"Remember, remember, the fifth of November, Gunpowder, treason and plot, I see no reason why gunpowder treason, Should ever be forgot..."
In the early hours of 05 November 1605, a search was completed of a vault, underneath the House of Lords within the Palace of Westminster; it was there, hidden beneath piles of wood and coal, that thirty-six barrels of gunpowder were discovered. Following an earlier search the previous day, in which suspicions had been raised, it was determined that the room had been leased by Thomas Percy, a Gentleman Pensioner, and kinsman to Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland. And so with the discovery of a plot to "have blown up...while his Majesty should have been in the upper House of the Parliament, attended with the Queen, the Prince, all his nobility and the Commons with Gunpowder", Percy became the first identified conspirator of the 'Powder Treason' or 'Gunpowder Plot'.
Thomas Percy was born c.1560 in Yorkshire, the son of Edward Percy of Beverley, a member of a minor branch of the Percy family. He is known to have attended Cambridge, matriculating from Peterhouse in 1579; Percy has been described as "clever", having been capable of managing his kinsman's estates, despite the patronage and favouritism bestowed on him, regardless of allegations of corruption (Fraser, 1996).
In regards to his personality, Percy has not always been described in a positive light. The eldest of the thirteen plotters, he has been described as having 'charm', 'energy' and being of a 'vigorous' disposition, liking the company of others similar to himself (Fraser, 1996). Hayes (1994) expands further, describing a "wild energy" and "eccentricity", traits similar to that of his kinsman. However, Fraser (1996) also described him as a 'hanger-on', someone who aligned themselves to those in more powerful positions, for their own benefit, and someone who was eager to make his own mark. Percy also appears to have been tenacious and driven in his beliefs, a man of action not just of words; during the first meeting of the original 5 co-conspirators in May 1604, Percy was said to have expressed "shall we always talk, gentleman, and never do anything?", with his co-conspirators also looking to him for reassurance in the final days of the plot (Hayes, 1994; Beardsley, 2018).
Raised in the Protestant religion, Percy converted to Catholicism following his marriage to Martha Wright in 1591. Martha had come from a devout Catholic family in Yorkshire, her mother Ursula had been imprisoned on multiple occasions for refusing to attend the Protestant mass. Martha was also the sister of future co-conspirators Christopher (known as 'Kit') and John (known as 'Jack'): the Wright Brothers. It has been said that following his conversion, Percy's personality changed; that his 'wildness' of his youth settled. However, there are other reports which contradict this, including Percy abandoning Martha in London, and reportedly taking another wife in Warwickshire, as well as his actions in 1604-05 (Fraser, 1996).
Thomas Percy was a distant cousin of Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland, who had adopted the sobriquet of 'The Wizard Earl', due to his scientific, astronomical and alchemical library and experiments. Northumberland himself was Protestant, although was known to have Catholic sympathies, support of which extended to family members and those employed within his household (Fraser, 1996; Tallis, 2017).
The Earl had been married to Dorothy Devereux, widow of Thomas Perrot, sister to Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, and daughter to Lettice Knollys, Countess of Essex and Leicester, since 1594; it was from this marriage that the lease of Syon House was taken into his possession, with the property being formally granted to the Earl and his descendants by James I in 1604. The marriage between the pair was troubled however, with the couple separating and reconciling on various occasions, including in 1602, following the birth of their son and heir Algernon; it was at this time, that the then monarch Elizabeth I reportedly 'took the side' of the Countess in the separation, reportedly being fond of her kinswoman, despite her longstanding conflict with her mother Lettice (Fraser, 1996). However, on the accession of James I, the Earl and Countess had opportunities to rise in the new Jacobean court. Henry had been appointed as Captain of the Gentleman Pensioners (the royal bodyguard, comprising of fifty soldiers), whilst Dorothy had been chosen as one of the godmothers of the newborn Princess Mary at her christening in May 1605 (Varlow, 2009).
Thomas Percy had first come under Northumberland's patronage in the 1590s; in 1596, Percy was appointed as the Constable of Alnwick Castle, and subsequently agent of the Earl's northern estates. He also accompanied Northumberland to the Low Countries in 1600-1601, inadvertently avoiding any involvement in the Earl of Essex's failed coup in February 1601 (Fraser, 1996). Percy is highly likely to have participated in Essex's Rebellion, as did many of his Catholic friends and contemporaries, given his personality, in addition to his previous allyship with Essex; Devereux successfully intervened on Percy's behalf when the latter was arrested and briefly imprisoned after killing a Scotsman during a fight in 1596 (Hayes, 1994). Percy also continued to benefit from Northumberland's generosity into the 17th century, and when appointed as Captain of the Gentleman Pensioners, the Earl granted one of the coveted fifty positions to his kinsman. His leniency regarding Percy was evident at this time, as traditionally Gentleman Pensioners were required to take the Oath of Supremacy, something that Catholics struggled with, as it rejected the authority of the Pope; Percy was not forced to take the Oath, an act which would later be used as evidence against the Earl (Fraser, 1996).
