Gunpowder Plot

A few will be aware I have been known to speak on various subjects over the years. Fundamentally these all revolve around my favourite subject of etymology. Have always enjoyed bringing this fascinating subject to others. It’s not for me to say whether the audiences have, although many have asked me to return.

Thought it might be worthwhile sharing a snippet or two from these presentations, continuing with the Gunpowder Plot. While the story of November 5th is retold year after year, what happened to his co-conspirators? As they flew from London and headed north to the Midlands, what became of them, who did they meet, and where did they eventually meet their end? In the hour there are a number of narratives, hear of betrayal, endurance, desperation, ghosts, and utter foolishness. There is a PowerPoint presentation to accompany this talk if required.

It is November 1605 and for the last three days Robert Catesby, Thomas Percy, Ambrose Rockwood, the Winter brothers and Kit and Jack Wright have managed to evade their pursuers. Lyttleton was a known sympathiser and so they headed there, seeking temporary sanctuary. Seventeenth century travel was hardly a leisurely journey on surfaced roads, this involved crossing miles of open country, woodland, marsh, fording streams and always evading population centres. The journey, along with November's inclement weather, had soaked through to their gunpowder, leaving them virtually unarmed should their pursuers, led by Robert Walsh, Sheriff of Worcester, overtake them. It may sound foolhardy in the extreme yet these were desperate men and, having reached Holbeche, they preceded to dry their gunpowder in front of an open fire. The inevitable explosion alerted the sheriff and his 200-strong body of men and they stormed the house. Inside chaos reigned, a couple of small fires were burning, smoke was filling the rooms, and several were injured including John Grant who had been blinded by the explosion.

As the two sides fought a confused battle Gideon Grove fled in panic. In truth the young groom was very unlikely to have been accused of anything and, had he stayed where he was, would have lived to tell the tale of the day the Gunpowder Plot conspirators were captured under his nose. However he feared for his safety and, quite understandably, he fled on horseback in the direction of Wombourne hotly pursued by the sheriff's men. Little more than half a mile into the chase the horse and his terrified young rider plunged into Himley Wood and almost instantly found themselves in a swamp and sinking fast. Closely behind were the sheriff's men, who dismounted and gathered around Gideon who called out and pleaded for their assistance. Their only response was a hail of musket balls which cut short the man's life.

If you think you know someone who would like to hear me speak on this subject, drop me a line.