Who Did What Now with Katie Charlwood

Episode: The Gunpowder Plot
Date: November 5, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively and engaging bonus episode, host Katie Charlwood delves into the infamous Gunpowder Plot of 1605. With her characteristic humor and sharp historical insight, Katie traces the origins, context, planning, unraveling, and legacy of the plot that aimed to blow up the English Parliament and King James I. Delivered with her trademark irreverence and vivid storytelling, the episode not only recounts the facts but also explores the motivations and aftermath, revealing why the plot and its would-be conspirators are still remembered today, especially on Bonfire Night.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Why Remember the 5th of November?

• Katie opens with the famous rhyme and gives a taste of how Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot have entered popular memory, from Bonfire Night celebrations to pop culture references such as V for Vendetta (04:56).
• Quote (Katie, 05:13): "There's also that line, often referenced by anarchists, that the last person to enter Parliament with honest intentions was Guy Fawkes. Unfortunately... many have forgotten what those intentions were, because Guy Fawkes wasn't just trying to destroy an evil theocracy, he was also trying to install one."

2. Bonfire Night Traditions

• Personal anecdotes about UK traditions surrounding Bonfire Night: burning effigies of Guy Fawkes, fireworks, and the old "penny for the guy" custom (07:30).
• Explains the historical origins via the Thanksgiving Act, passed to ensure the plot’s failure was commemorated and religious dissent remembered (10:15).

3. Religious Tensions: Context from Henry VIII to King James I (12:03 – 21:10)

• Detailed recap of England's shifting religious politics: Henry VIII’s break from Rome, Catholic vs. Protestant swings under his heirs, Elizabeth I’s religious settlement, and the penalizing of Catholics (12:40–18:09).
• Katie underlines the increasing marginalization of Catholics, their hopes for James I due to his mother (Mary Queen of Scots), and their subsequent disillusionment when he resumed persecutions (18:30–20:59).
• Quote (Katie, 19:55): "This is when you place our faith in God and not monarchies. Okay, I couldn't help myself. But this betrayal led to more shuffling back into the dark, praying in secret, and hiding their religion, at least for the majority."

4. Enter the Conspirators: The Plot Unfolds (22:01 – 32:40)

• The Core Conspirators: Introduces Robert Catesby (the mastermind), Thomas Wintour, John Wright, Thomas Percy, and Guy (Guido) Fawkes. Explains their motivations and interconnections, many having been previously imprisoned for Catholic uprisings (22:01–28:59).
• Guy Fawkes' Backstory: His family history, conversion to Catholicism, military service for Catholic Spain, and radicalization (29:07–32:40).
• Quote (Katie, on their meeting, 28:12): "...they passed a small prayer book to one another and each of them swore upon it. In the next room, a priest was holding a secret Sunday Catholic Mass. And so the men took Holy Communion... They ran a mission from Gad."

5. The Plot in Motion: Planning, Gunpowder, and Fateful Delays (33:00 – 47:56)

• The conspirators acquire and rent a cellar below Parliament under alias names, with Guy Fawkes (as "John Johnson") overseeing the gunpowder stockpile (35:01–38:15).
• Details the shifting plans due to the plague and Parliamentary schedules, requiring patience and improvisation (39:13).
• Technical Mishap: Gunpowder decays; Katie shares a sidebar on the science and modern sparkler safety as a comic aside (41:27).
• The final version of the plot: Fawkes to light the fateful fuse, then flee; others to incite a rebellion and kidnap Princess Elizabeth to establish a Catholic monarchy (44:56).
• Crucially, Katie emphasizes the planned mass casualties, including King James's child heir (45:51).
• Quote (Katie, 46:31): "...they were days away from achieving their goal of a Catholic dominated England. But all their hard work would be snuffed out by a man with cold feet and a letter."

6. The Monteagle Letter: The Plot Comes Undone (49:00 – 53:33)

• Read aloud and discussion of the anonymous letter (likely from Francis Tresham) that warns Lord Monteagle to stay away from Parliament (49:15–51:28).
• The letter triggers official suspicion, escalating searches of the Palace of Westminster (52:00).

