Remember, Remember: A Cultural History of Guy Fawkes Day

by James Sharpe

In the early hours of November 5, 1605, Guy Fawkes, an English Catholic who had served with the Spanish army in Flanders, was discovered in a storeroom under the Palace of Westminster―and with him, thirty-six barrels of gunpowder earmarked to obliterate England’s royal family, top officials, and members of Parliament gathered for Parliament’s opening day. Had it succeeded, this Gunpowder Plot―a Catholic conspiracy against the recently crowned Protestant King James I and his government―English history would have been shaped by a terrorist act of unprecedented proportions.

Today Guy Fawkes―whose name has long stood for the conspiracy―is among the most notorious figures in English history; and Bonfire Night, observed every November 5th to memorialize the narrowly foiled Gunpowder Plot, is one of the country’s most festive occasions. Why has the memory of this act of treason and terrorism persisted for 400 years? In Remember, Remember James Sharpe takes us back to 1605 and teases apart the tangled web of religion and politics that gave rise to the plot. And, with considerable wit, he shows how celebration of that fateful night, and the representation of Guy Fawkes, has changed over the centuries.

James Sharpe’s colorfully told story has wide implications. The plot of 1605 has powerful resonances today, in a time of heightened concern about ideological conflict, religious fanaticism, and terrorism. And his account of the festivities marking the momentous event comments on the role of rituals in constructing national histories.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, European History, Religion, British Literature

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up. Some of the chapters are either a bit dry or a bit clunky. Sharpe occassionally jumps around in the time line. That being said, he does give a succinct and fairly balanced explanation of the Gunpowder Plot and how the festivities on November 5th have shifted over 400 years. This book is now about 20 years old. I'm now curious what has changed since Sharpe wrote this book.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The observance of Guy Fawkes Day was once required by English law and provided by a proper liturgy by the Church of England. A nation grateful that its king, his family, and most of Parliament were not blown to smithereens is likely to celebrate heartily on several levels. Guy Fawkes Day quickly became an occasion promoting the mixed religio-political ends of anti-Catholicism. The fears of the people were parallel: of a foreign power invading England and of the Pope repealing English Protestantism and requiring Roman Catholic conformity. English history is replete with examples of Catholics burning Protestants and Protestants burning Catholics in a sort of religio-homicidal cycle. But the celebration of the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot fairly quickly took on other unsavoury elements: vandalism, terrorism of minorities, rioting, drunkenness, arson and generally hassling Roman Catholics (and even High Church Anglicans who looked too much like Roman Catholics). In a very scholarly review of the history of the celebration of Guy Fawkes Day, Sharpe draws on primary resources (sermons, newspaper articles, acts of Parliament) to demonstrate how the observance changed over time. The modern holiday is much tempered compared to its antecedents. No one is really concerned about a Roman Catholic takeover of Great Britain nor of the invasion of the British Isles by crucifix-wearing soldiers. There are still bonfires to mark Guy Fawkes but neither the Guy nor the Pope are often burned on them. A more likely effigy has been George Bush or Osama bin Laden or a giant parking meter (as a protest to their installation). Unlike the anti-Catholic guilds and bands and brigades which previously sponsored fireworks and a bonfire, the more likely modern sponsor is the local rotary Club or the town council. Schools serve refreshments as a fundraiser. Even the modest and quite tame recent observances have drawn criticism of all sorts. Pet owners who have to narcotize their dogs and cats are upset by the noise of fireworks. Emergency hospitals decry the accidents. Insurance rates increase to compensate for Guy Fawkes damages. Airports have had to shut down because of skyrocket barrages on landing passenger jets. Firefighters complain of being attacked by rowdies while trying to put out bonfires which threaten property damage. And the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals complains that hedgehogs, looking for a place to hibernate, often make dens in the wood stacked up for several weeks for bonfires and are immolated when the whole thing is ignited. There are some parallels which can be drawn between the history of Guy Fawkes celebrations and 21st century events. A mob in the street is always a dangerous thing but perhaps even more so when it justifies its violence in the name of religion. Occasional demonstrations against Muslims in supposedly "Christian nations" have shown the potential for explosive destruction. This is insufficient reason to abandon Guy Fawkes Day. It is one of the few truly British holidays; very few people other than Canadians celebrate Victoria Day. It encourages those who know it to tell the story. And it affords an opportunity to rehearse to poem:

"Remember, remember, the Fifth of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot."

