Queen Elizabeth's fear of Catholics was understandable. Many regarded Mary, Queen of Scots, whose grandmother, Henry VIII's sister, Margaret had married James IV of Scotland, as the true Queen. Elizabeth's legitimacy was in question because her father, Henry VIII, had married her mother, Ann Boleyn, in defiance of the Catholic church and installed himself as Head of the Church of England. The Pope would not annul Henry's marriage to Catherine of Aragon with whom he had a daughter, Mary Tudor.
England was threatened by Spain whom it finally defeated in 1588. Many Catholics had favoured Spain and wanted to place Mary, Queen of Scots, on the throne. The Babington Plot, a conspiracy to do just that, proved Elizabeth's fears justified, and led to poor Mary's execution.
Catholics rejoiced when James 1 succeeded to the throne, but their joy was premature. James reintroduced the harsh penalties for Catholic sympathies.
Angered by this situation three Catholic conspirators, Catesby, Wright, and Wintour, met at John Wright's Lambeth house, to discuss their plans to return England to the 'true Faith'. Catesby, the leader, persuaded the others to agree to his scheme to blow up the King and the House of Lords at the next Opening of Parliament, and seize the young Prince Charles and Princess Elizabeth. They would begin a revolution to change England back into a Catholic country.
More conspirators were drawn into this ambitious scheme, including Guy Fawkes. Fawkes, also known as Guido (!), had fought in Spain for 10 years as a mercenary, and he was used to dangerous situations. He would do the 'dirty work' required. Francis Tresham, the son of a leading Catholic, Sir Thomas Tresham, much persecuted for his faith, also joined the scheme.
The plotters hired lodgings near Parliament. They originally attempted to dig a tunnel intending to place the gunpower here, but this became unusable. Luckily, Thomas Percy, was able to rent a cellar right under the House of Lords, using his Royal Connections! Here they hid 36 barrels of gunpowder, intending to carry out their plan on November 4, 1605.
Ten days before this, Lord Monteagle, a reformed Catholic, received a letter delivered by special messenger. H:e was horrified to read the warning not to attend Parliament because of a great calamity that would destroy it. Immediately he forwarded the letter to Sir Robert Cecil, Secretary of State.
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