Black Powder (32 page)

London
was by far the most important city in England and a dangerous one too.
The Clink
in
Southwark
was a notorious gaol where Catholic prisoners, including priests, were held. So it would have been highly likely that both Tom's father and Father Oliver would have ended up there once captured.

London Bridge
was the only bridge across the River Thames in those days. Like Tom, in the story, everyone had to pass beneath the mouldering heads of so-called traitors, stuck up on the south gate as a warning to those thinking of committing treason; the heads of Guy Fawkes and some of his fellow plotters ended up on spikes there after their execution. The only other way to cross the river was by ferries or smaller boats called wherries which zigzagged across
its murky depths between different sets of stairs on each bank – the equivalent of stops on the London Underground today.

The
tunnel
which Robin Cat asks Tom to help excavate remains one of the many mysteries linked with the true story of the Gunpowder Plot. There is no clear evidence it existed. However, in my version of the tale, I have suggested it did and that the plotters, many of whom were tall men, needed a boy's help in digging it.

Tunnel or no tunnel, the final place the gunpowder was brought to was a storeroom belonging to a house (John Whynniard's house) located in the heart of Westminster, beneath the
House of Lords
where the King was due to open Parliament on Tuesday 5 November.

Finally,
Tyburn
, near present-day Marble Arch in London, was the site of public executions from the late twelfth until the late eighteenth century. There is a memorial to the Catholic martyrs who died at Tyburn in nearby Tyburn Convent.

The Gunpowder Plot

The events in my story happen much quicker than they did in real life, occurring over a few days rather than over the many months of the real-life plot.

I have tried to follow the history of what is known about the plot as much as possible, but there are a number of things I have made up for the sake of the story. For example, it is believed that the gunpowder was brought by river to its final location from wherever the plotters sourced it,
and not by road. The real stash of gunpowder was also found to be damp when the plot was discovered, most likely due to poor storage conditions, although historians say it would probably still have exploded if Guy Fawkes had ever managed to light the fuse. Of course, in my story, Tom and Cressida soak the gunpowder with river water. And it is because Solomon Wiseman forces the children to lead him to the cellar that Guy Fawkes is captured. Whereas in real life, he was taken prisoner after the King's men spotted a tall stranger lurking near some piles of wood and barrels in a cellar under the House of Lords around midnight on 4 November.

A mysterious letter, possibly written by one of the plotters, was sent to at least one Catholic lord – Lord Monteagle – warning him to stay away from the opening of Parliament on 5 November. It supposedly played a big part in helping to alert the authorities about the plot – although some historians believe Cecil may already have known about it and had the letter written himself as ‘evidence'. However, in my story, it is Lord Montague who is the recipient of a letter which Tom then manages to destroy.

In late January 1606, Guy Fawkes and the surviving plotters were found guilty and sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered – a grisly but common end for all traitors.

Afterwards

The ‘Powder Treason' backfired in more ways than one. As a result of it, English Catholics suffered great persecution and hardships for centuries to come.

And starting from the day the plot was uncovered, people burnt bonfires on 5 November to celebrate its failure and the saving of the King's life. They have done so ever since, often burning effigies of Guy Fawkes on top of the flames.

Every year, on the night before the state opening of Parliament by the British monarch, the cellars beneath the Palace of Westminster are searched by members of the Yeoman of the Guard (‘Beefeaters') in a ceremony marking the thwarting of the plot which, had it succeeded, would have changed the face of the country for ever.

And the events are also commemorated in the famous rhyme: ‘
Remember, remember, the fifth of November, Gunpowder Treason and Plot
.'

Were the plotters wholly bad men? Tom puzzles on this himself when he thinks about his friendship with the Falcon. To help you make up your own mind, here are some suggestions for more reading and possible visits you can make to find out more about the Gunpowder Plot and the people caught up in it.

More Information

Read

•
Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot
by Peter Brimacombe (Pitkin Publishing 2009)

•
www.bbc.co.uk/history/the_gunpowder_plot
– BBC web pages on the Gunpowder Plot

•
www.gunpowder-plot.org/
– website of The Gunpowder Plot Society

For adults

Antonia Fraser's book
The Gunpowder Plot: Terror and Faith in 1605
is an excellent historical account which is also a page-turning read and one I am much indebted to for the facts which lie behind my own story.

Visit

• Cowdray House, Midhurst, West Sussex – home of the Montagues.
www.cowdray.co.uk/historic-cowdray/

• The Tower of London – where Guy Fawkes was tortured and imprisoned after he was captured.
www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/

• The Clink Prison Museum – built on the original site of one of London's most notorious prisons. The Clink is where Tom's father is taken after his arrest.
www.clink.co.uk/

There are also a number of National Trust properties with links to the Gunpowder Plotters including Coughton Court, Baddesley Clinton and Lyveden New Bield.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/

Acknowledgements

If an author is very lucky, the seed for a story may blow in their direction and plant itself in their head. But it requires the care, nurturing and hard work of a whole bunch of other people for it to take root and grow into a published book.

Black Powder
has been very lucky to have so many loving and green-fingered gardeners to help it thrive and bloom. Without further ado, my sincere and heartfelt thank you to:

My parents, George and Beryl Burt, and my sister, Elisabeth, for providing the essential compost of bedtime stories and make-believe games in the garden, all bound together by a huge dose of unconditional love and support.

The many wise teachers and tutors who have, over the years, raked the soil and provided the fertilizer of inspiration, wise words and sound advice including: Mrs Branson, Mrs Laub, Judith Heneghan and Vanessa Harbour. And Lady Antonia Fraser for her excellent book on the Gunpowder Plot which was my bible and guide on what happened and when in the real plot – all historical inaccuracies and inventions are my own . . .

My many dear friends – you know who you are! – and fellow writers and early readers – Cath, Jill, Lizzie, Sharon, Barbara, Patty and Shelley – who kept the soil moist and aerated with a generous watering of interest, encouragement and critical feedback.

My wonderful publishers at Chicken House and in particular Barry Cunningham for spotting the first green
shoots of something he thought might be promising; Rachel Leyshon, Kesia Lupo, Esther Waller, Sue Cook and the rest of the editorial and production team for their nimble-fingered weeding, training of the tendrils and pruning of wayward stalks and stems; and Rachel Hickman, Jazz Bartlett, Laura Smythe and Elinor Bagenal for planting
Black Powder
out in the sunshine and giving it the chance to bloom.

And not forgetting the fantastic Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators who helped set my story on the path to discovery and Rachel H., artist Alexis Snell and designer Steve Wells for the gorgeous cover – my story in a powder keg!

Lastly, and most important of all, my deepest love and gratitude to my very own special gardener and lovely husband, Steve, who has given me boundless supplies of light, oxygen and the all-important space in which to grow and to reach for the sky.

Finally, my wish for you, dear reader, is that my story brings you as much pleasure to read as it has brought me to write.

Text © Ally Sherrick 2016

First paperback edition published in Great Britain in 2016

This electronic edition published in 2016

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Ally Sherrick has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and
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Cover design and interior design by Steve Wells
Illustrations © Alexis Snell 2016

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PB ISBN 978-1-910655-26-9

eISBN 978-1-910655-65-8