Execution of Guy Fawkes
Old Palace Yard, Westminster
What happened
Guy Fawkes was the plotter chosen to guard the gunpowder hidden under Parliament. He was caught in the cellar in the early hours of 5 November 1605 and taken to the Tower of London, where he was questioned and named the other plotters. After a trial in January 1606, he was executed at Old Palace Yard in Westminster on 31 January 1606.
Why it matters
Fawkes became the most famous face of the Gunpowder Plot, even though he was not its leader. His capture is remembered every 5 November on Bonfire Night, also called Guy Fawkes Night.
What came next
For centuries, children made a stuffed figure called a 'guy' and asked passers-by for 'a penny for the guy' before Bonfire Night. In recent years, a mask based on his face has been worn by some protest groups.
Did you know?
When guards first found him in the cellar, Fawkes told them his name was John Johnson.
Timeline
- Afternoon, 4 November 1605Searchers meet Fawkes in the cellar under Parliament; he calls himself John Johnson, and they move on.
- Around midnight, 4–5 November 1605A second search finds the gunpowder, and Fawkes is arrested.
- November 1605Fawkes is held in the Tower of London and names the other plotters.
- January 1606Fawkes and the other surviving plotters are tried at Westminster Hall and found guilty of treason.
- 31 January 1606Fawkes is executed at Old Palace Yard, Westminster.