Guy Fawkes was educated at St. Peter's School in York. Today, this venerable instituion, with its lush green playing fields rolling down to the River Ouse, is a prestigious, co-educational boarding and day school. It has been educating children of good families (in the past, only boys) for 450 years, since being founded by Royal Charter of Philip and Mary in 1557. The Mary in this case was "Bloody" Mary Tudor who earned her nickname for persecuting Protestants. During her short reign - only five years on the throne - she had 300 people burnt at the stake for heresy.
With that kind of early history, it is no surprise that Guy Fawkes, the Gunpowder Plot conspirator, and several of his co-conspirators, picked up some of their rebellious religious convictions while being educated at St. Peter's School.
The school marks November 5, Guy Fawkes Day, with a bonfire and fireworks. But there is never an effigy of Guy Fawkes, the guy, thrown on the fire.
"We do not burn effigies of old boys," a headmaster is reported to have decreed.
