 January 1606) and Thomas Wintour (1571 or 1572 – 31 January 1606), also spelt Winter , were members of the Gunpowder Plot , a failed conspiracy to assassinate King James I . Brothers, they were related to other conspirators, such as their cousin, Robert Catesby , and a half-brother, John Wintour, also joined them following the plot's failure. Thomas was an intelligent and educated man, fluent in several languages and trained as
296-603: A mounted troop of 50 bodyguards to the King. This role gave Percy reason to seek a base in London, and a small property near the Prince's Chamber owned by Henry Ferrers, a tenant of John Whynniard, was chosen. Percy arranged for the use of the house through Northumberland's agents, Dudley Carleton and John Hippisley . Fawkes, using the pseudonym "John Johnson", took charge of the building, posing as Percy's servant. The building
444-612: A Catholic himself, planned to build a strong relationship with James I in order to better the prospects of English Catholics, and to reduce the family disgrace caused by his separation from his wife Martha Wright, a favourite of Elizabeth I. Thomas Percy's meetings with James seemed to go well. Percy returned with promises of support for the Catholics, and Northumberland believed that James would go so far as to allow Mass in private houses, so as not to cause public offence. Percy, keen to improve his standing, went even further, claiming that
592-414: A Christian union and reiterated his desire to avoid religious persecution. For the Catholics, the King's speech made it clear that they were not to "increase their number and strength in this Kingdom", that "they might be in hope to erect their Religion again". To John Gerard , these words were almost certainly responsible for the heightened levels of persecution the members of his faith now suffered, and for
740-554: A ceasefire in the conflict with Spain, and even though the two countries were still technically at war, King Philip III sent his envoy, Don Juan de Tassis , to congratulate James on his accession. In the following year both countries signed the Treaty of London . For decades, the English had lived under a monarch who refused to provide an heir, but James arrived with a family and a clear line of succession. His wife, Anne of Denmark ,
888-636: A committed Catholic who had served as a soldier in the Southern Netherlands under the command of William Stanley , and in 1603 had been recommended for a captaincy. Accompanied by John Wright's brother Christopher, Fawkes had also been a member of the 1603 delegation to the Spanish court pleading for an invasion of England. Wintour told Fawkes that " some good frends of his wished his company in Ingland ", and that certain gentlemen " were uppon
1036-469: A convert, was composer William Byrd . Some of Byrd's most popular motets were actually written as a type of correspondence to a friend and fellow composer, Philippe de Monte . De Monte wrote his own motets in response, such as the "Super Flumina Babylonis". These correspondence motets often featured themes of oppression or the hope of deliverance. Dorothy Lawson was a Catholic noblewoman who used her autonomy, financial independence and social status as
1184-535: A cousin to Robert Catesby; the two had been raised together. He was also the heir to his father's large fortune, which had been depleted by recusant fines, expensive tastes, and by Francis and Catesby's involvement in the Essex revolt. Catesby and Tresham met at the home of Tresham's brother-in-law and cousin, Lord Stourton . In his confession, Tresham claimed that he had asked Catesby if the plot would damn their souls, to which Catesby had replied it would not, and that
1332-503: A devout Catholic who inherited Huddington Court near Worcester, joined the conspiracy the following year. The plot began to unravel following the delivery of an anonymous letter to William Parker, 4th Baron Monteagle , warning him to stay away from Parliament. Thomas and Catesby confronted Monteagle's brother-in-law, the recently recruited Francis Tresham , threatening to kill him, but Tresham managed to convince them of his innocence. At that stage Thomas reportedly asked Catesby to abandon
1480-582: A drunken poacher who happened upon their hiding place. They were eventually discovered at the house of Humphrey Littleton in Hagley , after a cook, John Finwood, informed on them. Humphrey managed to escape, but was captured at Prestwood, in Staffordshire. Historically, much of what is written about the Gunpowder Plot is derived from Thomas's confession, signed on 23 November 1605; details of
1628-457: A former soldier he was a practical man, and he agreed with Catesby that should the plot succeed, it would "breed a confusion fit to beget new alterations". He also offered a warning of the price of failure: "the scandal would be so great which the Catholic religion might hereby sustain, as not only our enemies, but our friends also would with good reason condemn us." He nevertheless agreed to join
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#17327907544571776-503: A haven for priests. John Grant was married to Wintour's sister, Dorothy, and was lord of the manor of Norbrook near Stratford-upon-Avon . Reputed to be an intelligent, thoughtful man, he sheltered Catholics at his home at Snitterfield , and was another who had been involved in the Essex revolt of 1601. In addition, 25 March was the day on which the plotters purchased the lease to the undercroft they had supposedly tunnelled near to, owned by John Whynniard. The Palace of Westminster in
1924-537: A known refuge for priests. The proclamation for his capture, issued following the plot's failure, described him as "a man of mean stature, and rather low than otherwise; square made, somewhat stooping; near 40 years of age; his hair and beard brown; his beard not much, and his hair short." The Jesuit John Gerard wrote that he was "esteemed in his life to be one of the wisest and most resolute and sufficient gentlemen in Worcestershire". Gerard's appraisal of Thomas
2072-481: A large pile of firewood in the undercroft beneath the House of Lords, accompanied by what they presumed to be a serving man (Fawkes), who told them that the firewood belonged to his master, Thomas Percy. They left to report their findings, at which time Fawkes also left the building. The mention of Percy's name aroused further suspicion as he was already known to the authorities as a Catholic agitator. The King insisted that
2220-531: A lawyer, but chose instead to become a soldier, fighting for England in the Low Countries , France, and possibly in Central Europe. By 1600, however, he changed his mind and became a fervent Catholic. On several occasions he travelled to the continent and entreated Spain on behalf of England's oppressed Catholics, and suggested that with Spanish support a Catholic rebellion was likely. As momentum
2368-466: A meal in a long-disused house at Hoxton . Suddenly a servant appeared saying he had been handed a letter for Lord Monteagle from a stranger in the road. Monteagle ordered it to be read aloud to the company. My Lord, out of the love I bear to some of your friends, I have a care of your preservation. Therefore I would advise you, as you tender your life, to devise some excuse to shift your attendance at this parliament; for God and man hath concurred to punish
2516-471: A message to Robert, who had just recently arrived there, asking to meet just outside the town. There he told him that Fawkes had been captured. At Dunchurch they collected Everard Digby and his 'hunting party', which included Robert and Thomas's half-brother, John Wintour. He had been invited to join them on 4 November. The next day the group raided Warwick Castle for supplies, something that Robert strongly objected to as it would create "a great uproar" in
2664-533: A mission to the new king of Spain, Philip III , urging Philip to launch an invasion attempt on England, which they assured him would be well supported, particularly by the English Catholics. Thomas Wintour (1571–1606) was chosen as the emissary, but the Spanish king, although sympathetic to the plight of Catholics in England, was intent on making peace with James. Wintour had also attempted to convince
2812-590: A more thorough search be undertaken. Late that night, the search party, headed by Thomas Knyvet , returned to the undercroft. They again found Fawkes, dressed in a cloak and hat, and wearing boots and spurs. He was arrested, whereupon he gave his name as John Johnson. He was carrying a lantern now held in the Ashmolean Museum , Oxford , and a search of his person revealed a pocket watch, several slow matches and touchwood. 36 barrels of gunpowder were discovered hidden under piles of faggots and coal. Fawkes