Both Thomas and Henry grew up in Elizabethan England, during a time of religious upheaval, with decreased tolerance and increased persecutions of Catholics. Prior to Elizabeth I's death, Northumberland was in communication with the then James VI of Scotland, requesting and advocating tolerance for English Catholics once he became King; whilst James himself had adopted a reformed Scottish Presbyterian Church, he was the only son of the Catholic martyr Mary, Queen of Scots. The Earl used Percy as his emissary, in his communications with James at this time, even sending him up to Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh, given his being predominantly based in the north (Hayes, 1994; Fraser, 1996).
Following Elizabeth I's death and James's succession in March 1603, many Catholics in England believed and hoped that this new regime would bring change and better opportunities for them. However, they were disappointed, as further restrictions were quickly placed on Catholics, leading to anger, frustration and resentment, in particular amongst the younger generation. Robert Catesby, known as 'Robin', was one of these men. Originally from a Catholic family in Warwickshire, Catesby had participated in Essex's Rebellion in February 1601, alongside other future co-conspirators Kit and Jack Wright, as well as William Parker, Lord Monteagle. Catesby was injured and imprisoned in the Tower of London, having been released after paying a fine, commissioning the services of his friend Thomas Percy to sell his property to finance this (Hayes, 1994; Fraser, 1996).
Guido Fawkes later provided his version of the events regarding the conspiracy; he reported that Catesby masterminded a plot to kill the king, his queen, their heirs (if they were in attendance) and all members of the Houses of Lords and Commons, by blowing up the Houses of Parliament with Gunpowder. Once the centre of government had been destroyed, the plotters would abduct the young orphaned Princess Elizabeth from her residence at Coombe Abbey, Warwickshire, and once under their 'protectorship' and having gathered support in the Midlands, Catesby, standing at Charing Cross, would proclaim her queen (Fraser, 1996; Alford, 2024).
Thomas Percy was one of the first four men invited by Catesby to the infamous meeting at the Duck and Drake Inn on the Strand, London, in May 1604, having previous expressed to Catesby his discontent with James's policies; others present that day were Thomas Wintour, Kit Wright and Guy Fawkes, having now adopted the name 'Guido' following his time fighting as a mercenary in the Spanish Army (Hayes, 1994). It was during this meeting that Percy spoke about his previous correspondence and meetings with James I, which had not come to fruition, and reportedly made threats against his life; Childs (2005, p.281) documents that Catesby placated him at this time: "No Tom...thou shalt not adventure to small purpose, but if those wilt be a traitor, thou shalt be to some great advantage". Initial plans were made for action in 1604; however, Parliament was indefinitely adjourned in July 1604 until February 1605, due to the spread of plague in London, with later confirmation of the State Opening to take place on Tuesday 05 November 1605 (Fraser, 1996).
As an integral part of the plot, Percy rented a part of house within the grounds of the Palace of Westminster, close to the Prince's Chamber, near the riverside; he was able to use his position as a Gentleman Pensioner to obtain the lease without suspicion, as his regular attendance and residence at court was required (Hayes, 1994; Beardsley, 2018). The plotters' original plan was to dig a tunnel from the house's cellar, through to the nearby House of Lords, work of which started in the winter of 1604; however, this was unsuccessful, given the lack of knowledge and skills needed for mining and demolition. Meanwhile, twenty barrels of gunpowder were moved into the property, transported by river from Catesby's home in Lambeth (Hayes, 1994).
The plotters' plans advanced in March 1605, as Percy was able to obtain a lease for a nearby large storeroom; whilst it has been described a cellar, it comprised the ground floor of a house, but was itself underneath the House of Lords. The gunpowder was subsequently moved, with a further 16 barrels amassed later that summer. In addition to the gunpowder, piles of wood and coal were brought in, both intended to hide the powder, as well as to stoke the flames. Large amounts of iron pieces and stone were also placed on piles in the vault, with the intention of providing maximum damage following the explosion (Hayes, 1994; Beardsley, 2018).