7. Discovery & Arrest: Guy Fawkes Caught (54:10 – 59:00)

• Officials discover Fawkes (alias "John Johnson") in the cellars, dressed in riding clothes, with a watch and large matches—clear signs of imminent action.
• They uncover the 36 barrels of gunpowder hidden under firewood (56:11).
• Fawkes is taken into custody; refuses to name accomplices and shoulders blame stoically (57:37).
• Quote (Katie, 57:50): "He very calmly told his interrogators that the devil, not God, was to blame for the plot being discovered. And the man is interrogated for nearly two days and said jack shit. This pissed King James off so much."

8. Aftermath: Retribution and Executions (59:30 – 67:28)

• With Fawkes in jail, the remaining conspirators flee or attempt to raise rebellion, but are quickly outnumbered and fail (61:30).
• Several are killed in a brief shootout; others are captured and face the horrific sentence of being hanged, drawn, and quartered (63:03–65:59).
• Katie gives a graphic, detailed account of the execution process, emphasizing its brutality and public nature (64:40–66:30).
• Notably, Guy Fawkes successfully breaks his neck in his leap from the gallows, sparing himself some suffering (66:55).

9. Legacy: How the Plot Is Remembered (67:29 – 69:56)

• Parliament passes the Thanksgiving Act to ensure the failed assassination is remembered; Bonfire Night, with fireworks, toffee apples, and Guy Fawkes effigies, becomes tradition (67:50).
• Reflects on Guy Fawkes's evolution as a symbol: from foiled religious terrorist to modern icon of rebellion, via his mask motif (69:00).
• Concludes with a meditation on oppression, radicalization, and the importance of responding to marginalization with kindness, not violence (69:35).
• Quote (Katie, 69:43): "Extreme actions like this, they are born out of oppression, marginalization and abuse. And it's what happens when people feel like they have no other choice, they have no route to turn, when the system is actively working against them."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote / Moment | Speaker | |------------|----------------|---------| | 05:13 | "The last person to enter Parliament with honest intentions was Guy Fawkes. Unfortunately... Guy Fawkes wasn't just trying to destroy an evil theocracy, he was also trying to install one." | Katie | | 19:55 | "This is when you place our faith in God and not monarchies. Okay, I couldn't help myself." | Katie | | 28:12 | "...they passed a small prayer book to one another and each of them swore upon it... They ran a mission from Gad." | Katie | | 46:31 | "...they were days away from achieving their goal of a Catholic dominated England. But all their hard work would be snuffed out by a man with cold feet and a letter." | Katie | | 57:50 | "He very calmly told his interrogators that the devil, not God, was to blame for the plot being discovered." | Katie | | 64:40 | (On executions): "So they would then be hanged by the neck until almost dead... disemboweled... their organs generally like thrown into a fire for, like burning the bad stuff. But also fire is meant to be like cleansing in a lot of religions and also for drama." | Katie | | 69:43 | "Extreme actions like this, they are born out of oppression, marginalization and abuse. And it's what happens when people feel like they have no other choice..." | Katie |

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Intro & History Poem: 01:54–05:10
• Bonfire Night Customs: 07:30–10:15
• Religious Context & Henry VIII: 12:03–18:09
• Hope for James I, Betrayal, and Consequences: 18:30–21:10
• Formation of Conspiracy: 22:01–28:59
• Guy Fawkes' Biography: 29:07–32:40
• Setting the Plot (Hiring, Cellars, Gunpowder): 33:00–41:27
• Final Plot Plans & Purpose: 44:56–47:56
• The Monteagle Letter & Plot Discovery: 49:00–53:33
• Arrest of Guy Fawkes and Aftermath: 54:10–67:28
• Legacy & Modern Reflections: 67:29–72:05
• Recommendations & Sign-off: 72:08–73:55

Concluding Thoughts & Recommendations

Katie wraps up by reflecting on the cyclical nature of oppression and radicalism, urging kindness in contemporary times. She recommends:

• Book: Smoke Gets In Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty
• TV: Blackadder ("a classic")
• Music: “Burning Down The House” (Tom Jones & Cranberries version specifically)

Final Takeaway

This episode offers both a compelling story of faith, fanaticism, and fate, and a reminder that the events of 1605, far from being a simple tale of villains and heroes, were the product of deep-rooted political, social, and religious tensions. Katie’s engaging style ensures that even those unfamiliar with the Gunpowder Plot will understand both its gravity and its enduring place in British culture.

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