2960-463: A passageway called Parliament Place, which itself led to Parliament Stairs and the River Thames . Undercrofts were common features at the time, used to house a variety of materials including food and firewood. Whynniard's undercroft, on the ground floor, was directly beneath the first-floor House of Lords, and may once have been part of the palace's medieval kitchen. Unused and filthy, its location
3108-571: A prayer book. By coincidence, and ignorant of the plot, John Gerard (a friend of Catesby's) was celebrating Mass in another room, and the five men subsequently received the Eucharist . The adjournment of Parliament gave the conspirators, they thought, until February 1605 to finalise their plans. On 9 June 1604, Percy's patron, the Earl of Northumberland, appointed him to the Band of Gentlemen Pensioners ,
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#17327907544573256-459: A resolution to doe some whatt in Ingland if the pece with Spain healped us nott ". The two men returned to England late in April 1604, telling Catesby that Spanish support was unlikely. Thomas Percy, Catesby's friend and John Wright's brother-in-law, was introduced to the plot several weeks later. Percy had found employment with his kinsman the Earl of Northumberland, and by 1596, was his agent for
3404-436: A search of Parliament. The following Monday, during the first search, Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk , noticed the huge pile of faggots in the corner of the cellar beneath the House of Lords. The king insisted that another search be made, and about midnight another party, this time led by Thomas Knyvet, 1st Baron Knyvet , discovered Fawkes and arrested him. News of Fawkes's capture soon spread throughout London, including
3552-593: A second meeting in July in Essex, showing him a letter from the pope which forbade rebellion. Soon after, the Jesuit priest Oswald Tesimond told Garnet he had taken Catesby's confession, in the course of which he had learnt of the plot. Garnet and Catesby met for a third time on 24 July 1605, at the house of the wealthy Catholic Anne Vaux in Enfield Chase . Garnet decided that Tesimond's account had been given under
3700-535: A small fortune, Robert Wintour inherited Huddington Court (a known refuge for priests) near Worcester , and was reputedly a generous and well-liked man. A devout Catholic, he married Gertrude, the daughter of John Talbot of Grafton , from a prominent Worcestershire family of recusants. Christopher Wright (1568–1605), John's brother, had also taken part in the Earl of Essex's revolt and had moved his family to Twigmore in Lincolnshire , then known as something of
3848-428: A solid and sensible suggestion about why a government-employed forger (say Thomas Phelippes) would deliberately make such an error in a crucial state document". Another of Fraser's concerns is Waad's report to Salisbury on 21 November: "Thomas Winter doth find his hand so strong as after dinner he will settle himself to write that he hath verbally declared to your Lordship adding what he shall remember"—or rather, what he
3996-584: A son attended a seminary in Douai . The Jacobean poet John Donne was another notable Englishman born into a recusant Catholic family. He later, however, authored two Protestant leaning writings and, at the behest of King James I , was ordained into the Church of England. Guy Fawkes , an Englishman and a Spanish soldier, along with other recusants or converts, including, among others, Sir Robert Catesby , Christopher Wright , John Wright and Thomas Percy ,
4144-664: A successful Catholic rebellion was unlikely, and discounted Thomas's claim that, with funding, "3,000 Catholics" would be available for the cause. After meeting with King James he wrote to Spain emphasising the need to prioritise peace with England over the freedom of her Catholics. I remained with my brother in the country for Allhollantide, in the year of our Lord 1603, the first of the King's reign, about which time, Mr. Catesby sent thither, entreating me to come to London, where he and other friends would be glad to see me. I desired him to excuse me, for I found not myself very well disposed, and (which had happened never to me before) returned
4292-508: A temptation for the Sheriff's men, as it was never seen again. He and the others were taken first to Worcester , and then to the Tower of London . Despite a proclamation of 18 November naming them as wanted men, Robert Wintour and Stephen Litteton managed to evade capture until 9 January 1606. They spent about two months hiding out in barns and houses; at one point they were forced to restrain
4440-406: A titular Queen. The fate of her brothers, Henry and Charles, would be improvised; their role in state ceremonies was, as yet, uncertain. The plotters planned to use Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland , as Elizabeth's regent , but most likely never informed him of this. Robert Catesby (1573–1605), a man of "ancient, historic and distinguished lineage", was the inspiration behind the plot. He
4588-507: A tunnel comes directly from Thomas Wintour's confession, and Guy Fawkes did not admit the existence of such a scheme until his fifth interrogation. Logistically, digging a tunnel would have proved extremely difficult, especially as none of the conspirators had any experience of mining. If the story is true, by 6 December 1604 the Scottish commissioners had finished their work, and the conspirators were busy tunnelling from their rented house to
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4736-401: A week, although the collection of all these fines was "haphazard and negligent". When James came to power, almost £5,000 a year (equivalent to almost £12 million in 2020) was being raised by these fines. On 19 March, the King gave his opening speech to his first English Parliament in which he spoke of his desire to secure peace, but only by "profession of the true religion". He also spoke of
4884-457: A widow to harbour priests in her household. She was a patroness of the Society of Jesus , who met yearly at her home to discuss the mission in England, employed Catholic servants, held religious services for the local community, and visited recusants who were imprisoned in jail for their beliefs. Her children were raised in the Catholic faith. Three daughters entered convents on the continent and
5032-496: A woman thought to have Catholic sympathies. As Elizabeth's health deteriorated, the government detained those they considered to be the "principal papists", and the Privy Council grew so worried that Arbella Stuart was moved closer to London to prevent her from being kidnapped by papists . Despite competing claims to the English throne, the transition of power following Elizabeth's death went smoothly. James's succession
5180-497: Is passed as soon as you have burnt the letter. And I hope God will give you the grace to make good use of it, to whose holy protection I commend you. Uncertain of the letter's meaning, Monteagle promptly rode to Whitehall and handed it to Cecil (then Earl of Salisbury ). Salisbury informed the Earl of Worcester , considered to have recusant sympathies, and the suspected Catholic Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton , but kept news of
5328-713: The Archpriest George Blackwell , who instructed his priests to have no part in any such schemes. At about the same time, Lord Cobham , Lord Grey de Wilton , Griffin Markham and Walter Raleigh hatched what became known as the Main Plot , which involved removing James and his family and supplanting them with Arbella Stuart . Amongst others, they approached Philip III of Spain for funding, but were unsuccessful. All those involved in both plots were arrested in July and tried in autumn 1603. George Brooke
5476-854: The Dukes of Norfolk , the highest-ranking non-royal family in England and hereditary holders of the title of Earl Marshal , is considered the most prominent Catholic family in England. Other members of the Howard family, the Earls of Carlisle, Effingham and Suffolk are Anglican, including a cadet branch of the Carlisles who own Castle Howard in Yorkshire. Recusancy was historically focused in Northern England , particularly Cumberland , Lancashire , Yorkshire and Westmoreland . A geographical exception