More Catholic sympathisers were invited by Catesby to join his regicidal plot, taking the total of conspirators to thirteen, the last man reportedly being Francis Tresham in October 1605. Fraser (1996) highlights that the potential deaths of their Catholic peers at Parliament troubled some of the plotters, including Percy, who was said to have championed for Northumberland to act as a 'Lord Protector' in the new regime; however, Catesby was resolute in his ambitions, reportedly stating that "the innocent must perish with the guilty" (Hayes, 1994, p.73).
On 26 October, a letter was received by William Parker, Lord Monteagle, via his servant; Monteagle was a young Catholic peer, who like Catesby, had stood alongside his old friend the Earl of Essex in his failed coup in February 1601, and was the employer of Thomas Wintour, in addition to being the brother-in-law of Tresham. This anonymous letter warned that "they shall receive a terrible blow this parliament", and urged Monteagle to excuse himself from the State Opening (The National Archives [1], 2024). The letter requested that it be burnt after reading; Monteagle instead immediately informed Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury, James I's Lord High Treasurer of its contents. Waiting until the King had returned to London, Cecil showed the letter to James I on 01 November; the threats were taken seriously, with it being surmised of a plot involving gunpowder, James being all too familiar with the effects, his own father Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley being the victim of a gunpowder explosion at Kirk o"Field in Edinburgh in 1567 (Childs, 2005). However, James ordered on 02 November that detailed searches of the Houses of Parliament should be delayed until the day before the planned opening of Parliament (ie on 04 November), in an attempt to draw out the plotters (Shapiro, 2015).
On 03 November, Thomas Percy arrived from London after travelling from the North. He was informed of the Monteagle letter, and concerned of the risks, attempts were made by others to dissuade him from continuing with the plot; however, their efforts were unsuccessful, with Percy's resolve remaining strong (Hayes, 1994). However, it appears that Percy wanted to ascertain if his kinsman had himself heard news of any plot, and so on 04 November, called upon the Earl at Syon House. Visiting Syon was not an unusual practice for Percy, given his closeness to the Earl as his patron and employer; Percy was also entrusted to keep the account books for Syon, in addition to his other responsibilities in the north. Percy arrived at Syon around midday, and dined with the Earl, who was also entertaining Thomas Harriot, mathematician, scholar, cartographer and astrologer, who resided at Syon, under the patronage of the Earl, as well as 'Mr Fitzherbert' and Edmund Whitelocke, Royal Courtier and "shameless sponger in society" (Hayes, 1994, p.86). After reassuring himself that there were no signs of the conspiracy being discovered, Percy took his leave from Syon; he then visited Essex House (formerly Leicester House), on the Strand in London, where the Earl's younger brothers and nephew were residing. Following this visit, Percy met with some conspirators, including Wintour with whom he provided a watch to give to Fawkes to help him time the fuses; after this meeting he returned to his accommodation on Grays Inn Road, having made preparations for an early start (Fraser, 1996). These visits to Syon and Essex House would have significant consequences for Percy's patron and his other guests in the days, months and years following the attempted plot.
As instructed by James I, the recommended searches "above and below" Parliament House commenced on 04 November 1605. As part of these inspections, 'Mr Percy's' undervault storeroom was searched. It was in this vault that 300 billets (small pieces of wood) and 500 faggots (bundles of twigs) were discovered, guarded by a 'tall and desperate fellow' (Shapiro, 2015). It was confirmed by authorities that this cellar had been leased by Thomas Percy, and that the wood (and heaps of coal) belonged to him. Suspicions were raised following this initial search; why Thomas Percy, as a Gentleman Pensioner, would require use of storeroom and house in the Westminster Palace complex, in addition to his lodgings on Greys Inn Road, and that it would be so highly stocked with wood and coal, this not being his primary residence (Beardsley, 2018).
The decision was made to make a further, more detailed search of the vault in the early hours of 05 November 1605; the piles of wood, in addition to a mass of coal, iron and stones were overturned, and thirty-six barrels of gunpowder were discovered (Shapiro, 2015). The search party, led by Sir Thomas Kynvet, Keeper of Westminster Palace, had found the same man guarding the door, dressed in a cloak, 'booted and spurred', appearing ready to leave at a moment's notice. The man was swiftly arrested, not without a fight, with three matches and a fuse was found on his person. He gave his name as 'John Johnson', only giving his real name after forty-eight hours of interrogation and torture (Fraser, 1996; UK Parliament, 2024).
Fawkes refused to give up the names of his co-conspirators, although confirmed that his intention was to blow up Parliament. Whilst authorities had high suspicions of other potential participants due to previous contacts and arrests (their list turning out to be highly accurate), Thomas Percy was the only known conspirator, given his known connection to the cellar and to Fawkes. Later that day, a royal proclamation was issued for the 'search and apprehension' of Percy, providing details of the planned plot "of one of the most horrible Treasons that ever was contrived" (The National Archives [2], 2024).