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 represents what is perhaps the greatest failed terrorist plot in history, an attempt by a group of disaffected Catholics to blow up James I and the assembled political elites of the English nation as they gathered for the opening of Parliament. As James Sharpe demonstrates in this book, the subsequent commemoration of the event came to assume added meaning. Over the course of the 17th century the anniversary of the event became an opportunity to celebrate a type of Protestant English identity. As hostility towards Catholicism ebbed in the 18th century, however, the anti-Catholic nature of the celebrations changed into more of a focus on the figure of Guy Fawkes, as the celebrations were gradually disconnected from their meaning. Sharpe's analysis of all of this is very interesting, as it not only describes the changing meaning of Guy Fawkes Day but also sheds light as to how the understanding of events change as attitudes evolve over time.

[Bill Fairclough · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent read and if you are interested in history & how MI6 used Guy Fawkes and another bad "old boy" from St Peter’s School York, read on!

Best see the news at TheBurlingtonFiles website for 5 November 2022 about Guy Fawkes & MI6 and then read about me, Bill Fairclough (MI6 codename JJ) aka Edward Burlington in the spy thriller Beyond Enkription in The Burlington Files series of fact based spy novels. See https://theburlingtonfiles.org/news_2....

Beyond Enkription is the first of six stand-alone autobiographical spy novels in The Burlington Files series based on my life and experiences while working as an agent for MI6, the CIA et al for circa 50 years (see https://lnkd.in/gA6E6WR).

To really get the most out of reading Beyond Enkription I suggest you first browse through my bio on TheBurlingtonFiles website and then read three brief news articles published on TheBurlingtonFiles website. One is about Bill Fairclough (August 2023), characters' identities (September 2021) and Pemberton's People (October 2022). What is amazing is that these articles were only published many years after Beyond Enkription itself was. You’ll soon be immersed in a whole new world!

Beyond Enkription is an intriguing unadulterated factual thriller and a great read as long as you don’t expect John le Carré’s delicate diction, sophisticated syntax and placid plots. If you do ... just carry on reading le Carré. After all, I am neither an author nor spy by profession. I was a mere accountant.

In fact, Colonel Alan Brooke Pemberton CVO MBE, initially my handler and later my colleague, once said the best spies don’t know they have been recruited. He was right and in many ways Beyond Enkription is conceptually about just that which is why an American critic rated it as a five star read “being up there with My Silent War by Kim Philby and No Other Choice by George Blake”.

[Michael Bully · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just to confirm that this book has a relatively small section on the Gunpowder Plot itself, the emphasis is on 5th November commemoration from 1605 onward.
The author is a specialist in the Early Modern period, particularly on crime and disorder as well as social history. Interesting that the author or publisher has chosen 'Guy Fawkes Day' rather than Bonfire Night for the title.
The account of the Gunpowder Plot is worth reading in itself. Putting the attempted outrage in to the context of Protestant- Catholic conflicts in France and the Low Countries as well as in the recent British history of the time. James Sharpe also stresses the influence of the late 16th century/17 th century Protestant belief in Providentialism , the notion that somehow the will of God was working through events to deliver Britain from a return to the Catholic faith: The failure of the 'Plot is therefore placed in the sequence after the death of Blood Mary after a short reign, and the defeat of the Spanish Armada as components of some divine scheme.
The book looks at changes over the generations, how Guy Fawkes rose to dominate the popular view of the 'Plot. Also references to local celebrations and how boisterous they could become. The Lewes Bonfire Night of today gets featured.It was great to great to be reminded of the account of Bonfire Night in Thomas Hardy's 'Return of the Native'. The author draws on the customs of his youth -such as 'penny for the guy' - and the growing competition from Halloween . A fascinating book .

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a pretty solid historical and anthropological survey of the Gunpowder plot and the perceptions of the of English centuries afterwards. Pretty easy to read and informative. It obviously is focused on the English and the southern part of the island, so if you are not familiar with the geography it may be worth to find a map for reference. I would probably recommend this if there is an interest.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Interesting cultural history of Guy Fawkes Day/5th of November. Loses some points at the end for bewailing the fact that children on the street don’t know what they’re celebrating, and that they now frequently prefer Halloween. But otherwise interesting, and hits the right balance between being well researched and decently well written.

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Sharpe does the a really good job explaining the complicated religious/political situation in late 16th century/early 17th century England that leads to the failed terrorist plot on November 5, 1605. Then he goes into a very interesting and fascinating analysis of how the commemoration of this event changed over time as anti-Catholicism waned.

[Katie Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up the the library in October and thought it would be fun to read in preparation for Guy Fawkes Day, and I LOVED this book! It's well-written history, a good story and fascinating analysis without the boredom...love it!

[Malcolm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for the basics of the Gunpowder Plot and the ongoing Protestant-Catholic context. I didn't realize that the Pope was burned in effigy at the onset of Nov. 5 celebrations or that other historical events were added to the event. An easy enough read.