5624-614: The Jesuit Treason , was an unsuccessful attempted regicide against King James VI of Scotland and I of England by a group of English Roman Catholics , led by Robert Catesby , who considered their actions attempted tyrannicide and who sought regime change in England after decades of religious persecution . The plan was to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament on Tuesday 5 November 1605, as
5772-658: The Palace of Whitehall and informed him that, based on the information that Salisbury had given them a week earlier, on Monday the Lord Chamberlain Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk would undertake a search of the Houses of Parliament, "both above and below". On Sunday 3 November, Percy, Catesby and Wintour had a final meeting, where Percy told his colleagues that they should "abide the uttermost triall", and reminded them of their ship waiting at anchor on
5920-595: The Regency and the reign of George IV (1811–30). The Nuttall Encyclopædia notes that Dissenters were largely forgiven by the Act of Toleration under William III, while Catholics "were not entirely emancipated till 1829". Early recusants included Protestant dissenters , whose confessions derived from the Calvinistic Reformers or Radical Reformers . With the growth of these latter groups after
6068-612: The Restoration of Charles II , they were distinguished from Catholic recusants by the terms "nonconformist" or "dissenter". The recusant period reaped an extensive harvest of saints and martyrs . Among the recusants were some high-profile Catholic aristocrats such as the Howards and, for a time, the Plantagenet -descended Beauforts . This patronage ensured that an organic and rooted English base continued to inform
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6216-576: The Spanish Netherlands in the failed suppression of the Dutch Revolt , was given charge of the explosives. On 26 October 1605 an anonymous letter of warning was sent to William Parker, 4th Baron Monteagle , a Catholic member of Parliament, who immediately showed it to the authorities. During a search of the House of Lords on the evening of 4 November 1605, Fawkes was discovered guarding 36 barrels of gunpowder —enough to reduce
6364-457: The jubilee , and later that year and into 1602 travelled to Spain, to petition the Council on behalf of the Catholic rebels left leaderless by the execution of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex . Father Henry Garnet , perhaps thinking that the purpose behind Thomas's visit was to gain financial support for impoverished English Catholics, sent him to Superior Father Joseph Creswell , who made
6512-659: The "effluxion of people from the Northern parts" was unwelcome, and compared them to "plants which are transported from barren ground into a more fertile one". Even more discontent resulted when the King allowed his Scottish nobles to collect the recusancy fines. There were 5,560 convicted of recusancy in 1605, of whom 112 were landowners. The very few Catholics of great wealth who refused to attend services at their parish church were fined £20 per month. Those of more moderate means had to pay two-thirds of their annual rental income; middle class recusants were fined one shilling
6660-401: The 5th of November we began our Parliament, to which the King should have come in person, but refrained through a practise but that morning discovered. The plot was to have blown up the King at such time as he should have been set on his Royal Throne, accompanied with all his Children, Nobility and Commoners and assisted with all Bishops, Judges and Doctors; at one instant and blast to have ruin'd
6808-473: The Borromeo testament is a 17th-century artefact (at the earliest dating from 1638), was not printed for missionary work, and could never have been in the possession of John Shakespeare. John Shakespeare was listed as one who did not attend church services, but this was "for feare of processe for Debtte", according to the commissioners, not because he was a recusant. Another notable English Catholic, possibly
6956-484: The Bye Plot had been revealed by Catholics was instrumental in saving them from further persecution, and James was grateful enough to allow pardons for those recusants who sued for them, as well as postponing payment of their fines for a year. On 19 February 1604, shortly after he discovered that his wife, Queen Anne, had been sent a rosary from the pope via one of James's spies, Sir Anthony Standen , James denounced
7104-752: The Catholic Church as martyrs of the English Reformation . Today, recusant applies to the descendants of Roman Catholic families of the British gentry and aristocracy . It derives from the Latin word recūsant , meaning to demur or object. After the English Reformation , from the 16th to the 19th centuries those guilty of such nonconformity , termed "recusants", were subject to civil penalties and sometimes, especially in
7252-550: The Catholic Church. The conspirators' principal aim was to kill King James, but many other important targets would also be present at the State Opening of Parliament, including the monarch's nearest relatives and members of the Privy Council . The senior judges of the English legal system, most of the Protestant aristocracy, and the bishops of the Church of England would all have attended in their capacity as members of
7400-531: The Catholic Church. Three days later, he ordered all Jesuits and all other Catholic priests to leave the country, and reimposed the collection of fines for recusancy. James changed his focus from the anxieties of English Catholics to the establishment of an Anglo-Scottish union. He also appointed Scottish nobles such as George Home to his court, which proved unpopular with the Parliament of England . Some Members of Parliament made it clear that, in their view,
7548-579: The English army. He fought against Catholic Spain in the Low Countries, France and possibly against the Turks in Central Europe. However, by 1600 his views had changed; citing his belief in the injustice of fighting against the power of Catholic Spain, like his elder brother he became a passionate Catholic. Travelling as 'Mr Winter of Worcestershire', from 24 February 1601 he spent 13 days in Rome for
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#17327907544577696-669: The English throne. During James I's reign the European wars of religion were intensifying. Protestants and Catholics were engaged in violent persecution of each other across Europe following the Protestant Reformation . Catholics made several assassination attempts on Protestant rulers in Europe and in England, including plans to poison James I's predecessor, Elizabeth I. In 1589, during the French Wars of Religion ,
7844-682: The French King Henry III was mortally wounded with a dagger by Jacques Clément , a fanatic member of the Catholic League of France . Nine years later, the Jesuit Juan de Mariana 's 1599 On Kings and the Education of Kings ( De rege et regis institutione ) argued in support of tyrannicide . This work recounted the assassination of Henry III and argued for the legal right to overthrow a tyrant. Perhaps due in part to
7992-468: The House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament. Wintour was known as a competent scholar, able to speak several languages, and he had fought with the English army in the Netherlands. His uncle, Francis Ingleby , had been executed for being a Catholic priest in 1586, and Wintour later converted to Catholicism. Also present at the meeting was John Wright , a devout Catholic said to be one of
8140-399: The House of Lords to rubble—and arrested. Hearing that the plot had been discovered, most of the conspirators fled from London while trying to enlist support along the way. Several made a last stand against the pursuing Sheriff of Worcester and a posse of his men at Holbeche House ; in the ensuing gunfight Catesby was one of those shot and killed. At their trial on 27 January 1606, eight of
8288-472: The House of Lords, along with the members of the House of Commons . Another important objective was the kidnapping of the King's daughter, Elizabeth. Housed at Coombe Abbey near Coventry , she lived only ten miles north of Warwick —convenient for the plotters, most of whom lived in the Midlands . Once the King and his Parliament were dead, the plotters intended to install Elizabeth on the English throne as