A contemporary physical description was also given of Percy in the printed proclamation:
"The said Percy is a tall man, with a great broad beard, a good face, the colour of his beard and head mingled with white hairs, but the head more white than the beard, he stoopeth somewhat in the shoulders, well coloured in the face, long footed, small legged..."
News of the planned plot spread throughout London during the day of 05 November; in the evening, the Lord Mayor ordered that bonfires should be lit in the streets, to both celebrate the discovery of the plot and subsequent survival of the monarch, as well as providing reassurance to many frightened and confused Londoners (Shapiro, 2015). Following the discovery of Fawkes in the early hours of 05 November, all co-conspirators quickly fled London, and headed north towards the Midlands, where they hoped to gather support for their causes, the counties of Warwickshire and Worcestershire being where many Catholic families and sympathisers resided. They found, however, limited support, as many Catholics, although equally frustrated with recent increased restrictions and legislation, were unwilling to align themselves with treason, a stance that some, like Percy, struggled to accept. As they found English ports closed, and the roads to Wales blocked, and increasingly abandoned by their servants, the conspirators found themselves converging at Holbeach House, the home of supporter Stephen Littleton, near Kingswinford on the Staffordshire border (Shapiro, 2015).
A statement given by conspirator Thomas Wintour following his arrest provided a version of the events at Holbeach on 07 and 08 November 1605. Wintour reported that on his arrival to Holbeach on 07 November, accompanied by Stephen Littleton, he found his fellow plotters tired, wet and demoralised, although determined to fight to the end ("we mean here to die") (The National Archives [3], 2024). Attempts were made to dry out gunpowder which had been taken from Hewell Grange, on their way through Warwickshire; however, a spark escaped from the fire, which caused the gunpowder to explode, injuring some of the men present, including Catesby (Fraser, 1996).
An armed company of 200 men, led by Robert Walsh, Sheriff of Worcester, arrived at Holbeach at 11 o'clock in the morning of the 08 November, and demanded the surrender of the plotters, to which they refused. Wintour reported that standing in the doorway of the house, next to Percy and Catesby, the latter had told him "stand by, Mr Tom, and we will die together"; Wintour was the first to be injured, being shot in the shoulder whilst crossing the courtyard, but survived the siege (The National Archives [3], 2024). However, other co-conspirators were not so fortunate, as four of them lost their lives that day - Thomas Percy, Robert Catesby, and Jack and Kit Wright; Wintour stated that he believed Percy and Catesby were shot with "one bullett". Following news of the siege, Northumberland requested that a surgeon be sent to the house to help his kinsman, which was denied, giving suggestion that his wounds were not immediately fatal (Tallis, 2017). However, it appears that Catesby died shortly after being shot, reportedly crawling into the house, and grasping a picture of the Virgin Mary, before succumbing to his wounds (Fraser, 1996).
The deceased's corpses were stripped and their bodies initially buried at Holbeach, with the survivors (including Thomas Wintour) taken into custody. Over the next few days, all remaining conspirators surrendered or were captured, and all taken to London for interrogation. However, on order of government, the bodies of Percy and Catesby were exhumed, and subject to post-mortem punishment, as if they were convicted traitors. Their quartered bodies were exhibited in the places where they were known to have resided, with their decapitated heads displayed on iron spikes on the roof on the House of Commons (Fraser 1996; Shapiro, 2015).
Whilst Francis Tresham died in the Tower of London prior to his conviction, the remaining conspirators underwent trial on 27 January 1606; the prisoners were taken from the Tower by boat to Westminster Hall, where James I, Queen Anna of Denmark and Prince Henry were all reportedly secretly in attendance (Fraser, 1996; Shapiro, 2015). The remaining eight men were all found guilty of high treason, and were sentenced to a traitor's death: that they would be taken to their place of execution, hanged until almost dead, cut down, have their genitals cut off and disemboweled, with these burnt in front of them, before they were beheaded. Following their deaths, their decapitated bodies would then be quartered, with the remains displayed at various locations as warnings to others (Shapiro, 2015). The guilty men were executed over two days on 30 January 1606 (at St Paul's Churchyard) and 31 January 1606 (at Old Palace Yard, Westminster), with both Thomas Wintour and Guido Fawkes being executed on the latter date.
