The Gunpowder Plot Part 1 - Context
Historic Royal Palaces Podcast
Historic Royal Palaces
4.6 • 635 Ratings
🗓️ 3 November 2022
⏱️ 31 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
It’s no small feat to tackle the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. It was an attempt by radical Catholic conspirators to assassinate King James I, and to destroy parliament in one devastating explosion, with Guy Fawkes lighting the fuse. But this two-part series is about more than just Guy Fawkes.
In this first episode we’ll aim to cover the crucial context of the plot. Join Curators Charles Farris, Brett Dolman and Alden Gregory as they discuss the backdrop to one of the most pivotal plots in history.
To discover more about Guys Fawkes and the Tower of London, go to: https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/history-and-stories/guy-fawkes-and-the-gunpowder-plot
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome back to the Historic Royal Palace's podcast. |
| 0:13.3 | I'm Charles Farris and I'm a curator at the Tower of London. |
| 0:16.7 | Today is the first of two episodes where we're going to be getting to grips with one of the most famous plots in history. |
| 0:21.8 | I'm talking, of course, about the gunpowder plot of 605, an attempt by radical Catholic conspirators to assassinate King James I, and to destroy Parliament in one devastating explosion. |
| 0:35.4 | Please be aware, this episode contains themes which some listeners may find |
| 0:39.3 | upsetting, including religious persecution, torture and executions. The gunpowder plot is a subject |
| 0:46.1 | that has long held a place in the national consciousness of the United Kingdom, commemorated |
| 0:50.7 | each year with bonfire night on the 5th of November. However, ideas about the gunpowder plot have changed considerably over the last 400 years. |
| 1:00.0 | The well-known nursery rhyme cautions us to remember, remember the 5th of November, gunpowder, treason and plot. |
| 1:07.0 | But what does this really mean for us today? |
| 1:10.0 | In the first episode, we'll aim to cover the background and context of the plot. |
| 1:14.6 | In our second episode, we'll explore how the plot was foiled and whether the 5th of November |
| 1:19.6 | still holds relevance today. |
| 1:21.6 | To help me discuss this fascinating subject, I'm joined by two of my wonderful colleagues, |
| 1:25.6 | Brett and Oldham. Would you like to introduce yourselves? Hello, well, I'm Olden Gregory. I'm joined by two of my wonderful colleagues, Brett and Olden. Would you like to introduce |
| 1:27.7 | yourselves? Hello, well, I'm Alden Gregory. I am the curator of historic buildings at the Tower |
| 1:33.6 | of London. And hello, I'm Brett Dolman and I'm a curator mostly based at Hampton Court Palace, |
| 1:39.0 | but with an interest in the events of the 17th century and their legacy today. |
| 1:48.6 | Fantastic. Well, thank you for joining me in the studio today. Let's get started. |
| 1:52.8 | Brett, should we start with the basics? What exactly was the gunpowder plot? |
| 1:59.4 | Well, in 1604, you have this charismatic firebrands called Robert Catesby, who gathers a small cabal of like-minded young Catholic gentry, |
| 2:03.2 | connected by faith and family ties, and they concoct a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament |
... |
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