8436-570: The House of Lords. They ceased their efforts when, during tunnelling, they heard a noise from above. The noise turned out to be the then-tenant's widow, who was clearing out the undercroft directly beneath the House of Lords—the room where the plotters eventually stored the gunpowder. By the time the plotters reconvened at the start of the old style new year on Lady Day , 25 March 1605, three more had been admitted to their ranks; Robert Wintour , John Grant , and Christopher Wright . The additions of Wintour and Wright were obvious choices. Along with
8584-589: The King and Parliament. Nevertheless, he maintained his composure and insisted that he had acted alone. His unwillingness to yield so impressed the King that he described him as possessing "a Roman resolution". Recusant The 1558 Recusancy Acts passed in the reign of Elizabeth I , and temporarily repealed in the Interregnum (1649–1660) , remained on the statute books until 1888. They imposed punishments such as fines, property confiscation and imprisonment on recusants. The suspension under Oliver Cromwell
8732-457: The King", and urged the pope to issue a public brief against the use of force. According to Fawkes, 20 barrels of gunpowder were brought in at first, followed by 16 more on 20 July. The supply of gunpowder was theoretically controlled by the government, but it was easily obtained from illicit sources. On 28 July, the ever-present threat of the plague again delayed the opening of Parliament, this time until Tuesday 5 November. Fawkes left
8880-547: The Midlands. Fawkes visited Keyes, and was given a pocket watch left by Percy, to time the fuse, and an hour later Rookwood received several engraved swords from a local cutler . Although two accounts of the number of searches and their timing exist, according to the King's version, the first search of the buildings in and around Parliament was made on Monday 4 November—as the plotters were busy making their final preparations—by Suffolk, Monteagle, and John Whynniard. They found
9028-830: The Protestant world around the same time beginning with the Revised Standard Version ). Various other translations were used by Catholics around the world for English-language liturgies, ranging from the New American Bible and the Jerusalem Bible to the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition . There were dozens of recusant families, some no longer extant. For example, the Howard family , some of whose members are known as Fitzalan-Howard,
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#17327907544579176-601: The Spanish envoy Don Juan de Tassis that "3,000 Catholics" were ready and waiting to support such an invasion. Concern was voiced by Pope Clement VIII that using violence to achieve a restoration of Catholic power in England would result in the destruction of those that remained. According to contemporary accounts, in February 1604, Catesby invited Thomas Wintour to his house in Lambeth , where they discussed Catesby's plan to re-establish Catholicism in England by blowing up
9324-544: The Strand, where Christopher Wright , John Wright's brother, overheard the commotion. He immediately went to Thomas, who was staying at the Duck and Drake inn. As Fawkes had given his name as "John Johnson", servant of Percy, it was for the latter that the government's first arrest warrant was issued. Thomas guessed as much, and told Wright to go to Percy and "bid him begone". As the rest of those conspirators still in London fled
9472-593: The Thames. By 4 November, Digby was ensconced with a "hunting party" at Dunchurch , ready to abduct Elizabeth. The same day, Percy visited the Earl of Northumberland —who was uninvolved in the conspiracy—to see if he could discern what rumours surrounded the letter to Monteagle. Percy returned to London and assured Wintour, John Wright, and Robert Keyes that they had nothing to be concerned about, and returned to his lodgings on Gray's Inn Road. That same evening Catesby, likely accompanied by John Wright and Bates, set off for
9620-527: The Throckmortons, they could therefore claim a kinship with plotters like Robert Catesby and Francis Tresham . Their maternal uncle Francis Ingleby , a Catholic priest, was hanged, drawn and quartered at York in 1586, a fact which in the opinion of historian and author Antonia Fraser , "could hardly have failed to leave a stark impression upon the Wintour family." The Wintours took their name from
9768-484: The Tower (Catebsy's servant, Thomas Bates , arrived from the Gatehouse Prison ), to Whitehall . They were kept in Star Chamber , before being led into Westminster Hall . Charged with high treason , and with no defence counsel, the outcome was never in doubt. The Spanish Treason was a feature of Attorney General Edward Coke 's rhetoric, although the Spanish king was "reverently and respectfully spoken of". The Jesuits, such as Henry Garnet , were condemned. Each of
9916-424: The Welsh Gwyn Tour (White Tower). 'Wyntour' was sometimes used in signatures, but not 'Winter' (as the brothers are commonly named). A faithful Catholic, Robert was married to Gertrude Talbot, daughter of the recusant John Talbot of Grafton . He inherited the Tudor Huddington Court near Worcester , along with a significant fortune with which he was known to be generous. Under Robert, Huddington Court became
10064-474: The best swordsmen of his day, and a man who had taken part with Catesby in the Earl of Essex's rebellion three years earlier. Despite his reservations over the possible repercussions should the attempt fail, Wintour agreed to join the conspiracy, perhaps persuaded by Catesby's rhetoric: "Let us give the attempt and where it faileth, pass no further." Wintour travelled to Flanders to enquire about Spanish support. While there, he sought out Guy Fawkes (1570–1606),
10212-399: The brothers' confessions were also read aloud. While in the Tower, Robert and Fawkes had shared adjacent cells, and were able to speak to each other. However, their private conversation was secretly recorded, and read aloud during the trial. When asked if he had anything to say, "wherefore judgement of death should not be pronounced", Thomas spoke of his regret at having introduced Robert to
10360-510: The city, undaunted, he went over to Westminster to try and discern what he could. In author Alan Haynes's opinion, this demonstrated an impressive degree of trust in Fawkes's ability to confound his interrogators, but when Thomas heard for himself that the treason had been uncovered, he left for Huddington, stopping at his sister's house in Norbrook along the way. The fugitives reached Catesby's family home of Ashby St Ledgers at about 6:00 pm. Not wanting to implicate his mother, Catesby sent
10508-438: The conspiracy, and as Catesby had not entirely given up hope of foreign support—"because we will leave no peaceable and quiet way untried"—Thomas returned to the continent. In Flanders he met Juan Fernández de Velasco, 5th Duke of Frías and Constable of Castile , who was holding court there before his journey to England to conclude the Treaty of London . Thomas again stressed the plight of English Catholics, hoping to influence
10656-432: The country for a short time. The King, meanwhile, spent much of the summer away from the city, hunting. He stayed wherever was convenient, including on occasion at the houses of prominent Catholics. Garnet, convinced that the threat of an uprising had receded, travelled the country on a pilgrimage . It is uncertain when Fawkes returned to England, but he was back in London by late August, when he and Wintour discovered that
10804-667: The country's Catholicism. In the English-speaking world , the Douay-Rheims Bible was translated from the Latin Vulgate by expatriate recusants in Rheims, France , in 1582 (New Testament) and in Douai, France in 1609 (Old Testament). It was revised by Bishop Richard Challoner in the years 1749–52. After Divino afflante Spiritu , translations multiplied in the Catholic world (just as they multiplied in
10952-577: The country, and later arrived at Huddington Court, where they met Thomas. Early the next morning Huddington's occupants went to confession and took the Sacrament at Mass—in Fraser's opinion, a sign that none of them thought they had long to live. They collected further arms and munitions from Hewell Grange , but trying to recruit more people to their cause they were met with disdain; while the conspirators considered themselves to stand for "God and country",
11100-470: The difference in signatures as a significant and puzzling lapse, if a "master forger" is presumed to be responsible for the document. He views the handwriting on the confession as "convincingly that of Winter [Wintour]", pointing out that it appears to be the work of an author, not an editor, and written as a draft for the King's Book . This is a view that generally, Alan Haynes agrees with: "no one has ever made
