Biography of Charles Blount 1st Earl Devonshire 1563-1606

State Trials and Proceedings for High Treason. The Trials of ROBERT WINTER, THOMAS WINTER, GUY FAWKES, JOHN GRANT, AMBROSE ROOKWOOD, ROB. KEY ES, THOMAS BATES, and Sir EVERARD DIGBY, at Westminster, for High Treason, being Conspirators in the Gunpowder-Plot: 3 Jac. I. 27th Jan. A. D. 1606.

On 27th January 1606 the trial of the conspirators took place at Westminster Hall [Map].

The Commissioners were: Earl of Nottingham (age 70), Suffolk (age 44), Worcester (age 56), Devonshire (age 43), Northampton (age 65), Salisbury (age 42), John Popham (age 75), the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer, Thomas Fleming (age 61), Peter Warburton (age 66), knight, one of the Justices of the Common Pleas.

The Effect of the Indictment.

THAT whereas our Sovereign Lord the King (age 39) had, by the Advice and Assent of his Council, for divers weighty and urgent Occasions concerning, his Majesty, the State, and Defence of the Church and Kingdom of England, appointed a Parliament to be holden at his City of Westminster; That Henry Garnet (age 50), Superior of the Jesuits within the Realm of England, (called also by the several names of Wally, Darcy, Roberts, Farmer, and Henry Philips), Oswald Tesmond Jesuit (age 43), otherwise called Oswald Greenwell, John Gerrard Jesuit (age 41), (called also by the several names of Lee and Brooke), Robert Winter (age 38), Thomas Winter (age 35), Gentlemen, Guy Fawkes (age 35) Gent. otherwise called Guy Johnson, Robert Keyes (age 41) Gent. and Thomas Bates Yeoman, late Servant to Robert Catesby Esquire; together with the said Robert Catesby and Thomas Percy Esquires, John Wright and Christopher Wright Gentlemen, in open Rebellion and Insurrection against his Majesty, lately slain, and Francis Tresham Esq; lately dead; as false Traitors against our said Sovereign Lord the King, did traitorously meet and assemble themselves together; and being so met, the said Henry Garnet, Oswald Tesmond, John Gerrard, and other Jesuits, did maliciously, falsly, and traitorously move and persuade as well the said Thomas Winter, Guy Fawkes, Robert Keyes, and Thomas Bates, as the said Robert Catesby, Thomas Percy, John Wright, Christopher Wright, and Francis Tresham, That our said Sovereign Lord the King, the Nobility, Clergy, and whole Commonalty of the Realm of England, (Papists excepted) were Hereticks; and that all Hereticks were accursed and excommunicate; and that none Heretick could be a King; but that it was lawful and meritorious to kill our said Sovereign Lord the King, and all other Hereticks within this Realm of England, for the Advancing and Enlargement of the pretended and usurped Authority and Jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, and for the restoring of the superstitious Romish Religion within this Realm of England.