22 January 2007 - 21:00Treason and plot

The Parliamentary Archives and the 24 Hour Museum have launched a timely new website to mark the 400th anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot. Some 400 years after the failure of the plot, archive material and original documents - including the signed confessions of Guy Fawkes, before and after torture - are used to build an authoritative account of the events of 1605. The National Archives, the National Portrait Gallery, Lambeth Palace Library and The British Museum have all contributed to the project, which was commissioned by the Parliamentary Archives and produced by 24 Hour Museum with expert research and support from the History of Parliament Trust.

David Prior, Assistant Clerk of the Records at the Parliamentary Archives, explained: “Most people have heard of Bonfire night and Guy Fawkes but the significance of it all is not always understood.” He added that the project had drawn on the resources held amongst the Parliamentary Archives and the Palace of Westminster collections as well as those held by other institutions. The site can be found at www.gunpowderplot.parliament.uk.