11248-417: The document with suspicion, not least because Thomas's signature, 'Thomas Winter', differs from his normal signature, 'Thomas Wintour' (it was the former that was invariably used by the government). The signature, possibly forged by lieutenant of the Tower of London William Waad , was made only weeks after Thomas had been shot in the shoulder during the siege at Holbeche House. Biographer Mark Nicholls views
11396-614: The earlier part of that period, to criminal penalties. Catholics formed a large proportion, if not a plurality, of recusants, and it was to Catholics that the term initially was applied. Non-Catholic groups composed of Reformed Christians or Protestant dissenters from the Church of England were later labelled "recusants" as well. Recusancy laws were in force from the reign of Elizabeth I to that of George III , but were not always enforced with equal intensity. The first statute to address sectarian dissent from England's official religion
11544-417: The early 17th century was a warren of buildings clustered around the medieval chambers, chapels, and halls of the former royal palace that housed both Parliament and the various royal law courts. The old palace was easily accessible; merchants, lawyers, and others lived and worked in the lodgings, shops and taverns within its precincts. Whynniard's building was along a right-angle to the House of Lords, alongside
11692-481: The end of the 18th century and freedom of religion was re-established in the mid-19th century (although there were individual cases of Catholic sympathies occurring even in the 17th and 18th centuries). Notable converts were Christina, Queen of Sweden , daughter of Gustavus Adolphus ; and Sigrid Undset , Nobel Prize-winning author of Kristin Lavransdatter . The number of ethnic Swedes who are Roman Catholic
11840-476: The established Church of England, Shakespeare's mother, Mary Arden , was a member of a particularly conspicuous and determinedly Catholic family in Warwickshire . Some scholars also believe there is evidence that several members of Shakespeare's family were secretly recusant Catholics. The strongest evidence is a tract professing secret Catholicism signed by John Shakespeare , father of the poet. The tract
11988-457: The family's northern estates. About 1600–1601 he served with his patron in the Low Countries . At some point during Northumberland's command in the Low Countries, Percy became his agent in his communications with James I. Percy was reputedly a "serious" character who had converted to the Catholic faith. His early years were, according to a Catholic source, marked by a tendency to rely on "his sword and personal courage". Northumberland, although not
12136-508: The five plotters met at the Duck and Drake inn, in the fashionable Strand district of London, on 20 May 1604. From hereon Thomas Wintour remained at the heart of the conspiracy. The group leased properties in London, one in Lambeth for storing the gunpowder that was rowed across the Thames to its destination. His confession has the plotters digging a tunnel toward their target during one of
12284-498: The forthcoming treaty negotiations due to take place at Somerset House in London. The Constable was "friendly rather than forthcoming". Thomas also met the Welsh spy Hugh Owen, and Sir William Stanley , who were both disparaging of Catesby's hopes of Spanish assistance. Owen did, however, introduce Thomas to Guy Fawkes , a committed Catholic who had served under Stanley as a soldier in the Southern Netherlands . Although at that time
12432-430: The future king would guarantee the safety of English Catholics. The first meeting between the five conspirators took place on 20 May 1604, probably at the Duck and Drake Inn, just off the Strand , Thomas Wintour's usual residence when staying in London. Catesby, Thomas Wintour, and John Wright were in attendance, joined by Guy Fawkes and Thomas Percy. Alone in a private room, the five plotters swore an oath of secrecy on
12580-1216: The group, chose to remain with them, and in the ensuing firefight was shot in the shoulder, and captured. Robert, who had left before the battle, evaded capture until January 1606. Much of what is written about the plot is based on Thomas's confessions, given in the Tower of London in November 1605. The brothers were tried on 27 January 1606, and hanged, drawn and quartered several days later in London. Robert (b. 1568) and Thomas Wintour (b. 1571–72) were sons of George Wintour of Huddington Court in Worcestershire , and his wife Jane (née Ingleby), daughter of Sir William Ingleby of Ripley Castle near Knaresborough . A sister, Dorothy, married another conspirator, John Grant . Two agnate half-siblings, John and Elizabeth, resulted from their father's marriage to Elizabeth Bourn, following Jane's death. Their paternal grandparents were Robert Wintour of Cavewell in Gloucestershire , and his wife Catherine, daughter of Sir George Throckmorton of Coughton in Warwickshire . As scions of
12728-720: The growing religious divide by introducing the Elizabethan Religious Settlement , which required anyone appointed to a public or church office to swear allegiance to the monarch as head of the Church and state. The penalties for refusal were severe; fines were imposed for recusancy , and repeat offenders risked imprisonment and execution. Catholicism became marginalised, but despite the threat of torture or execution, priests continued to practise their faith in secret. Queen Elizabeth, unmarried and childless, steadfastly refused to name an heir. Many Catholics believed that her Catholic cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots ,
12876-498: The gunpowder stored in the undercroft had decayed. More gunpowder was brought into the room, along with firewood to conceal it. The final three conspirators were recruited in late 1605. At Michaelmas , Catesby persuaded the staunchly Catholic Ambrose Rookwood to rent Clopton House near Stratford-upon-Avon. Rookwood was a young man with recusant connections, whose stable of horses at Coldham Hall in Stanningfield , Suffolk
13024-522: The gunpowder, they found that it had decayed (separated). Thus, more gunpowder was brought in. Shortly after this, Catesby recruited the last three conspirators, Sir Ambrose Rookwood , Sir Everard Digby and Francis Tresham . The latter's involvement in the plot has long been the subject of controversy, as on 26 October his brother-in-law William Parker, 4th Baron Monteagle , received an anonymous letter while at home, warning him to stay away from Parliament. Thomas went with Catesby to confront Tresham on
13172-564: The home of John Talbot of Grafton , his father-in-law. His friends were Robert Acton and his two sons, plus servants. The group left the following morning with extra horses supplied by Everard Digby , and travelled to Coventry . Monteagle had delivered the letter to the English Secretary of State , Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury , and on Saturday 2 November (about a week later) the Privy Council decided to undertake
13320-675: The introductions to the Spanish. This trip to Spain later became the first of two visits to be dubbed by the English government as the Spanish Treason, but Thomas's timing was unfortunate, coming as it did so soon after Spain's failed attack in Ireland , and he received only vague assurances of their support. In England he met with the Spanish embassy Don Juan de Tassis , who in August 1603 landed at Dover to help negotiate an Anglo-Spanish treaty. Tassis quickly realised that any chance of
13468-470: The kingdom, including the Arundells , Blundells , Cliffords , Erringtons , Gillows , Haydocks , Petres , Ropers , Shireburns , Smythes , Stourtons , Throckmortons , Vaughans and Vavasours . The Acton (also known as Dalberg-Acton and Lyon-Dalberg-Acton) family is another well-known recusant family. Although William Shakespeare (1564–1616) and his immediate family were conforming members of
13616-470: The law", and believed that exile was a better solution than capital punishment : "I would be glad to have both their heads and their bodies separated from this whole island and transported beyond seas." Some Catholics believed that the martyrdom of James's mother, Mary, Queen of Scots , would encourage James to convert to the Catholic faith, and the Catholic houses of Europe may also have shared that hope. James received an envoy from Albert VII , ruler of