The consequences of the failed 'Powder Treason' had significant negative consequences for English Catholics, with James's paranoia and suspicion of a wider Catholic conspiracy increasing significantly; there was an increase in interrogations of known Catholics (including those connected to the plotters), as well as executions of Catholic priests in the subsequent months (Childs, 2005). By the following summer, further restrictions had been passed through parliament, 'An Act for the Better Discovering and Repressing of Popish Recusants'; this act aimed to identify Catholics as those who refused to take communion. Fines and imprisonment for 'recusancy' (that is refusing to submit to the authority of the King) were also reintroduced, as well as a new Oath of Allegiance, where upon it became a treasonable offence to 'obey' the Pope over the King (Shapiro, 2015). James also pssed through Parliament 'An Act for a Public Thanksgiving to Almighty God every Year on the Fifth Day of November' in January 1606; church services were held celebrating the failed plot and survival of the king, in addition to the ringing of church bells, lighting of bonfires and setting off fireworks (UK Parliament, 2024).
Following the immediate discovery of Thomas Percy's role in the plot, his patron Henry Percy was placed under house arrest on 07 November 1605. On 27 November 1605, James I signed a warrant ordering Northumberland's arrest, and he was taken to the Tower of London. He had been accused of misprision, that is having prior knowledge of the plot and not informing the authorities, making specific reference to Thomas Percy's visits to Syon and Essex House on 04 November. However, the Earl continued to protest his innocence and involvement in the planned treason, providing proof of the practical arrangements he had made to attend Parliament as planned on 05 November, in that he had travelled from Syon to Essex House, and had not requested a leave of absence from Parliament (Fraser, 1996; Varlow, 2009). With Percy's premature death, he was unable to give his own version of events, and exonerate his kinsman and patron, as "a dead man...could tell no tales" (Fraser, 1996, p.247). Others close to the Earl were also arrested and interrogated, including Thomas Harriot, who had been present at the lunch on 04 November at Syon; he also denied that there had been any discussion about the plot, or the death of the King. Subsequently, there remained insufficient evidence to charge the Earl with treason or misprision (Beardsley, 2018). Despite their previous differences, his wife, Dorothy Devereux, was reportedly tenacious in her appeals to Robert Cecil, requesting the Earl's release; these were unsuccessful, and to the point where Cecil refused to see the Countess (Tallis, 2017).
On 26 June 1606, Northumberland was found guilty of contempt at a hearing at the Star Chamber, likely hindered by his lack of counsel and profound deafness (Fraser, 1996). He was stripped of his titles (although his property remained in the possession of his family, including Syon), and fined £30,000 (although the sum was later reduced to £11,000) (Tallis, 2017). The Earl was held in the Tower for sixteen years, in relative luxury in comparison to other prisoners; he was held in the 'Martin Tower', and had access to a study, library, and multiple dining and entertaining rooms (Fraser, 1996). Northumberland was visited regularly by his family, with his sons Algernon and Henry actually residing with him in the Tower for a time. However, whilst back at Syon, his children were tutored by Thomas Harriot, who continued to reside there for most of his life, whilst proceeding with his astronomy studies: Harriot studied Halley's Comet in 1607, from July 1607 made the first known observations of the moon, and in December 1610 made the first telescopic observations of sunspots (Stevens, 1900). In 1621, following petitions made by his son-in-law Lord Hay, Northumberland was released from the Tower; after a brief visit back to Syon, he retired to his country home Petworth, Suffolk, where he died in 1632 (Fraser, 1996).
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Bibliography:
Hayes, A., (1994) The Gunpowder Plot. Stroud: Sutton Publishing Ltd [INTERNET ARCHIVE] 'The Monteagle Letter'. The National Archives [1] [website]. Available at: https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-collection/stories/the-monteagle-letter/ (Accessed 26 Oct 2024). 'Source 3: Proclamation for the arrest of Thomas Percy, 5th November 1605'. The National Archives [2] [website]. Available at: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/gunpowder-plot/source-3/ (Accessed 26 Nov 2024). 'Source 4: Thomas Wintour's Confession, 23rd of November 1605'. The National Archives [3] [website] Available at: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/gunpowder-plot/source-4/ (Accessed 30 Oct 2024).
Shapiro, J., (2015), 1606: Shakespeare and the Year of Lear. London: Faber&Faber. Stevens, H., (1900), Thomas Hariot: The Mathematician, The Philosopher and The Scholar. London: Privately Printed [INTERNET ARCHIVE].
Tallis, N., (2017), Elizabeth's Rival: The Tumultuous Tale of Lettice Knollys Countess of Leicester. London: Michael O'Mara Books Limited. 'The Gunpowder Plot'. UK Parliament [website]. Available at: https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/parliamentaryauthority/the-gunpowder-plot-of-1605/ (Accessed 30 Oct 2024).
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