The Gunpowder Plot : Lewes : Today : The Bonfire Societies : Bonfire Prayers
This is Bonfire Night, also known throughout the UK as Guy Fawkes, and is celebrated on the 5th of November every year, unless the 5th falls on a Sunday when the events are moved to the previous day. Religion has always been at the very center of the Lewes events, what with the "Anti Popery" sentiments of the occasion. These feelings were taken from several places and rekindled with things like the re-establishment of the Catholic hierarchy and installation of Cardinal Wiseman as the Archbishop of Westminster. Before this papal proclamation the Bonfire Boys had quieted down a bit, but after, they came back in full force.
For those of you that do not know of Bonfire Night, it is generally held as a night to remember the breaking of a Jesuit plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament when they reassembled on Tuesday 5th November 1605, and with them King James I and the government of England. The plot was uncovered when Lord Monteagle received a letter from his brother in law Francis Tresham, one of the conspirators, warning him to stay away on this date. The letter was delivered to King James I and he had the cellars searched. The cellars were in fact searched twice, as the first time they found a man claiming to be named "Johnson" (the alias of Guy Fawkes) in the cellar of the House of Lords. There was a pile of logs and coal, which supposedly belonged to a Mr. Percy, who Johnson was working for. It was not until the cellar was searched again, by soldiers under the command of Sir Thomas Knevet that they found his answers not to their liking, and searched him, finding a tinder-box and a slow-match. Guy Fawkes confessed immediately saying that if they had caught him inside the cellar, instead of at the entrance, he would have blown them all up along with himself. Thus the Gunpowder Plot was foiled.
An act was passed in January 1606, entitled "An acte for a publique thancksgiving to Almighty God everie yeere of the Fifte day of November" stating that the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot should be "held in a perpetual remembrance" and that the 5th be a "holiday forever in thankfulness to God for the deliverance and detestation of the Papists". The event was a morning service in every parish church at which prayers of thanksgiving were offered, bells rung, and garrison canons fired. In the populace it was widely held that patriotism and anti-catholicism were inextricably intertwined. The government by passing this act, exploited the perceived feeling of the Papacy being an alien political and religious power.
To the people of Lewes, there are many more reasons to remember the 5th as a special night. William, Prince of Orange, landed at Brixham on 5th November 1688 who brought freedom of worship to Anglican and Non-conformists both and established the roots of the British tradition of tolerance and understanding which sets an example to the world.
Another reason (or seventeen of them) people in Lewes think of, are the Martyrs who were burned to death outside the Star Inn (now the Town Hall) during the reign of Mary I for their religious beliefs.
There are six main Bonfire Societies involved in the celebrations each year. These are made up of local and some not so local people who thoroughly enjoy the atmosphere of the celebrations. This does not include the ones that come in from outlying districts, who hold celebrations on a different night, just so they can be part of the Lewes events for the 5th.
Probably one of the best known is the Cliffe, who have had a fairly colourful past and no doubt will continue to have a slightly less so, but still interesting future. Grahame was an active member of the society from 1984 through 1990, and hopefully, if we can get the costumes sorted out, both he and Rafe will be joining the Smugglers section of Cliffe again in 2000.
The events are part of Lewes life, run by Lewes people, for Lewes people. It is suggested that people do not try and overcrowd the town, as it would destroy the feelings of the event. Instead they are advised to watch from a descreet distance, the Television programmes on the subject, and the media reports. They cannot give the full feeling of being a resident of Lewes, and living in the town every day, but these media types convey the best parts of what happens. With this in mind, keep an eye out for the reports, and check the websites, for information of what has been going on. We will be adding images from the festivities to this site, along with our own views, and other information to these pages, as they arise. So keep away maybe, but keep up to date.
The Bonfire Societies are : Borough : Cliffe : Commercial Square : Neville : South Street : Waterloo