13764-442: The matter, threatening to "hang him" if he did not exonerate himself. Tresham managed to convince the pair that he was innocent, but Thomas then tried unsuccessfully to persuade Catesby to abandon the plot. His pleas were in vain; Catesby's position was echoed by Percy, who at a meeting of the three in London on Sunday 3 November, said that he was ready to "abide the uttermost trial". On the same day, Robert and three others stayed at
13912-678: The men of Hewell Grange replied that they were for "King James as well as God and Country". Late that night, pulling a sodden cart full of weapons and armour behind them, they arrived at Holbeche House , near Kingswinford in Staffordshire . Robert was asked if he would go and see if he could elicit any help from his father-in-law, John Talbot at his mansion at 'Pepperhill' in Boningale , Shropshire . He refused, and Thomas went instead, with Stephen Littleton. Talbot was, however, loyal to James, and sent them away, claiming that their visit
14060-581: The messenger without my company. Shortly I received another letter, in any wise to come. At the second summons I presently came up and found him with Mr. John Wright at Lambeth, where he brake with me how necessary it was not to forsake my country (for he knew I had then a resolution to go over), but to deliver her from the servitude in which she remained, or at least to assist her with our uttermost endeavours. Thomas Wintour According to contemporary accounts late in February 1604 Thomas's cousin, Robert Catesby , invited him to his house in Lambeth , but Thomas
14208-445: The pair that he had not written the letter, but urged them to abandon the plot. Salisbury was already aware of certain stirrings before he received the letter, but did not yet know the exact nature of the plot, or who exactly was involved. He therefore elected to wait, to see how events unfolded. The letter was shown to the King on the first of November following his arrival back in London. Upon reading it, James immediately seized upon
14356-491: The persecution of Catholics, as some had hoped for, several members of the clergy (including two anti-Jesuit priests) decided to take matters into their own hands. In what became known as the Bye Plot , the priests William Watson and William Clark planned to kidnap James and hold him in the Tower of London until he agreed to be more tolerant towards Catholics. Cecil received news of the plot from several sources, including
14504-465: The plight of England's Catholics required that it be done. Catesby also apparently asked for £2,000, and the use of Rushton Hall in Northamptonshire . Tresham declined both offers (although he did give £100 to Thomas Wintour), and told his interrogators that he had moved his family from Rushton to London in advance of the plot; hardly the actions of a guilty man, he claimed. The details of
14652-562: The plot from the King, who was busy hunting in Cambridgeshire and not expected back for several days. Monteagle's servant, Thomas Ward, had family connections with the Wright brothers, and sent a message to Catesby about the betrayal. Catesby, who had been due to go hunting with the King, suspected that Tresham was responsible for the letter, and with Thomas Wintour confronted the recently recruited conspirator. Tresham managed to convince
14800-660: The plot were finalised in October, in a series of taverns across London and Daventry . Fawkes would be left to light the fuse and then escape across the Thames, while simultaneously a revolt in the Midlands would help to ensure the capture of the King's daughter, Elizabeth. Fawkes would leave for the continent, to explain events in England to the European Catholic powers. The wives of those involved and Anne Vaux (a friend of Garnet who often shielded priests at her home) became increasingly concerned by what they suspected
14948-489: The plot's failure, an armed struggle was still a real possibility. He announced to Digby's "hunting party" that the King and Salisbury were dead, before the fugitives moved west to Warwick. In London, news of the plot was spreading, and the authorities set extra guards on the city gates , closed the ports, and protected the house of the Spanish Ambassador, which was surrounded by an angry mob. An arrest warrant
15096-405: The plot, and asked to be hanged on his behalf as well as his own. Robert merely begged for mercy. At the end of the trial, the jury pronounced them all guilty of high treason. Everard Digby, Robert Wintour, John Grant and Thomas Bates were executed on Thursday 30 January 1606. Dragged by horse to Old St Paul's Cathedral , Robert was the second to be executed, praying quietly to himself before he
15244-534: The plot, asked for Catholics to pray for him, and declared his adherence to the Roman religion. He was hanged for only a few seconds, and then taken to the block for the remainder of his grim sentence. Their half-brother John was executed at Red Hill near Worcester , on 7 April. Gunpowder Plot The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in earlier centuries often called the Gunpowder Treason Plot or
15392-405: The plotters had no detailed plans, Thomas told Fawkes of their ambition to "do somewhat in England", should Spanish support be lacking. In late April therefore the two men returned together to Catesby's lodgings at Lambeth, and told him that despite positive noises from the Spanish, "the deeds would nott answere". With the addition to the conspiracy of Thomas Percy (John Wright's brother-in-law),
15540-410: The plotters had originally planned for, Parliament would not sit again until 3 October 1605. The contemporaneous account of the prosecution claimed that during this delay the conspirators were digging a tunnel beneath Parliament. This may have been a government fabrication, as no evidence for the existence of a tunnel was presented by the prosecution, and no trace of one has ever been found. The account of
15688-495: The plotters left London and returned to their homes. The conspirators returned to London in October 1604, when Robert Keyes , a "desperate man, ruined and indebted", was admitted to the group. His responsibility was to take charge of Catesby's house in Lambeth, where the gunpowder and other supplies were to be stored. Keyes's family had notable connections; his wife's employer was the Catholic Lord Mordaunt . He
15836-648: The prelude to a popular revolt in the Midlands during which King James's nine-year-old daughter, Princess Elizabeth , was to be installed as the new head of state. Catesby is suspected by historians to have embarked on the scheme after hopes of greater religious tolerance under King James I had faded, leaving many English Catholics disappointed. His fellow conspirators were John and Christopher Wright , Robert and Thomas Wintour , Thomas Percy , Guy Fawkes , Robert Keyes , Thomas Bates , John Grant , Ambrose Rookwood , Sir Everard Digby and Francis Tresham . Fawkes, who had 10 years of military experience fighting in
15984-657: The priest Oswald Tesimond , they were a repudiation of the early claims that the King had made, upon which the papists had built their hopes. A week after James's speech, Edmund, Lord Sheffield , informed the king of over 900 recusants brought before the Assizes in Normanby , and on 24 April, the Popish Recusants Act 1605 was introduced in Parliament which threatened to outlaw all English followers of
16132-535: The priest on his pilgrimage, and the two men were reportedly close friends. Digby was asked by Catesby to rent Coughton Court near Alcester . Digby also promised £1,500 after Percy failed to pay the rent due for the properties he had taken in Westminster. Finally, on 14 October Catesby invited Francis Tresham into the conspiracy. Tresham was the son of the Catholic Thomas Tresham , and
16280-417: The publication of De rege , until the 1620s, some English Catholics believed that regicide was justifiable to remove 'tyrants' from power. Much of the "rather nervous" political writing from James I was "concerned with the threat of Catholic assassination and refutation of the [Catholic] argument that 'faith did not need to be kept with heretics '". In the absence of any sign that James would move to end
16428-694: The reformed Church of Ireland and the dissenting churches, remaining loyal to the Roman Catholic Church, suffering the same penalties as recusants in Great Britain . The situation was exacerbated by land claims, paramilitary violence, and ethnic antagonisms on all sides. Recusancy in Scandinavia is not considered to have survived much past the period of the Liturgical Struggle until anti-Catholicism lessened towards
