GUY FAWKES

[2nd row]

    Who really was Guy  Fawkes ? yes, i know he was involved  in 'the gunpowder plot ' to blow up the houses of parliment, but WHO was he really ? where did he come from/live ? family ? are there any A/B contacts with the name of 'FAWKES ' ? IF the plot had been successful, HOW much damage would have been caused ?  HOW many people would have been killed  ? WHAT were the reasons for the 'plot ' ? what political party did  GUY belong to ? now, remembering that this man could have ended up being a multiple ,cold blooded murderer,  WHY do we sort of celebrate him, and his name ?  and yes, i know that his effigy is supposed to be ' burnt ' on top of all bonfires, to burn in hell maybe ?  revenge ? his name lives on, and yet WHO was the King at the time ? so many questions to ask, but will leave it up to you A/Bankers  to pass on the 'full gen'.  thanks,

[Ewood27]

A Google search for "Guy Fawkes" (with the inverted commas) led to http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22Guy+Fawkes%22&btnG=Google+Search

 

The page shows just the first 10 of 86,100 web sites about the man, or at least about his name.  I don't suggest you real all of them, but if you click on any of the blue underlined headings that look interesting I'm sure you will find answers to all those questions.

[2nd row]

 THANKS  a/b  editor, visited the site, great reading, and all the information required, why didn't i think of ' searching ' for such a site ?  i'm stupid ! was going to tell you to now wipe my questions from the page, but the 3 pages i did print out are so interesting, with all the true ,bare facts, that perhaps other users would want to visit the site you gave me too ? i strongly advise them to do so..... dont lke the way they finished GUY off in the end tho' !!! didn' t mess about in those days did they ???? and also, it was illegal, right up to 1959 NOT TO CELEBRATE on Nov 5th ?!!  somehow, sometime in the very near future i can see a complete  BAN  on this celebration.... once again, thanks ed.

[Bangkok]

In Lewes (East Sussex) every year there is an effigy of the Pope burned on the 5th with other 'enemies of the bonfire' (eg Osama, Saddam, Dubya, depending on the year and political views).  Mr Fawkes was Catholic trying overthrow a Protestant Government.

[Mortartube]

Guy Fawkes was born in York, the son of a schoolmaster (possibly). He became a mercenary soldier who spent a considerable time in Holland fighting for the catholics (including 7 years in Maastricht). Guy Fawkes developed a reputation for being an expert in the use of gunpowder and as he had been abroad for a long time and was relatively unknown here, when he returned to England he was a natural choice to join the plot. There is speculation that the plot was created by the government of the day to discredit Catholics. There are some excellent books on the subject, particularly the one written by Antonio Fraser.

I would like to add that I am proud to be a member of one of the Lewes Bonfire societies and long may the tradition of bonfire night continue. Let's face it, it's the only truly British celebration left. Halloween has become Americanised, as has Christmas.

 

[smudge]

Who ever he was, he's still causing a stir! Guy Fawkes night was on the 5th, but the bangers are still going off round here - at 20:30 Sunday night the 7th!

[annavc]

Mortartube is right - he was born in York as were at least 3 of the other plotters if memory serves me correctly.  Fawkes and the other York men were all educated at St Peter's School (I know that because I went there and there is a portrait of him in the main hall!)  There is a plaque on a wall of a building in York which was were he lived as a child - I think it may be on Stonegate or High Petergate although don't quote me on that as its a long time since I was there.