"Remember, remember..." by Brandon H, Age 10, Class 6KR

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Remember, remember…

'In 1605, thirteen young men planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Among them was Guy Fawkes, Britain's most notorious traitor.'

After Queen Elizabeth died in sixteen-o-three, persecuted English Catholics hoped that James the first-Elizabeth’s son-would tolerate their religion more; James did, after all, have a Catholic mother.
Unfortunately for them, James wasn’t as tolerant as they had suspected and a number of men-thirteen to be exact-decided that violent action was the answer.

A small group formed, under the leadership of Robert Catesby. Catesby felt that violent action was warranted. Indeed, the thing was to blow up the Houses of Parliament. In doing so, they would kill the king, maybe even the Prince of Wales, and the members of Parliament who were making things difficult for the Catholics. These conspirators are known as extremists and terrorists.

The conspirators carried thirty-six barrels of gunpowder; they stored them in a cellar, just under the House of Lords.

But as the group worked on the plot, it became clear that innocent people would be hurt or killed in the attack, including some people who even fought for more rights for Catholics. Some of the plotters started having second thoughts. One of the group members even sent an anonymous letter warning his friend, Lord Monteagle, to stay away from the Parliament on November fifth. Was the letter real?
The warning letter reached the King, and the King's forces made plans to stop the conspirators.

Guy Fawkes, who was in the cellar of the parliament with the thirty-six barrels of gunpowder when the authorities stormed it in the early hours of November fifth, was caught, tortured and executed.
They executed him by tying him to a plank of wood pushing it into the top of several stacks of hay and burning him to a frazzled crisp!

That is why we celebrate bonfire night every November fifth. Some people believe that Guy Fawkes was leader of the gunpowder plot, although it was just his ill-fate to be caught first.

"Remember, remember, the fifth of November; gunpowder, treason and plot. I see no reason why gunpowder treason should ever be forgot!"

By Brandon H
Age 10
Class 6KR
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