16576-418: The remaining Catholic territories in the Netherlands after over 30 years of war in the Dutch Revolt by English-supported Protestant rebels. For the Catholic expatriates engaged in that struggle, the restoration by force of a Catholic monarchy was an intriguing possibility, but following the failed Spanish invasion of England in 1588 the papacy had taken a longer-term view on the return of a Catholic monarch to
16724-451: The remaining plotters alive, but injured. While several including Robert and his half-brother John chose to vanish into the night, Catesby, Percy, the Wright brothers, Grant, Rookwood and Thomas remained. Thomas asked them what they intended to do – "We mean here to die". Thomas replied "I will take such part as you do". Richard Walsh , Sheriff of Worcester , arrived with a vigilante force of about 200 men early on 8 November. Thomas
16872-541: The ringing of church bells, which evolved into the British variant of Bonfire Night of today. Between 1533 and 1540, King Henry VIII took control of the English Church from Rome, the start of several decades of religious tension in England. English Catholics struggled in a society dominated by the newly separate and increasingly Protestant Church of England . Henry's daughter, Queen Elizabeth I , responded to
17020-402: The same road. Reunited, the group continued northwest to Dunchurch, using horses provided by Digby. Keyes went to Mordaunt's house at Drayton . Meanwhile, Thomas Wintour stayed in London, and even went to Westminster to see what was happening. When he realised the plot had been uncovered, he took his horse and made for his sister's house at Norbrook, before continuing to Huddington Court . On
17168-438: The scheme, to no avail. When Fawkes was captured at about midnight on 4 November 1605, Thomas fled to Robert's house at Huddington . Catesby and most of the others spent two days travelling across the Midlands attempting to incite a rebellion, but with an ever-diminishing group of supporters they eventually settled at Holbeche House in Staffordshire , and waited for government forces to arrive. Thomas, by then reintegrated into
17316-522: The seal of the confessional, and that canon law therefore forbade him to repeat what he had heard. Without acknowledging that he was aware of the precise nature of the plot, Garnet attempted to dissuade Catesby from his course, to no avail. Garnet wrote to a colleague in Rome, Claudio Acquaviva , expressing his concerns about open rebellion in England. He also told Acquaviva that "there is a risk that some private endeavour may commit treason or use force against
17464-584: The several prorogations of Parliament, abandoned when the chamber directly beneath the House of Lords became available. Following the meeting in May Catesby enlisted the aid of several more Catholic men, including Robert Wintour. On the same day he was admitted to the plot, 25 March 1605, the conspirators also purchased the lease to the undercroft they had supposedly tunnelled near. It was into this room that 36 barrels of gunpowder were brought, but when in late August Thomas and Fawkes made an inspection of
17612-434: The so-called Spanish Treason were added three days later. One of only two confessions printed in the King's Book (a highly partial contemporary account of the affair), Thomas Wintour's was the only account the government had of a plotter who had been involved from the beginning; Guy Fawkes, weakened by days of torture, may have been at the heart of the group, but he was not at its first meetings. However, Antonia Fraser views
17760-415: The surviving conspirators, including Fawkes, were convicted and sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered . Some details of the assassination attempt were allegedly known by the principal Jesuit of England, Henry Garnet . Although Garnet was convicted of high treason and put to death, doubt has been cast on how much he really knew. As the plot's existence was revealed to him through confession , Garnet
17908-749: The whole State and Kingdom of England. And for the effecting of this, there was placed under the Parliament House, where the king should sit, some 30 barrels of powder, with good store of wood, faggots, pieces and bars of iron. Extract of a letter from Sir Edward Hoby ( Gentleman of the Bedchamber ) to Sir Thomas Edwards, Ambassador at Brussells [ sic ] The group of six conspirators stopped at Ashby St Ledgers at about 6 pm, where they met Robert Wintour and updated him on their situation. They then continued on to Dunchurch, and met with Digby. Catesby convinced him that despite
18056-408: The wickedness of this time. And think not slightly of this advertisement, but retire yourself into your country where you may expect the event in safety. 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
18204-409: The word "blow" and felt that it hinted at "some strategem of fire and powder", perhaps an explosion exceeding in violence the one that killed his father, Lord Darnley , at Kirk o' Field in 1567. Keen not to seem too intriguing, and wanting to allow the King to take the credit for unveiling the conspiracy, Salisbury feigned ignorance. The following day members of the Privy Council visited the King at
18352-542: Was hanged, drawn and quartered . The following morning, the remaining four were dragged to the Old Palace Yard at Westminster, opposite the building they had planned to destroy. Thomas was the first to mount the scaffold. It was customary to grant the condemned a speech, but Thomas, "a very pale and dead colour", said it was "no time to discourse: he was come to die". He absolved the Jesuits of any involvement in
18500-448: Was "as much as his life was worth". While returning to Holbeche, they received a message that Catesby, Rookwood, John Grant and another man were dead, and the rest apparently fled. Tired and desperate, the plotters had attempted to dry their soaked gunpowder in front of the fire, only for a stray spark to ignite it. While Littleton chose to leave, begging his companion to follow his example, Thomas continued on to Holbeche, where he found
18648-579: Was a branch of the Welds from Shropshire who migrated via London to Oxfordshire and Dorset . The three sons of Sir John Weld (1585–1622), founder of the Weld Chapel in Southgate , all married into recusant families and were technically "converts" in the 1640s. The eldest, Humphrey , began a lineage, referred to as the "Lulworth Welds". They became connected by marriage to Catholic families across
18796-599: Was about to happen. Several of the conspirators expressed worries about the safety of fellow Catholics who would be present in Parliament on the day of the planned explosion. Percy was concerned for his patron, Northumberland, and the young Earl of Arundel 's name was brought up; Catesby suggested that a minor wound might keep him from the chamber on that day. The Lords Vaux, Montagu , Monteagle , and Stourton were also mentioned. Keyes suggested warning Lord Mordaunt, his wife's employer, to derision from Catesby. On Saturday 26 October, Monteagle (Tresham's brother-in-law) arranged
18944-503: Was an important factor in his enlistment. His parents, Robert Rookwood and Dorothea Drury , were wealthy landowners, and had educated their son at a Jesuit school near Calais . Everard Digby was a young man who was generally well liked, and lived at Gayhurst House in Buckinghamshire . He had been knighted by the King in April 1603, and was converted to Catholicism by Gerard. Digby and his wife, Mary Mulshaw , had accompanied
19092-422: Was announced by a proclamation from Cecil on 24 March, which was generally celebrated. Leading papists, rather than causing trouble as anticipated, reacted to the news by offering their enthusiastic support for the new monarch. Jesuit priests, whose presence in England was punishable by death, also demonstrated their support for James, who was widely believed to embody "the natural order of things". James ordered
19240-408: Was arrested and charged with attempting to blow up Parliament on 5 November 1605. The plot was uncovered and most of the plotters, who were recusants or converts, were tried and executed. The term "recusancy" is primarily applied to English, Scottish, and Welsh Catholics, but there were other instances in Europe. The vast majority of native Irish , while subject to the British crown , rejected both
19388-505: Was building behind a peace settlement between the two countries, Thomas's pleas fell on deaf ears. Instead, in 1604 he decided to join with Catesby, who planned to restore England to Catholicism by killing the king and inciting a popular revolt in the Midlands , during which James's daughter, Princess Elizabeth , would be installed as titular queen. Thomas returned to the continent and again failed to elicit Spanish support, but instead met Guy Fawkes , with whom he returned to England. Robert,
19536-587: Was described by contemporaries as "a good-looking man, about six feet tall, athletic and a good swordsman". Along with several other conspirators, he took part in the Essex Rebellion in 1601, during which he was wounded and captured. Queen Elizabeth allowed him to escape with his life after fining him 4,000 marks (equivalent to more than £6 million in 2008), after which he sold his estate in Chastleton . In 1603, Catesby helped to organise
19684-716: Was enacted in 1593 under Elizabeth I and specifically targeted Catholics, under the title "An Act for restraining Popish recusants". It defined "Popish recusants" as those convicted for not repairing to some Church, Chapel, or usual place of Common Prayer to hear Divine Service there, but forbearing the same contrary to the tenor of the laws and statutes heretofore made and provided in that behalf. Other Acts targeted Catholic recusants, including statutes passed under James I and Charles I , as well as laws defining other offences deemed to be acts of recusancy. Recusants were subject to various civil disabilities and penalties under English penal laws , most of which were repealed during
19832-548: Was executed, but James—keen not to have too bloody a start to his reign—reprieved Cobham, Grey, and Markham while they were at the scaffold. Raleigh, who had watched while his colleagues sweated, had been due to be executed a few days later, but was also pardoned. Arbella Stuart denied any knowledge of the Main Plot. However, the two priests, Watson and Clark—condemned and "very bloodily handled"—were executed. The Catholic community responded to news of these plots with shock. That
19980-608: Was found in the 18th century in the rafters of a house which had once been John Shakespeare's and was seen and described by the reputable scholar Edmond Malone . Malone later changed his mind and declared that he thought the tract was a forgery. Although the document has since been lost, Anthony Holden writes that Malone's reported wording of the tract is linked to a testament written by Charles Borromeo and circulated in England by Edmund Campion , copies of which still exist in Italian and English. Other research, however, suggests that
20128-414: Was ideal for what the group planned to do. In the second week of June, Catesby met in London the principal Jesuit in England, Henry Garnet , and asked him about the morality of entering into an undertaking which might involve the destruction of the innocent, together with the guilty. Garnet answered that such actions could often be excused, but according to his own account later admonished Catesby during
20276-402: Was indisposed and could not attend. Catesby sent a second letter that Thomas did respond to, and when he arrived he found his cousin with John Wright , a devout Catholic and a renowned swordsman. Catesby planned to re-establish Catholicism in England by blowing up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament , killing the king. Thomas did not immediately recoil from the idea. As
20424-431: Was issued against Thomas Percy, and his patron, the Earl of Northumberland, was placed under house arrest. In "John Johnson's" initial interrogation he revealed nothing other than the name of his mother, and that he was from Yorkshire . A letter to Guy Fawkes was discovered on his person, but he claimed that name was one of his aliases. Far from denying his intentions, "Johnson" stated that it had been his purpose to destroy
20572-422: Was just as complimentary. He was apparently an intelligent, witty and educated man, who could speak Latin, Italian, Spanish and French. "He was of mean stature, but strong and comely and very valiant, about 33 years old or somewhat more." Thomas worked as a servant to William Parker, 4th Baron Monteagle . He was educated as a lawyer, but following several years of dissipation travelled to Flanders and enrolled in
20720-421: Was mainly intended to give relief to nonconforming Protestants rather than to Catholics, to whom some restrictions applied into the 1920s, through the Act of Settlement 1701 , despite the 1828–1829 Catholic emancipation . In some cases those adhering to Catholicism faced capital punishment , and some English and Welsh Catholics who were executed in the 16th and 17th centuries have been canonised by
20868-507: Was occupied by Scottish commissioners appointed by the King to consider his plans for the unification of England and Scotland, so the plotters hired Catesby's lodgings in Lambeth, on the opposite bank of the Thames, from where their stored gunpowder and other supplies could be conveniently rowed across each night. Meanwhile, King James I continued with his policies against the Catholics, and Parliament pushed through anti-Catholic legislation, until its adjournment on 7 July. Following their oath,
21016-417: Was prevented from informing the authorities by the absolute confidentiality of the confessional . Although anti-Catholic legislation was introduced soon after the discovery of the plot, many important and loyal Catholics remained in high office during the rest of King James I's reign. The thwarting of the Gunpowder Plot was commemorated for many years afterwards by special sermons and other public events such as
21164-462: Was taken to the King early on the morning of 5 November. As news of "John Johnson's" arrest spread among the plotters still in London, most fled northwest, along Watling Street . Christopher Wright and Thomas Percy left together. Rookwood left soon after, and managed to cover 30 miles in two hours on one horse. He overtook Keyes, who had set off earlier, then Wright and Percy at Little Brickhill , before catching Catesby, John Wright, and Bates on
21312-415: Was tall, with a red beard, and was seen as trustworthy and—like Fawkes—capable of looking after himself. In December Catesby recruited his servant, Thomas Bates , into the plot, after the latter accidentally became aware of it. It was announced on 24 December 1604 that the scheduled February re-opening of Parliament would be delayed. Concern over the plague meant that rather than sitting in February, as
21460-490: Was the daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark . Their eldest child, the nine-year-old Henry , was considered a handsome and confident boy, and their two younger children, Elizabeth and Charles , were proof that James was able to provide heirs to continue the Protestant monarchy. James's attitude towards Catholics was more moderate than that of his predecessor, perhaps even tolerant. He swore that he would not "persecute any that will be quiet and give an outward obedience to
21608-448: Was the first to be hit, in the shoulder, while crossing the courtyard. The Wright brothers were next, followed by Rookwood, still injured from the explosion the night before. Catesby and Percy were dropped by a single lucky shot. The sheriff's men then proceeded to strip the defenders of their valuables, but Thomas was saved by the sheriff's assistant. His fine sword, ordered and paid for four months previously, apparently proved too great
21756-575: Was the legitimate heir to the English throne, but she was executed for treason in 1587. The English Secretary of State , Robert Cecil , negotiated secretly with Mary's son and successor, King James VI of Scotland . In the months before Elizabeth's death on 24 March 1603, Cecil prepared the way for James to succeed her. Some exiled Catholics favoured Philip II of Spain 's daughter, Isabella , as Elizabeth's successor. More moderate Catholics looked to James's and Elizabeth's cousin Arbella Stuart ,
21904-517: Was told to remember. A draft of Thomas's confession, in Coke's handwriting, places extra weight on the involvement of the Jesuits. Thomas's confession also details his account of the mine supposedly dug toward Parliament, not mentioned in Fawkes's first confession. The trial of the eight surviving conspirators began on Monday 27 January. The two brothers were brought with the other plotters by barge from
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